Ori Lewis
Ori Lewis is a British-born journalist who mainly covers the Middle East conflict, the ages-old struggle between Arabs and Jews. In his work he has largely managed to stay sane through adopting his own religion -- sport. While others make pilgrimages to Mecca, Jerusalem, Rome or Santiago de Compostela, Ori makes an annual trek from his home in Jerusalem to Wimbledon, Lords and, occasionally, to other famous and infamous sports venues. Sometimes it's not as a pilgrimage, but on assignment, although he would never admit to being on the job: Ori willingly abandons his domestic and family duties and work colleagues to devote himself to what he describes as his "first love". Ori once dreamt that he might become a serious tennis player, and even now, when in his late forties he still hasn't woken up. While he dreamt, Ori coached professionally and officiated from the lofty umpire's chair, ducking and diving as players who did gain a computer ranking hurled abuse and rotten fruit at him. Later, Ori turned to writing about the sports he loves most and was sports editor of the Jerusalem Post and later of Haaretz English Edition. He now works for a leading international news agency. Ori recently bought new tennis rackets but he needs also to invest in a decent pair of spectacles and in a heavy-duty slimming programme.
