Sandler nets awards all round at Yeshiva

Binyamin Sandler made the most out of his volleyball talent, strong academic ability, and passion for the community in his matric year at Yeshiva College Boys High School.

In fact, he was awarded honours blazers for full academic colours, kodesh, chesed, and volleyball. He also received the “most outstanding sportsman” trophy, and served as a head of the Inspiration and Unity Committee.

Sandler was the captain of his school’s Under-19 volleyball team, and led the side to victory in the Goliath Cup, a provincial volleyball league for schools across Gauteng, for the third year in a row. “We also won the Inter-School Volleyball Institute Tournament, and came second in the International School of South Africa Competition in Mahikeng,” he says.

Sandler himself represented Gauteng in volleyball at the interprovincial tournament (IPT) for the second year in a row, and his team placed second. “I also played for the Uni Jozi Club, and we placed second in the league.”

Aside from his volleyball pursuits, Sandler made time for community in his matric year. “I take the 11-and-up boys at The Base Shul for children’s service on a Friday night and Shabbos morning. We learn about the parsha, play games, socialise, and have a small kiddush. At Bnei Akiva, I was a ktan tanim maddie on Machaneh Oz L’Amo, and a gurim maddie for the Grade 6s on both the gurim seminar and gurim mini machaneh.”

All this is important to him as, he says, “Community gives a routine and a strong sense of support, both of which are vital to surviving matric mentally. Community also allows one to socialise with new people, and helped to release the stress built up throughout matric.”

Sandler managed to balance being a strong academic performer with sporting and community-related activities. “I am a flexible person who believes in getting things done as and when needed. I’m lucky to have a strong supportive family. Mr Long, Mr Hull, and the amazing supportive teachers at Yeshiva College were prepared to move things around and accommodate me so I could still play the IPTs. From offering extra help when needed to being available from early in the morning until late, the teachers were there to support and guide me.”

For Sandler, “Being able to have fun, exercise, release stress and have friends are all as important as academics, so I was sure to make time for children’s service, Bnei, volleyball, socialising, and studying. My honour’s blazers were awarded for all of these things. Being one of the heads of the Inspiration and Unity Committee enabled me to keep a balance during my matric year.”

Sandler plans to study at university next year while still being involved in Bnei Akiva. He also aims to work at the DIJE (Division of Informal Jewish Education) and continue his work at The Base as a children’s service madrich. “I hope to play volleyball throughout the year. If there’s an opportunity, I hope to be involved in the Yeshiva College volleyball.”

Revealing the secrets behind his success at volleyball, Sandler says, “I started because it was such a big culture at Yeshiva, but I was pretty bad. Then Keifer Govender, the head of sport at King David Primary Victory Park, taught me. He was a member of the national team back when we had one. Then, I spent all of the latter half of COVID-19 practicing in my garden. I’m not the tallest, but I feel the effort and time I put into the sport is paying off just in the amount of enjoyment I get from it.”