Jerusalem’s Ultimate flying disc team leads the league after beating New Age

Many had been preparing for months, even years, for the opportunity of the big day. Then when March 8 finally arrived, they got up early, brought their water bottles, put on their specially colored jerseys, gave it their all, and won – big.

There was, of course, the Jerusalem Winner Marathon that Friday – with over 40,000 runners, each one a winner. But there was another big win for Jerusalem that day – and it happened in Netanya.

For the first time in Israel’s Ultimate Flying Disc pro league, Jerusalem Syndrome beat Ra’anana’s New Age team – the league champions for at least five years running – which moved the capital’s team up to first place, also for the first time ever.

Ultimate is an internationally popular team sport where players throw an aerodynamically designed 175-gram plastic disc – officially, a Discraft Ultra-Star – to their teammates on the field, who score if they catch it in the end zone. Although the disc is commonly called a “frisbee,” that is, in fact, the trademarked name of the original, still existing brand; it’s like calling facial tissues “Kleenex.”

The Jerusalem Syndrome team (named after the messianic hysteria that the holy capital can trigger) was founded by Ehud Dahan four years ago.

“We started in 2020, the year after COVID-19,” the 34-year-old data scientist told In Jerusalem. He was out running five years ago at Sacher Park – Gan Sacher, the capital’s “Central Park,” where the marathon ended – when he saw seven guys throwing a flying disc around, playing a vigorous albeit small team game called “Boot” – three against three.

Pick-up game – ongoing for over 30 years

The casual Friday morning Gan Sacher Ultimate “pick-up” game has been ongoing for at least 30 years – weather and sufficient players permitting.

Seeing Dahan mesmerized by the game, one of the veteran players called out to him: “Come, come join us! You’re number eight, and we need you to play the real Ultimate game – that needs at least four-on-four!”

It was love at first sight, Dahan, now the team’s captain, recalled. “The intense and athletic game, along with the amazing friendly atmosphere, won my heart, and I started coming regularly to the games on Fridays.”

And that was the auspicious beginning leading up to Friday the 8th’s big win.

The Israel Flying Discs Association (IFDA) is the national governing body for Disc Sports in Israel. It puts on competitions throughout the year, with teams from across the country vying for medals for winning and for good sportsmanship – known as SOTG: “Spirit of the Game.” Jerusalem’s team would usually rank somewhere between the “pro” and more casual teams.

And there is also a pro league. Currently made up of eight teams, they play round-robin during the November through June season, every team basically facing off against each of the others twice.

Eran Brandeis is an expert Syndrome player who has coached before. “He was the one who originally gave me the confidence to start the team,” Dahan said, “and he happily agreed to coach us during our first year.”

The captain wanted to set up a team for the league and practice at Hebrew University’s Givat Ram stadium field, but they told him that only teams in official leagues could reserve time to practice there.

“So I called Ayelet Ben Zion at IFDA; she said, ‘Just make a list of players’ – and that is how Jerusalem Syndrome was born.”

Since then, the Jerusalem Municipality’s sports department, managed by Liat Pitro, along with university stadium manager Itamar Levi, have provided a home for Jerusalem’s Ultimate team.

Ultimate Shabbat

Tal Pinkasovich, who used to help arrange teams for the casual tournaments, convinced the stadium management years ago to allow an Ultimate game there on Friday mornings as an alternative to the Gan Sacher games.

“Later on, we also wanted to make a team for the league, but another problem was that the games usually took place on Shabbat, and many of our players were Shabbat observant,” Pinkasovich said. “After COVID, when the league and players’ schedules were disrupted, the IFDA let us arrange the days of play with the opposing team, and that became the status quo.”

Syndrome started out at the bottom of the pro-league rankings, Dahan said.

“I wanted us to get better, so I decided to have regular practices, where players had to commit if they wanted to join the team.” The team did that for about a year, and moved up a little on the league roster.

“Then we wanted to move the level up another notch, so I started looking for a coach. Someone suggested Yaron Katzir.”

Yaron Katzir – the Ultimate coach 

Katzir is an Ultimate coach in Israel – and he has the creds. He’s been playing for 17 years: “since I was 12; first in middle school, and then the national team,” which competes in various championships worldwide. “I’ve been in 23 international tournaments,” he said proudly.

In June 2023, Katzir and his teammate Itay Semo played in an Ultimate competition in Limerick, Ireland.

“We came in ninth out of 15 teams,” Katzir said, “but I was first in scoring and assists, and Itay was second – in the whole tournament.” Israel had been set to compete in another tournament scheduled for mid-October in Italy, but it was canceled because of Oct. 7.

“I wanted to invest and get the best player to coach us,” Dahan said. “I wanted us to be organized, committed, and to take coaching seriously. Yaron is Israel’s first full-time Ultimate coach.”

“Coaching is my job, my passion,” Katzir said. “I started the Ultimate Frisbee Academy with my partner Omri in the Sharon region – Herzliya, Ra’anana, Kfar Saba.

“I saw Jerusalem Syndrome near the bottom of the league, and I knew that if nobody helped them to develop, they might fade away. I offered to guide them and teach them tactics – it would take time, discipline, and a team effort.”

With Katzir’s help, Syndrome went from near the bottom of the roster to the top this season.

“We are undefeated so far, 4-0. New Age is 3-1: their only loss was to us!” Dahan kvelled.

"In my eyes, I'm winning either way"

JERUSALEM BEATING the league’s almost-unbeatable top team is not the only surprising part of the story, however. Katzir, the coach who helped Syndrome do it, also plays for New Age.

“I’ve been playing for New Age for a few years, and last year I also coached them,” the dual-teamed disc player said.

“As a player, I play to win, and I’m very proud of my team – of both teams. In my eyes, I’m winning either way.”

