"This, I learned, is known as a B'nei Mitzvah. Through a series of misadventures, it fell on the day of the Australian Rules Football (AFL) Grand Final, a day that is, in essence, the Australian equivalent of Super Bowl Sunday. I have three older brothers who all love the AFL, but it's my younger sister who is our family's most devoted fan."
"As the B'nei Mitzvah drew closer, I prepared to fly to Sydney from New York, where I live. A few days before I left, I spoke to my dad on the phone to discuss my travel plans and asked if my sister was really going to miss the big day to watch the Grand Final. He said that she might, and that she was extremely upset with our brother for not correcting this scheduling error earlier, and so was almost the entire family, including my nephew."
A joint B'nei Mitzvah for a niece and nephew coincided with the AFL Grand Final, triggering family conflict over divided loyalties. A devoted sister considered missing the ceremony to watch the Sydney Swans, prompting anger and disbelief from relatives. The narrator traveled from New York to Sydney and relayed phone conversations revealing mounting frustration and a clash between logical obligations and passionate fandom. The account follows Amby through a season of under-16s Australian Rules Football. AFL is played with a ball resembling an American football on fields three to four times larger than NFL fields, with continuous play and no protective pads or helmets.
Read at The Nation
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