Interview

FEATURE INTERVIEW: Local native Silberlicht leading Team Israel at World Lacrosse Box Championship

This was one of the more thrilling interviews I have ever done as I had the chance to combine the personal with professional!

I caught up one-on-one with New Hartford native Yakov (Jake) Silberlicht, my childhood hockey/lacrosse teammate and one of my all-time closest friends, as he returned to the area to compete for Team Israel in the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships in Utica.

A portion of the interview aired during NEWSChannel 2 at 11 on Thursday, September 26, 2024. This is an extended version containing the interview in full.

The interview was entirely solo produced, and shot at the Adirondack Bank Center (at Utica Memorial Auditorium), where Silberlicht and I won a state title in high school hockey together during our senior year at New Hartford 15 years ago.

Every aspect of this interview, including location and camera set-up, video recording and editing, and content gathering was done entirely by me individually. Photos included are from Silberlicht’s Instagram page.

It was quite the thrill to be able to reconnect with him, and hear more about, and share his story, from a place with so much history in our lives together!

BACKGROUND:

Silberlicht has been living in Israel since 2013 where serves as team captain for both the Israeli national field (outdoor) and box (indoor) lacrosse teams.

He also serves full-time as the VP of External Affairs for Israel Lacrosse, where he helps lead the charge to grow the game in a nation that hadn’t been formerly introduced to it on a large scale.

In his role, Silberlicht travels the country organizing various events, clinics, and community outreach initiatives, with the goal of making the sport more visible and accessible to all.

He also became an Israeli citizen and has served a mandatory duty in the Israel Defense Forces, recently having been called up for deployment from the reserves in the wake of the horrific October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre and subsequent war in the region.

For more on his story, check out my article published on WKTV.com.

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John Tavares Feature Interview

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Matt Moulson Feature Interview


I sat down with New York Islanders forward Matt Moulson, one on one, for a feature interview that was aired on 88.7FM WRHU during the 1st intermission of their game vs. the New York Rangers on 3/7/13. Islanders radio Play by Play man, Chris King, leads into the interview.

Kyle Okposo Feature Interview


I sat down with New York Islanders forward Kyle Okposo, one on one, for a feature interview that was aired on 88.7FM WRHU during the 2nd intermission of their game vs. the Ottawa Senators on 3/3/13. Islanders radio Play by Play man, Chris King, leads into the interview.

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I sat down with New York Islanders forward Brad Boyes, one on one, for a feature interview that was aired on 88.7FM WRHU during the 2nd intermission of their game vs. the Montreal Canadiens on 2/21/13. Islanders radio Play by Play man, Chris King, leads into the interview.

Andrew MacDonald Feature Interview


I sat down with New York Islanders defenseman Andrew MacDonald, one on one, for a feature interview that was aired on 88.7FM WRHU during the 1st intermission of their game vs. the Philadelphia Flyers on 2/18/13, at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Islanders radio Play by Play man, Chris King, leads into the interview.