For those who love baseball..HEADING HOME is the Tale Of Team Israel.
After years of defeat, Israel’s national baseball team finally becomes eligible to compete in the World Baseball Classic. This charming documentary captures the pride of the participating athletes on the Israeli team, including several Jewish American Major League players. Play ball!
Screening Tuesday, March 5, 10:00 AM at the Century 16 in Pleasant Hill
A team of nice Jewish baseball players takes on the world.
Heading Home follows Teams Israel’s surprising success in the World Baseball Classic in March 2017. Every player on the team was either an Israeli or a Jewish American eligible for Israeli citizenship under Israel’s Law of Return. Ryan Lavarnway, the Team Israel catcher, referring to the Nazi mischling law that defined a Jew by even one grandparent mused. Two generations ago, the way this team was put together would have meant that we were being rounded up to be killed. For us to be able to stand up here and have the Israel flag and Jewish star hanging in the stadium, it [means] we’re here.
The documentary follows the team winning the qualifier, practicing before hundreds of local baseball players in Israel. The basbeall players are seeing Israeli sites such as the Western Wall, Yad Vashem, the Dead Sea, and Masada. They are taking part in a groundbreaking ceremony for a new baseball field in Bet Shemesh, Israel. It then chronicles the team’s performance at the 2017 World Baseball Classic in South Korea and Japan–as they sweep the first round, and play well into the second round.
The odds against Israel were 200-1, and it was ranked 41st in the world – while the other teams were primarily the top 15 ranked teams in the ESPN world. Israel beat top-ranked teams from Cuba, South Korea, China, Taiwan, and the Netherlands, all ranked in the top 10 in the world, and came in 6th in the tournament.
Cast
Corey Baker | … | ||
Jeremy Bleich | … | Himself | |
Scott Buchan | … | Himself | |
Ike Davis | … | Himself – Team Israel player in 2016 | |
Cody Decker | … | Himself | |
Sam Fuld | … | Himself | |
Ty Kelly | … | Himself | |
Peter Kurz | … | Himself | |
Ryan Lavarnway | … | Himself | |
Jason Marquis | … | Himself | |
Jon Moscot | … | Himself | |
Margo Sugarman | … | Herself | |
Danny Valencia | … | Himself | |
Jerry Weinstein | … | Himself |

Part of Levis JCC’s 2018 Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival.
Find out More information about Heading Home.
Go to FilmBlogsAreUs and read about this great movie reivew of Heading Home and watch the trailer.
I will be watching it at the Century 16 in Pleasant Hill Tuesday, March 5, 10:00 AM
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