The story of Estee Ackerman’s rise to table tennis stardom began in West Hempstead when she was seven and her father Glenn sought to provide his children an alternative to electronics by installing a table in his basement. Since then, she’s beaten Rafael Nadal at the game at age 11, and appeared in Jewish and secular media for her refusal to play on Shabbos.
Having graduated from Stern College College at Yeshiva University, Ackerman, 22, works as a teacher at the HAFTR middle school in Lawrence and runs its afterschool ping pong club. For children at the school and beyond, her story will soon appear in a children’s book, Ping-Pong Shabbat, authored by Ann Koffsky.
“I live in West Hempstead and Estee lives in West Hempstead. She’s a local hero and it is exciting for everybody,” Koffsky said. In her career as an author and illustrator, she has written and illustrated a dozen books on Jewish holidays and observance.
“When I spoke a few years ago at a Passover program in New Jersey, Estee was there as a ping pong player. It was not like the ping pong that I played with my brother in the basement. It made a big impression on me, and I put it away in my thinking cap,” Koffsky said.
Koffsky later picked up a children’s book about baseball hall of famer Sandy Koufax of the Dodgers, who famously skipped a World Series game in 1965 to observe Yom Kippur. “He’s a man from a long time ago. That’s when I thought, ‘That’s it, I really want to tell her story.’”
For this book, Koffsky is the author, with illustrations by Abigail Rajunov. “Sometimes, I’m an author and sometimes both. The publisher chose the illustrator, then they sent me her portfolio. She has great energy and expressions. She portrays the emotional content of the book and athleticism,” Koffsky said.
Ackerman said that alongside her work in teaching Navi at HAFTR, sports also provides life lessons. “Trying my best to inspire younger kids and this book offers a relatable Jewish role model. My father was really nervous that electronic gadgets would run our lives. These are conversations that all parents are having.”
Although she has not competed in professional tournaments on account of Shabbos, her love of the game without compromising religious observance led to meeting many people who wanted to hear her story. Similar to Ackerman’s uncompromising observance, the recent boycott of Israeli players by some sports competitions and individuals has not diminished their love of sports while maintaining their values.
“At the end of the day, it led me to so many opportunities and life experiences. I gave up a high level of sports competition for my values. It is beyond beautiful when we’re passionate and excited about who we are. It’s extremely important to not hide it and we have a strong community cheering us on.”
Published by Little Bee Books, the book Ping-Pong Shabbat will be available for sale online and in bookstores on Sept. 10.
