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Coach Barry Kleiman, a self-described "certified basketball junkie," has been known to exhort players in Yiddish at Tehiyah Day School.

He also tells the students that the Tehiyah Timberwolves follow in the sneakers of Harlem Globetrotters founder Abe Saperstein and longtime Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach, among others.

"There's a great tradition of Jewish basketball," says the coach and parent of two at the El Cerrito school. "We have deep roots in the game."

Like a West Coast version of the House of Moses All-Stars, the eponymous heroes of Charley Rosen's novel, the Tehiyah Timberwolves have been traveling from school to school, building up their skills. Significantly, the Timberwolves, composed of fifth-through eighth-graders, is both a girls' team and a boys' team; although they play separate games, they still remain very much a unit.

Since the birth of the Timberwolves in October, Tehiyah parents and pupils have given the team a stellar reception rivaling that of an NCAA champion.

Revira Singer, Tehiyah's head, says: "The school is a very lively place, but the one thing we didn't have was a chance for physical activity. To our amazement, flocks of young people have turned out for basketball."

The inspiration behind the Tehiyah team is Kleiman, owner of an executive search firm. After getting sidelined by an injury, Kleiman wanted to stay involved in basketball. He also thought Tehiyah students should get a chance to play team sports. There was only one obstacle — the school had no gym. Instead, the team uses outdoor hoops during the week, renting gym space in a nearly school for Sunday practice sessions.

If Kleiman took the first shot, his players are now running the court: 42 students showed up on the first day of practice. Now, 13 girls and 15 boys practice together and cheer for each other at back-to-back games. Some noteworthy matches have included the Athenian School in Danville and the California School for the Deaf in Fremont.

Although team members see varying amounts of playing time, no one has been cut from the team based on abilities.

"I like to win, but this isn't about winning," says Kleiman, who is now assisted by parent Larry Isaac. "It's about playing winning basketball."

With a promising start and a loyal fan corps, what do coach Kleiman and the Timberwolves have to look forward to? Two more games remain in the season — more if they make the playoffs — followed by a kosher team dinner. U.C. Berkeley basketball coach Ben Braun has expressed an interest in making a visit to Tehiyah later in the spring. And, if the team gets lucky, it will find a more permanent practice space. "Our big goal is getting a smooth blacktop for the kids to play on," says Kleiman.