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The idea of a professional hockey player from Israel playing in a top North American league would have been considered preposterous five years ago. As preposterous, let's say, as the idea that Ariel Sharon and Shimon Peres would share a coalition government in Jerusalem.
As you well know, the coalition government has come to fruition and so has the advent of an Israeli player on the American scene.
As with Israeli ice dancer Sergei Sakhnovsky and a host of other athlete-immigrants to Israel, Max Birbraer, 21, a left-winger for the New Jersey Devils' top farm team, the Albany River Rats, began his journey to America in the Soviet Union. Born in Kazakhstan, Birbraer moved to the Tel Aviv suburb of Rishon Letzion and then to Canada before landing in the United States.
"There was plenty of hockey in my home town, Ust-Kamanogorsk," Birbraer said. "In fact, from the age of 6 on I was on the ice everyday, twice a day. Hockey was my life."
His grandfather had long been obsessed with ice hockey and encouraged Birbraer at every turn. By the age of 14, Birbraer was ready for high-level play in Russia, but then another remarkable event took place: Max learned he was a Jew.
"My parents had hidden from me that fact that I was Jewish because of antisemitism," he said. "It was their way of protecting me from having to deal with it. It wasn't until they decided to leave for Israel in 1997 that I learned I...