Five days ago, Avi Harel, the former chairman of Hapoel Jerusalem basketball team in the 80s and 90s, passed away. In a special interview with "Srugim," his son Guy Harel, who was the CEO of the team himself, bid farewell to his father: "He was a true Jerusalemite in every fiber of his being."
"Dad," Guy Harel began, "was born and lived most of his life in Jerusalem, and he was connected to it in every fiber of his being. He was a businessman, which means he worked throughout his life in various fields and places. But there was no place he loved more than Jerusalem; he was very attached to the city, its people and its population. He was a people person and knew many people because of his nature, and the various businesses he worked in."
Harel referred to his father's connection to sports: "Dad was a very big sports fan; initially, he was a soccer fan and less connected to basketball. His greatest passion was for the Israeli national team. I started supporting Hapoel Jerusalem, and he got involved with the team through me." Harel explained that initially, his father contributed to the team that was facing financial difficulties, and later he took on a role within the club, eventually becoming the chairman of the club.
Avi Harel took over the management of the team when it was fluctuating between leagues
During those years, Hapoel Jerusalem was a team that fluctuated between the first and second leagues, with financial gaps and significant debts, while Maccabi Tel Aviv dominated the league. Avi Harel took his role very seriously, and sometimes, as testified by his son, he invested money beyond his economic capacity.
Following the significant investments, Hapoel Jerusalem began to approach the top of the league when it signed prominent players like Adi Gordon and Doron Sheffer in the 1990s. Even after a major departure at the end of 1994, the team didn't decline; it continued its ascent by signing notable players such as Miki Berkovich and Papi Turgeman, along with coach Pini Gershon.
