Bagels with Bruce Pearl: Auburn coach leads students in tearful morning prayer for war-torn Israel

By Matt Cohen | mcohen@al.com

Auburn, AL - 20230926 - Auburn Tigers Men's Basketball First Practice

AUBURN, AL - SEPTEMBER 26 - Head Coach Bruce Pearl during the Auburn Tigers Men's Basketball first practice of 2023-24 at Neville Arena in Auburn, AL on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023. Photo by Zach Bland/Auburn TigersZach Bland/Auburn Tigers

Surrounded by the few dozen Jewish students he brought with him into the Auburn men’s basketball locker room, head coach Bruce Pearl turned on an overhead television. He described graphic videos showing dead Israeli bodies paraded as trophies.

Pearl had also compiled a video of Instagram stories showing crowds gathered in cities across America and Europe in support of Israel.

In one video, a crowd in Paris, with both Israeli and Palestinian supporters, gathered together peacefully. He spoke of the difference between the peaceful Palestinian people and Hamas — deemed a terrorist group by the United States and other nations.

The sun had hardly risen Wednesday morning as Pearl reflected on thousands of people he has never met, but would consider his family, brutally killed continents away.

Already emotional that early morning, Pearl walked into the Courtside Lounge at Neville Arena in Auburn.

There a group gathered from Auburn’s Hillel chapter, a Jewish student organization, and its supporters.

Pearl was there to talk about Israel and the fight that began raging Saturday when Hamas invaded. Israel quickly declared a war which already has taken the lives of thousands, according to multiple reports around the world.

In many of the videos Pearl showed, the crowds sang “Hatikva,” Israel’s national anthem. The Hebrew word hatikva means “the hope.”

The song moves him, Pearl said. So, he played it in the Auburn locker room. The group stood with their heads down as Pearl silently mouthed the words.

The final verses of the song roughly translate to: “Our hope is not lost. It is 2,000 years old. To be a free people in our land, the land of Zion and Jerusalem.”

Pearl’s wife Brandy, who is not Jewish, stepped out of the room as the song played. She was crying for Israel.

Although Auburn’s Jewish community is small, this Hillel event, dubbed ‘Bagels with Bruce,’ was among the largest crowds Pearl said he has seen at such gatherings with about 50 people in the locker room.

The bagels were from Panera Bread, the best they could find in town.

John Cohen, Auburn’s athletic director, was at Neville Arena as well along with his wife Nelle. Cohen is Jewish, too, though not as vocal about his faith or about Israel as Pearl, who has posted on X frequently during the violence.

Cohen spoke to the students in support of Israel. He gave out his cellphone number, offering an ear to anyone in the room who wanted to talk.

From Cohen on, Pearl asked each student in the room to introduce themselves. Many had connections to or loved ones in Israel. Then Pearl began to speak about the attack and ensuing war.

Hamas invaded Israel and killed hundreds of civilians. The single-day death tolls are believed to rival that of the Holocaust.

The fighting’s origins trace back to Israeli and Palestinian disputes over control over the same land. Hamas leadership took control in the Gaza Strip nearly two decades ago. Tensions have remained between Hamas and Israel with periods of violence since Gaza’s creation, but none with the death toll quite like this.

“This has nothing to do with revenge,” Pearl said. “It has everything to do with existence.”

When Pearl spoke, tears welled and the water shined on his face beneath his eyes.

Pearl was born in Boston and is a proud and vocal Jew.

There are few things that are more important to Auburn’s men’s basketball coach than his support of Judaism and Israel. Yet there are only so many moments with the gravity to have made Pearl cry like this.

Often, Jews are asked to support Israel by virtue of being Jewish. Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and Gaza is controversial and debated among the international community, including Jews.

Pearl implored the students that they should not have to apologize for supporting Israel because of their religion.

He said that not every Jew connects Israel as part of their faith, but it is important for him. He said his support of Israel strengthens his beliefs as a Jew. He said he believes Israel is surrounded by countries that do not want Israel to exist.

“Do not apologize for the Jewish state,” Pearl said. “Do not apologize for your right to exist.”

Pearl acknowledges that many of his beliefs regarding Israel can quickly become political and his comments on social media and at speaking events can become controversial.

Pearl commonly makes religion and world issues talking points within his basketball program.

He sponsored a play this fall called “We’ll Meet Again” about a Holocaust survivor who came to the Auburn-Opelika area. Especially in a time like this, Pearl said it is hard to focus on creating a practice plan for his basketball team with Israel at the forefront of his mind.

“Where exactly will the world let us live?” Pearl said. “Without Israel, where would those 6 million Jewish people go?”

Pearl spoke for around 30 minutes.

He told students to look for answers in the Old Testament and prayer. He told them about his own players who had been to Israel. Pearl took his team on a trip before the 2022-23 season and organized a trip for Arizona and Kansas State to go late this summer.

Auburn men’s basketball guard Lior Berman, who is Jewish, spoke alongside Pearl and said he has family in Israel. It is a helpless feeling, he said, not being able do anything from afar.

Auburn center Dylan Cardwell came in late in Pearl’s talk. Pearl brought him to the front and Cardwell, who is not Jewish, spoke about his own heartbreak over the tragedies.

When he was done, Pearl led the group out of the Courtside Lounge and around the hallway to the right toward the court and then turned left into Auburn’s locker room.

He showed the videos on the TV, played “Hatikva” and then led a prayer. He was followed by a still tear-filled Brandy’s own prayer.

The students gathered said “amen.” They took a picture. And they walked back to the lounge where the bagels were cold.

Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5426490&forum_id=2.#46928192)

https://d1xk4lz7u1u0yl.cloudfront.net/images/2022/7/31/Israel_Trip_Arrival_.jpg

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5426490&forum_id=2.#46928205)

https://x.com/coachbrucepearl/status/1821406758218465366

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5426490&forum_id=2.#47953603)