"Israeli Hoopster Finds a Second Home at Stonehill"
By Michael Murra / Jewish Journal of Greater Boston
BOSTON (Dec. 4, 2025) – KIBBUTZ GIVAT HAIM, which is located about halfway between Tel Aviv and Haifa, is full of Stonehill College women's basketball fans. Stonehill sophomore guard
Shira Elkis grew up in that collective, population 1,200, which her great-grandparents helped found in 1952.
"When I committed to Stonehill, it was in the local newspaper, and everybody knew about it," Elkis said. "I walked around the kibbutz like a celebrity. The fact that everyone knows me is fun. My mom's side of the family lives in the kibbutz, and after school each day, I could choose which cousins and uncles to visit."
Elkis, 21, has also found a strong sense of community at the private Catholic college in Easton. Interestingly, both the State of Israel and Stonehill College were established in 1948.
"The campus is pretty, but at the end of the day, the people make a difference," Elkis said. "I feel at home here with my teammates, coaches, professors and the athletic department. When I committed to Stonehill, it was probably the happiest day in my life. I love Stonehill, and I'm really grateful for my choice."
Elkis is playing for the Skyhawks at an interesting time. The Stonehill team transitioned from a perennial NCAA Division II power to a fledgling NCAA Division I program in 2022. The Skyhawks compete in the Northeast Conference, which includes schools from New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey and Illinois.
Last season, Stonehill finished second in the conference and reached the postseason for the first time as a D-I program, losing to UMass-Amherst in the first round of the Women's NIT. They also earned wins over more established programs like Dartmouth and Northeastern.
"What we accomplished last year was amazing," Elkis said. She averaged 2.3 points and 1.3 rebounds as a freshman, including a career-high 10 points against Rider University last December.
Elkis was sidelined at the beginning of this season with a concussion but made her season debut by scoring two points in a loss to Maine on Nov. 17. The Skyhawks hosted Brown University on Dec. 3.
"Returning to the court was really exciting," Elkis said. "I missed playing, and I love playing for the team."
Elkis is one of three international players on the Skyhawks roster, including junior Emma Arca (Italy) and sophomore Phoena Dadson (Ghana).
"It's amazing – they have different approaches to the game, and we're adding a lot to the team," Elkis said.
Elkis and Dadson have another connection, as they both know enough Arabic to converse in the language. "That's something we really appreciate," Elkis said.
Dadson lived part of her childhood in Jordan and will play for the Jordanian national team.
Born in Tel Aviv, Elkis was 5 years old when she moved to the kibbutz. A year later, she began playing basketball, choosing it over soccer. Elkis graduated from Hoff Hasharon High School and played club basketball for Emek Hefer and Wingate Institute for Excellence in Sports.
She played on Team Israel 17 and was roommates with Ella Ner, who is part of UMass-Lowell's women's basketball program.
Elkis fulfilled her two-year military service obligation in the Israel Defense Forces by providing security at schools. After Oct. 7, she worked in security for hotels where people stayed after evacuating their homes.
"Oct. 7 was a crazy day," Elkis said. "My mom woke me up. We started bringing food and supplies to people who needed them. We thought (the attacks) would get to our area at some point. It was so scary, and we didn't realize how big it was until Oct. 8, when they started publishing the names of the people who lost their lives. It was probably the saddest day of my life. It was horrible. As a soldier, everything changes at that point."
Elkis was grateful for the support she received from longtime Stonehill women's basketball coach Trisha Brown and her staff during the war with Iran last summer.
"The area around my kibbutz was under rocket attack," Elkis said. "Coach Brown reached out every day over a two-to-three week period. Father Phil, the religious person for the team, made a prayer for my family and I, to keep us safe. This is something I'm really grateful about. The respect and care they have for everyone is great."
Elkis regularly communicates with fellow Israelis who are playing college basketball. She and some friends were visiting Gal Raviv, a sophomore guard at the University of Miami, when the last living Israeli hostages were released.
"We were all there together and watched the news the whole night," Elkis said. "Experiencing that moment together was so surreal, an amazing feeling. We couldn't sleep – we were celebrating."
Elkis is hopeful that peace will reign in the Middle East one day.
"I think there always is that hope, and by now, that's what everyone wants," Elkis said. "In war, you always lose, and we all understand that war isn't good for any of the sides. And I really hope we can get peace one day because we all need that."
