From Lakeland to WKBW 7 Eyewitness News
An amazing opportunity to report on the Buffalo Sabres and the Buffalo Bills is what initially brought Adam Unger to Buffalo, but so much more has made him call this community home.
Adam’s connection to Buffalo stems from his family and youth; his mother and mother’s side of the family is from WNY, he has relatives in Williamsville and Clarence, and he attended Camp Lakeland for three weeks each summer when he was young. Now as an adult, Adam finds himself back in Western New York, learning about Buffalo through his own lens and establishing himself as a young professional.
Currently, Adam is a Sports Reporter and Multimedia Journalist at WKBW 7 Eyewitness News where he reports on both sports and daily news. He graduated from Syracuse University in 2019 with a major in Broadcast and Digital Studies and minors in Sports Management and Judaic Studies. As someone who grew up public speaking as well as in a sport-centric household, one could say Adam has been preparing for his role as a sports reporter since he was young. “It was something that was a long time coming,” says Adam.
In his day to day work, Adam can be seen making pitches, calls, writing, editing, filming, and more. The COVID-19 Pandemic has allowed him to not just pick up sports stories, but general news stories too, such as the nationwide reaction to the murder of George Floyd. “If nothing else, the pandemic put me on a path to put my camera and my work on the platform for that issue [the Black Lives Matter Movement] which was really eye opening.”
While reporting has made Adam’s life here in Buffalo exciting, there are specific elements that make this city a great place to be.
“The adage of ‘City of Good Neighbors’ really rings true around here,” says Adam, reflecting on his time living in Buffalo. “You pass someone who is walking their dog and they embrace you with open arms.”
In addition to the kindness of strangers, Adam is a big fan of the food that Buffalo has to offer. He described the food here as “out of this world”, and spoke about how every local spot has something to offer. “Welcoming individuals and amazing food? What else could you ask for!”
His Buffalo connection goes hand in hand with his Judaism, as he rekindled ties with Lakeland friends on his Birthright Trip to Israel, a trip that also brought on Jewish identities he did not know he had. He spoke about how his Birthright Trip was a tangible reminder of what it means to be a part of the Jewish community; the connection Adam developed with Israel and its citizens made him realize there was so much he wanted to unpack and explore.
At Syracuse University, Adam was able to foster Jewish relationships with individuals he met at Syracuse’s Hillel, and he reflected on how Judaism is centered around people.
“When you meet another Jewish person there often is an immediate connection, an immediate spark.”
We are excited to have Adam here in the Buffalo community, and in our Jewish community, and we cannot wait to see all that he accomplishes in the years ahead!
