Congratulations to Ramah Darom’s Ari Slomka for finishing second in the North American close-up magic championship and being selected by the FISM panel to compete in the 2018 World Championships in Busan, South Korea!
Now this is an impressive accomplishment in itself, but what’s truly astonishing is, Ari is only 15 years old.
Suddenly, the Weber student, a Camp Ramah Darom and Atlanta Jewish Academy alum whose family regularly attends Congregation Shearith Israel, was a celebrity in his industry. He was solicited by magazine writers, sought by talent scouts and approached by people wanting photos with him, including magicians he idolized.
“I thought I might win one of the smaller awards, like the People’s Choice, where the audience voted. I did not expect the judges to consider me in the same class as the other performers, but when my name was called, I remember there was a cheer from the crowd,” Ari said.