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Shahar Perkiss

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01In brief

Shahar Perkiss, also spelled Shahar Perkis, is a former Israeli tennis player active internationally during the 1980s. He represented Israel in Davis Cup competition alongside Shlomo Glickstein and Gilad Bloom. In 1988, Maariv published the headline “Shahar Perkis: Finally Israeli Champion,” and Perkis was selected for the men's singles event at the Seoul Olympic Games as part of Israel's 19-member delegation. A 2016 Hebrew biographical book, Tennis Player & a Gentleman: The Story of Shahar Perkis, was researched and edited by Miri Shaham.

02Early Life

Catalog records list the player under the spelling Shahar Perkis and give his birth year as 1963.[4] Contemporary English-language sports sources use both Perkis and Perkiss; a September 1988 Olympic delegation listing gave his age as 26.[1][3]

03Career

A catalog record dates a photograph titled “Shahar Perkis in Action” to 1983.[5] On 23 October 1988, Maariv ran the headline “Shahar Perkis: Finally Israeli Champion,” identifying him with an Israeli championship that year.[2]

At the international level, Perkis was named for Israel's 1988 Davis Cup tie against Italy in Palermo.[6] Captain Yossi Stabholtz named him and Shlomo Glickstein for the doubles match while retaining the right to change the lineup before play.[6] The Encyclopaedia Judaica's sports entry also lists Perkiss with Glickstein and Gilad Bloom among Israeli players who competed in Davis Cup competition.[1]

Perkis was later selected for Israel's 19-member delegation to the Seoul Olympic Games, where tennis returned as a full Olympic sport after a 64-year absence.[7][3] The four-player Israeli tennis team trained at the Israel Tennis Centre in Ramat Hasharon before leaving for South Korea.[7] Although Perkis was regarded as a doubles expert, captain Shlomo Glickstein cited his part-time status when choosing the regularly touring Amos Mansdorf and Gilad Bloom for men's doubles; Perkis was listed for singles.[7]

04Legacy

A 207-page Hebrew biography, Tennis Player & a Gentleman: The Story of Shahar Perkis, researched and edited by Miri Shaham, was published in 2016.[4] The volume is described as including portrait photographs, some in color.[4]

A 2026 Jerusalem Post retrospective described Perkiss's role in the Freddie Krivine Initiative's 2000 pilot program linking Jewish and Arab Israeli children through tennis. The account identifies him as a former world-class professional Israeli player and says he assessed children at the Haifa Tennis Centre for participation with Jewish children from Caesarea.[8]

Sources

  1. 1Encyclopaedia Judaica, “Sports” (accessed September 15, 2026)
  2. 2Maariv via the National Library of Israel, 23 Oct 1988 (accessed September 15, 2026)
  3. 3The Jerusalem Post, September 16, 1988 (accessed September 15, 2026)
  4. 4National Library of Israel — Perkis biographical book (accessed September 15, 2026)
  5. 5National Library of Israel — Perkis photograph, 1983 (accessed September 15, 2026)
  6. 6The Jerusalem Post, February 5, 1988 (accessed September 15, 2026)
  7. 7The Jerusalem Post, September 9, 1988 (accessed September 15, 2026)
  8. 8The Jerusalem Post, “How tennis is bringing Jewish and Arab Israeli children together” (accessed September 15, 2026)

IsraelPedia Question & Answers

  • Who is Shahar Perkiss?

    Shahar Perkiss, also spelled Shahar Perkis, is a former Israeli tennis player who was active internationally during the 1980s. He represented Israel in Davis Cup competition alongside Shlomo Glickstein and Gilad Bloom, was named Israeli champion in 1988, and was selected for the men's singles event at the Seoul Olympic Games.

  • When was Shahar Perkiss born?

    Catalog records give Shahar Perkiss's birth year as 1963. A September 1988 Olympic delegation listing gave his age as 26.

  • How did Shahar Perkiss perform at the 1988 Seoul Olympics?

    Shahar Perkiss was selected for Israel's 19-member delegation to the Seoul Olympic Games, where tennis returned as a full Olympic sport after a 64-year absence. Although Perkiss was regarded as a doubles expert, captain Shlomo Glickstein cited his part-time status when choosing the regularly touring Amos Mansdorf and Gilad Bloom for men's doubles, and Perkiss was instead listed for singles. The four-player Israeli tennis team trained at the Israel Tennis Centre in Ramat Hasharon before departing for South Korea.

  • What is the book Tennis Player & a Gentleman about?

    Tennis Player & a Gentleman: The Story of Shahar Perkis is a 207-page Hebrew biography of Shahar Perkiss, researched and edited by Miri Shaham and published in 2016. The volume is described as including portrait photographs, some in color.

  • What was Shahar Perkiss's role in the Freddie Krivine Initiative?

    A 2026 Jerusalem Post retrospective described Perkiss's involvement in the Freddie Krivine Initiative's 2000 pilot program, which linked Jewish and Arab Israeli children through tennis. In that role, Perkiss assessed children at the Haifa Tennis Centre for participation with Jewish children from Caesarea.