Team Israel baseball debuts film: 'Israel Swings for Gold'

When Nate Fish was about to head off to Japan with Team Israel for the 2020 Olympics (played in 2021 due to the COVID pandemic), Jeremy Newberger, CEO of Ironbound Films, handed him six camcorders and asked him to give them out to players to film their experiences in the Olympic Village and at the Games. Fish was instructed to send the memory cards back when they returned from Tokyo.

‘Israel Swings for Gold’

“I had no idea if we got enough footage or even if the cards were received,” said Fish, who has worn many hats for Israel baseball. Fish has served as the Olympic team’s third-base coach, a member of Team Israel for three World Baseball Classics, and head coach of the Israel National Team.

He is currently CEO of the newly created Israel Baseball Americas, a non-profit organization that aims to create a pipeline of talent for the Israel National Team program, and provide human and financial resources to the Israel Association of Baseball.

“18 months later, I was invited to the premiere of the ‘Israel Swings for Gold’ film in Atlanta. It was awesome!”

Daniel A. Miller, along with Newberger and Seth Kramer, also co-directed and produced “Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel,” the 2018 documentary about the underdog Israel National Team competing for the first time in the World Baseball Classic. Miller recalls the camera hand-off story and the ongoing collaboration differently.

Miller emphasizes the confidence he and his team had in Fish to deliver under unique circumstances.

Capturing the moment

“It was COVID at the time and the Olympic Village was secure and there was no media allowed, and we were thinking of how we could follow the team. We knew that Nate was a big social media type and was media savvy. He got exactly the right things from the team. They captured everything!”

Fans of Team Israel and those who love a good Israel and Jewish story packed the Carole Zabar Center for Film at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan last Tuesday to view the recently released 77-minute film of the footage.

Through their skilled camera work, viewers witness the players flying to Japan – on the same flight as rival Teams USA and Dominican Republic. The film shows team members giving each other haircuts, eating in the Olympic Village dining room, and waiting in a long line for much needed pre-Opening Ceremonies alterations to their uniforms.

The players film themselves jumping on the carefully constructed Japanese cardboard beds to see how many players it would take to break the bed. 

The film takes the audience through each game, sharing footage of exciting wins, and disappointing losses. Players try to maintain a sense of normalcy on and off the field, though it quickly becomes clear that their experience as Israelis is anything but normal.

Munich olympics 1976

Footage of Munich’s 1976 Olympics incorporated into the movie helps viewers appreciate the significance of the Israeli flag display in the Olympic Village for the first time since 1976. In addition, the 2020 Olympics paid tribute to the murdered Israeli athletes at the Opening Ceremony for the first time since 1976.

Viewers learn the painstaking process of how players are kept safe throughout their stay in Japan. They wear tracking devices at all times, they pass through facial recognition machines, and their bus is searched regularly by dogs and security officials.

The film shows the audience firsthand how Israeli athletes were regularly rebuffed by athletes from other countries. When athletes regularly exchange pins from other countries, most refuse pins from Israel. Israeli players frequently encountered Palestinian flags and chants of “Free, Free Palestine” in their travels.