This is Tamara Warville. In this video, I'm interviewing Josh Golds and we're family.
I met Josh 18 years ago. Here he is right behind me. He was in Hartford then and his mom.
Well, I've known Linda since she was 12 years old. Isn't she beautiful?
Here are Linda's parents, Joe and Stella. Linda was one of 11 children.
Josh is one of their 30 grandchildren. Look at those basketball player fingers.
Stella, my spiritual mother. Our last visit together.
Two thousand years. Take care.
Well, because we're family, I keep up with Josh. He's been playing professional ball and bowling and then he came to Israel. He played on a Benyaminah team.
Today he's a shooting guard on the Ramadan team in Israel.
Last spring when I was living in Tel Aviv, Josh was playing for Benyaminah. I caught a train to Benyaminah. Same name as the team.
And we had a good afternoon. We talked.
Tell me what it's like to be a foreigner.
Just really appreciate where you come from. It's different culture and you learn new aspects of life and you have to abide by them.
So you appreciate everything, all the freedom and all the opportunities that you get in the States that a lot of people don't get.
As far as in Poland and even here in Israel, even though it's more Americanized.
What freedoms do you lack here?
Being around your own type of people.
What do you consider your type of people?
You know, here I'm only American around. There's not a lot of Americans just wandering around. So that alone is a scary thought.
Why is it scary?
Not scary, petrified scary, but back at home it's more relaxed. You have your friends and family.
Those people that do what I do, they understand.
So Josh, have you come to be more comfortable?
Yeah, I've learned how to cope with things.
I've definitely made me a better person.
How?
Being on my own. Just having to adjust to make my own decisions.
Even in college you're on your own, but you still have other people make decisions for you.
Here, this is what I do now. This is where I work. This is my profession.
And I'm getting a chance to be more on my own.
You just have to really be focused out here and also have fun, but to know how to balance it too.
And this made me a better person.
I get to travel. I get to see the world. I get to play basketball.
So it's a one-two punch. And I'm enjoying it.
I think everybody needs to get out of his own box, his own bubble.
And take time out and travel.
Do you feel like you'll miss being a foreigner?
Yeah, I still miss Poland. I'll miss Israel more. But I know I'll be back on there.
Did you know Jewish people in America?
Some what, but they weren't religious at all. They were just Jewish.
So I've never seen any Orthodox Jews in the States, but I know they are there.
But I didn't live like Chicago, York. We live in a suburbial place in Indiana.
Have you met any Christians here?
It's funny because I haven't. I haven't had a chance to meet too many people outside the basketball world.
Have you met any Muslims?
I've seen them. I took my trip to Jerusalem.
I got to see a lot of different Muslims, Arab people.
So I've seen a lot of different races in one community.
So here we are coming to the train station, full circle.
Thank you for a lovely, lovely day.
I almost got arrested taking pictures at the railroad station. That was interesting.
I just couldn't imagine why anybody would take a picture of a railroad station and not be able to travel.
Well, you know, a couple years ago they had a bombing here.
Honey, that's what that memorial was for those two kids. They were blown up.
2001, that was exactly what that memorial was. I'm just as happy that they're vigilant.
So any porting words to the world?
Thank you, Tammy. Hopefully we can spend many more in Israel.
Okay, thank you, Josh.
Thank you.
In Judaism, we have an idea called sultavut, which means that the honorable lives of righteous ancestors contribute to the welfare of their descendants.
Thank you.