Each team can beat the other, he declared.

“We have very high-quality players, like Jerusalem, but some aren’t playing right now – traveling, in miluim [reserve duty], or for other reasons. We were shocked and disappointed over losing to Syndrome and will have to make amends for that game,” he said.

“What matters is which team can stay more focused and stick to their instincts. For now, Jerusalem has to act like the number one team that it is – concentrating, scoring a lot, and not making mistakes.”

DAVID ROSS, one of Syndrome’s senior members, said it was hard to have their coach playing against them that day.

“The hardest part for me was not having Yaron on the sidelines with us,” he said. “He brings an intensity, by screaming commands; that really amps us up and helps us play smarter, especially toward the end of games as fatigue sets in.”

Ross has been playing frisbee since before many of his teammates were born, first being exposed to Ultimate in high school in the late 1990s, and later playing competitively in college.

Last season, he scored the third most points in the Israeli league, behind Katzir and Semo. Now 41, Ross also plays for the Israeli Grand Master team (for men over 40 and women over 37), and competed in the 2022 World Masters Championship, also held in Limerick.

Come-from-behind victory

JAKOB RHEINS is another of Syndrome’s top players. Originally from Pittsburgh, he moved to Denver and decided to make aliyah last year and join the IDF. The 25-year-old lone soldier has been playing competitively since he was 14 – in high school, college, clubs, and internationally. “It just worked out,” he said, “that I got leave on that Friday, so I could play.”

He also practiced a lot with New Age, calling them “a topnotch team.”

Rheins knew that their opponents were missing some of their best players that day.

“But more than that, we here in Jerusalem were coming together really well, improving our skills and making plays to put us in position to win,” he explained.

The game against New Age was pretty even until the end.

“New Age misfired on a lot of their throws,” the star new immigrant player said.

“Our defense did a really good job of using the limited opportunities that we had, in order to score.” But then when the score was tied 12-12, New Age suddenly pulled ahead to 14 – one short of winning at 15.

“We somehow climbed back in the most climactic way – and scored three points to win!” Rheins exulted. “We weren’t scared but just took one point at a time, realized the challenge in front of us at that moment, and won – when one of our young players made a beautiful throw to the end zone.”

JONATHAN JUNG has been playing Ultimate for seven years, three of them in Jerusalem and the last two and a half with Syndrome. The 26-year-old Rehovot native says that Ultimate is amazing, and all players have the same positive attitude. He points out that since the game is player-officiated, meaning that there are no referees, "respect and trust are needed to decide disputed calls, but the attitude goes beyond that.

"In every tournament or league event, as much as they are competitive, there is always the basic notion of playing as one big family," he says. "The players are always upbeat and the vibe is always positive. I can say that for me, every player can truly be a potential friend and that the community itself is much more than just some sport lovers – they're an actual family that grows by the year – and I’m so glad to be a part of it!"

"This team is a family to me"

SAM MACDONALD is another young player. Hailing from Stamford, Connecticut, he feels a definite connection to Israel.

The 18-year-old is on a half-Israeli, half-American gap year/mechina program. “The Israelis are prepping for the army, and the Americans are mostly going back to the US after the year-long program, but some make aliyah,” he explained.

“This team has given me a community outside of my mechina because Ultimate is a sport that transcends who you are and where you are from,” MacDonald said.

“This team is a family to me, and I couldn’t be more proud that all of our training paid off!”

SYNDROME AND Katzir are encouraging young people of the next generation to join and play. The coach coaches for youth teams up north – and here in Jerusalem, two Syndromers have started teams: Ethan Tempel’s is for young players, and Naama Markovitz’s is for women, in a new women’s league.

Markovitz has been playing in the league since 2017 and has been up against New Age several times. “I started playing in 7th grade during elective hours I had at school,” the 21-year-old petite powerhouse said.

Every team in the league has to have at least one female player, and one has to be on the field at least half of the time. Syndrome also has Niva Bamberger and Ma’ayan Werner-Reiss.

Women often “guard” each other, but not always. And they can hold their own against the men: “In the other game we played that day, I guarded a guy – and it was fine!”

“We have a lot of talent in our team,” Tempel said about Syndrome. “Our work in practices paid off, and that feels good – and there’s a strong sense of unity among the players.

“I do think we got lucky against New Age, and they had a few uncharacteristic drops and mistakes, but we were able to capitalize on them and convert them into a win.”

Next game: Syndrome vs Element

Jerusalem Syndrome is set to play central Israel’s Element, the other top team in the league, on April 5. They are the only others who have beaten New Age, at least in the last few years.

“Our win against New Age gave us a confidence boost and strengthened our unity,” Tempel said. “We won’t take the next games for granted, of course – and we will keep working hard in practice!”

“A small country like Israel doesn’t feel much progress in such a small sport,” Rheins said. “So for a small team like us to beat a team like New Age gives everyone motivation, knowing that none of these teams are perfect and they can all be beaten.

“Hopefully, this will push everyone to try more and grow the sport.”  

Team picture, bottom row, L-R: Dvir Yaacobovich (N), Gidon Hazony (N), Team Captain Ehud Dahan (N), Tom Naor (N), Naama Markovitz and David Landesman. (Ehud Dahan)

Natan Rothstein has been playing Ultimate since his teens and was the “veteran player” in Gan Sacher on that providential Friday morning who brought Dahan into the Ultimate world. “When a ball dreams, it dreams it’s a flying disc!” he says.

Contact Syndrome at https://www.instagram.com/jerusalem_syndrome_ultimate

Or ehudahan@gmail.com

Contact Yaron Katzir’s Ultimate Frisbee Academy at https://www.instagram.com/ultimate_frisbee_academy