Maccabi Games Detroit

(Left) Playing video
games on the Bob-Lo
boat are (from I.)
Bernard Kizer of
Venezuela, David Haime
of Mexico, Roberto
Singler of Venezuela
and Moses Carrillo of
Mexico.

said. "They are crazy, but
not crazy enough to take on
the U.S."
Also on board were many
of the families credited with
making Maccabi '90 a
success. Among them were
Dr. Mark and Merrill Said-
man and the Robinson fami-
ly - Jay, Barbara, Beth and
Aaron. They sat toward the
front of the boat, mostly
relaxing. Most hadn't had
more than four hours of
sleep a night since the
games began Aug. 19.
Games Coordinator Beth
Robinson was out dancing on
the floor.
"You can't tell them apart
anymore," she said of the
athletes, who were mingling
with delegations other than
their own. "That is what it is
all about."
Seated along the side of
the boat was a small group
from Australia.
One of them, Danny Papo,
17, who played basketball at
the Games, carried his sports
bag filled with mementos.
For the right item, he would
trade an Australian flag.
"I'm having a good time,"
Papo said. "I'm meeting new
people I never would have
met. And I'm meeting Jew-
ish people from countries all
over the world.
"I'm able to represent my
country," he added. "In two
years, Maccabiah in Israel
would be a great experi-
ence."
Passenger Steve Warner,
16, of Los Angeles, may too
have his eyes on the Israel
games. He left Detroit with

eight gold medals for swim-
ming - five for individual
races and three for relays.
"I like meeting people
from other countries who are
of the same religion," said
Warner, a straight-A stu-
dent who plans to go to Stan-
ford University. "Then I
want to go to the World
Games.
"It would be a great expe-
rience ," Warner said.
"Being here makes me want
to go more to Israel. I really
like the competitive at-
mosphere. It would be over-
whelming. There would be
more people. It is excellent
competition wise and re-
ligion-wise."
Neil Glass, 16, a tennis
player from Columbus, Ohio,
didn't take home any medals
in this year's competition.
But he didn't seem too upset
while boarding the boat. He
understands the feeling of
Maccabiah better than most
of the young athletes.
Glass played for the U.S.
team in Israel during the
last games, coming home to
Ohio with a bronze medal in
doubles.
"It is definitely more than
competition," Glass said.
"There was a feeling of
security being in Israel, my
homeland.
"The U.S. team was the
first to walk into the
stadium before 70,000 peo-
ple who were being suppor-
tive because we were Jew-
ish. They were encouraging.
It was an incredible feeling
and I cried as I walked."

(Below) David Sidder
and Aaron Weiss watch
as the boat pulls away
from its dock.

(Upper left) On board
were Len and Hazel
Nakisher, Judith and
Syd Weinstein, John
and Miriam Cohen, Rita
Rochlen, Jay and Barbara
Robinson, Larry Haber
and Ken Rochlen.

(Left) Aaron Contente of
Mexico, Chad Weinbaum
of Detroit and Carlos
Mochon of Mexico get
ready to start their
evening on the river.

❑

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

27