Liora Gertler

I have known Dan since he was a little boy who came to the tennis center.

As part of my role at the Tennis Center, I traveled extensively to fundraising trips for the centers mainly in the US, and Dan was chosen to travel for several such trips. Of these kids who went on trips, before and during the trip, but Dan was not a kid who needed my attention so much and I will explain.

I know the choice of Dan was easy and clear. In terms of tennis he was a very talented kid. Then and today,  It's no longer a secret that for the sake of fundraising for the tennis centers, we were always looking for kids who sometimes looked even younger than their real age. Dan Dan met this criterion because he was a child a little short for his age. He could have been quietly introduced as a seven-year-old for example, when in fact he was at least a year older. People who watched his punches on the field were very impressed, and that was the goal.

But the choice of Dan both socially and in terms of his background was intentional. Dan comes from a good and well-to-do family. He was a very smart and polite boy who knew how to express himself well, to eat well with a knife and fork, in short - he had everything that the beautiful Israeli is supposed to represent abroad already at this age. 

Bill Lippi, who was one of the founders of the tennis centers, was also looking for children from Dan's background, and not necessarily always children from difficult families, new immigrants, or those who had heartbreaking stories.

I did not get to know Dan Dan too closely then, but in the little time I spent in his company even then, I was impressed by an unusually smart boy, who grew up to be a successful and esteemed young man.