Buckhead Shul Hosts Smashing Pickleball Event

June 29 was the day the Buckhead Shul (Chabad Young Professionals) took over the legendary Bitsy Grant Pickleball courts with its third annual doubles tournament. Temps in the high 80’s did not deter a record turnout as Rabbi Yisrael New and his team of volunteers welcomed players of all skill levels. As an added bonus, Rabbi New assisted with those who wanted to wrap tefillin. There were 40 players and 15 fans who came to hang out. The entry fee was $35 per couple and $20 for a single.

Daniel Cohen was the technical mastermind who arranged the matches leading to single elimination. When teams signed up online, they had to provide the partner’s name along with a team name (like Ross the Boss for example) and establish an experience level: Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced. Cohen wanted to spread the experience levels out so a Beginner team wouldn’t only be playing Advanced teams.

With a total of 20 teams who came with partners, four players who came alone were quickly paired up. Cohen said, “To execute, I put all the teams in a tournament bracket creator website, which let me organize the style of tournament and keep track with the games. After each game finished, the teams reported who won/lost and I updated the bracket and announced the next matchup.”

The winning team was Nobody Wants This which took home a pair of Atlanta Braves tickets. Previously, Cohen was a member of CYP’s social planning committee and involved in helping organize and set up other events including high holiday parties.

Sisterhood co-chairs Judy Stolovitz and Amit Feldberg began planning the tournament in May. Feldberg, whose “day job” is in finance at United Parcel Service, related, “The event was a huge success, despite a little heat outside, but even that was OK. Everyone had a great time with healthy competition, and it was a good way to meet people.”

She noted that there were a lot of behind-the-scenes machinations, including the private covered party room, the reserved courts, the food (bagels, hummus, spreads, chips, and popcorn), beverages, and the star feature, a professional server blending fresh fruit smoothies to order.

Players Luke Chapman and Dylan Lambier were revving up for the first match and said, “Hey, we are beginners and just glad to be here.”

Partners Ari Oken, whose pickleball home turf is Grant Park, and Sam Kleiman were networking between games to tout their new web-based business, Claims Concierge; and the latter said, “Ari really plays pickleball more regularly than me; but after the tournament, we’re looking to play together more often. Even though we didn’t win, all the games were really close and competitive — it felt like any of the teams could have won. What made it really special was after the tournament ended, a bunch of teams just stayed on the courts and kept playing. It was a great time and really showed how welcoming the community is.”

Rabbi New also took his turn on the court. He said, “Today’s pickleball tournament was an incredible success and a true testament to the power of community. We’re so grateful to our amazing Sisterhood co-chairs, Judy and Amit, for putting together such a fun and meaningful event, and to Daniel for masterfully organizing the tournament. It’s events like these that bring people together, create connections, and strengthen the bonds that make our community so special.

Rabbi New concluded, “The Buckhead Shul continues to grow into a vibrant, welcoming hub for Jewish life in the heart of Atlanta — a place where friendships are formed, families are supported, and Jewish life is celebrated with joy and pride.”

The Buckhead Shul is known for being on trend; and this tournament is just one example, in addition to the shul’s Mah Jong and Martinis programs. Pickleball touts 20 million regular players in the U.S., a 311 percent surge since 2021. The fastest growing demographic is 18 -to 34-year-olds. As new facilities (Pickleball Club of Georgia will be the largest in the U.S.) and clubs proliferate, Atlanta is rapidly becoming the nation’s pickleball hub.