Discovering Community
In a playful turn of events, Alex Khoury’s efforts to find a Jewish ‘courter’ became quite literal as she turned to the Marcus JCC basketball court to seek “Mr. Right.” The Cincinnati transplant joined the Marcus JCC to become more ingrained in the community as she says she “needed to be more aggressive and strategic to move full-steam ahead” with her plan to find “The One.”
Instead of watching from the stands, the lifelong basketballer intended to compete with potential partners in the Marcus JCC’s Men’s Basketball League. “I just had to figure out how to be the first woman,” she admits.
Contacting the Director of Basketball directly, Alex asked him for a chance. To prove her skills, she challenged competitive league players in pick-up games and was quickly drafted onto a team. Though she was the first female ever to play in the Men’s League, she emphasizes, “I don’t think about being the only woman. When I step on the court, I’m just a player. It’s a beautiful thing that the JCC values inclusivity.”
As Alex became friends with her new teammates, they suggested that she might enjoy Ben, their childhood buddy who often visited Atlanta from Dallas, Texas. Alex and Ben met during one of his trips in 2019 and instantly connected. “Right away, we were exclusively dating,” Alex recalls.
Their whirlwind romance overcame the challenges of long distance and the pandemic, as both worked remotely and were able to travel to see one another for extended periods of time. “We always had our next trip planned,” Alex shares.
The team’s successful matchmaking turned out to be ‘game changing.’ Ben moved back to Atlanta, Alex and Ben married, and they now have a 1-year-old son, Noah. And yet, their ‘courtship’ continues as the two now play together in the Marcus JCC’s Basketball League.
Affectionately known as the “First Couple of Basketball” by their friends and teammates, Alex and Ben are paired on the same team. As the only set of parents from the same family, the league ensures they are scheduled for the latest game times each week, so Noah doesn’t miss having both his mom and dad at bedtime. “It’s our little weekly date night,” Alex reveals, “we have a standing babysitter just for basketball. We look forward to the quality time together.” That time currently includes the one-hour round-trip commute from their Ponce City Market-area home, but they hope to live closer to Dunwoody in the future. “Having a sense of community at the Marcus JCC is important to us,” Ben reflects. “Without it, we wouldn’t know each other. Our lives would be drastically different. And now that we have a child, we want to be even more involved.”
Having a sense of community at the Marcus JCC is important to us. Without it, we wouldn’t know each other.