Perhaps nobody in the greater Philadelphia area has done more to promote the camaraderie of people through basketball than “Coach” Dave Dabrow. He was a teacher and basketball coach in the Philadelphia Public League for over 40 years, a member of the Philadelphia Sphas basketball team, president of the Jewish Basketball League and president and one of the founding fathers the Jewish Basketball League Alumni.

In all, Dabrow spent 67 years as a player, teacher, coach and referee and was still active at the time of his death in September, 1996 at the age of 91.

The South Philadelphia native coached several Philadelphia Public League High School Basketball Championship teams and a championship baseball team and spent every summer in shaping the lives of youngsters through camping.

More importantly, his efforts led the way for the entrance of Jewish men and women into the coaching ranks in the Philadelphia public school athletic leagues an area that had, prior to his efforts, been closed to them. The last 25 years of his life were spent in the perpetuation of two of his favorite organizations, the South Philadelphia High School Alumni Association and the Jewish Basketball League Alumni Association.