It was in Toronto in 1986 that
Robinson made one of his many
marks on the fledgling North
American
teen games. The host com-
hen teenager Steve
munity
had
badly underestimated
Robinson participated in
volunteer
and
logistical needs for the
the inaugural JCC
thousands of Jewish athletes. After
Maccabi Games in
arriving in Toronto with the Detroit
Memphis in 1982, he started a family
team, Robinson put his organization-
commitment — and ultimately a
Detroit commitment — to Jewish ath- al savvy to work. It took several days,
but problems with buses, food and
letics that has brought the community
venues
were resolved. Many
international renown.
observers
believe that a disastrous
His father, Jay Robinson, general
games
in
Toronto
would have set
chair of the teen Maccabi Games in
back
the
Maccabi
concept
for many
Detroit in 1984, 1990, and again this
years.
coming summer, died Friday, April
Robinson recruited Dr. Alan
10. He was 61. Jay became ill in early
Horowitz as Detroit delegation head
1997, shortly after Detroit made the
in 1989, looking ahead to '90 when
1998 commitment.
Robinson would run the Detroit
"Mort Plotnick was bringing the
games while Horowitz would
Games to Detroit in 1984," said
lead the Detroit teams. "He
Robinson's wife, Barbara. The JCC's
was
truly a guiding light [to
Marty Oliff met with Robinson in
the
Maccabi
Games] and
the JCC Health Club and asked for
the foundation upon
ideas on how to organize the event.
which it was built," said
"Jay flipped over a placemat and
Horowitz.
drew an organizational chart,"
Over the years,
Barbara Robinson said. "After all
thousands of Detroit
these years, it's still organized the
teens were touched
same way."
by the Robinsons,
The biennial games have grown
participating in
from 200 Jewish teen athletes in
Maccabi tryouts,
Memphis in 1982, to 800 in Detroit
fund-raisers, being
in 1984, 2,200 in 1990 and an
shepherded across
expected'3,000 in 1998.
the country for
But Jay Robinson's impact on the
summer athletics.
international event was felt far
The
Robinson
beyond Detroit.
children
— Steve,
In 1985, Jay and Barbara co-
Beth
and
Aaron —
chaired the U.S. junior team partici-
have
participated
pating in the World Maccabiah
as athletes, coaches
Games in Israel. In 1989, they chap-
and, in Beth's case,
eroned the team in Israel and sought
Games director in
support for the North American teen
1990 and 1998.
games in Detroit the following year.
Hundreds have
Ten international delegations, from
seen
Jay and Barbara
Israel to Australia, came to Detroit,
running
or driving
including Jewish teens from the
from
venue
to venue,
Soviet Union.
checking
on
the Detroit
In 1993, Robinson was U.S. mas-
ters track and field chair for the World teams and shouting
encouragement. Their days
Maccabiah and he participated in the
at each Games began with 7
triathlon in Israel. In 1997, he again
a.m. meetings of delegation
chaired the U.S. junior delegation.
ALAN HITSKY
Associate Editor
W
4/17
1998
10
Jay Robinson,
guiding spirit
of the
JCC Maccabi
teen games,
is dead at 61.
heads and ended with 11 p.m. socials
with the Detroit coaches. Through it
all, the teen athletes were uppermost
in Robinson's mind. One of the rea-
sons that Detroit was not announced
as the 1998 site at the traditional
time, the closing of the 1996 Games
in New Jersey, was that Robinson and
Horowitz were still negotiating with
the national Jewish Community
Centers Association. The two insisted
that the Detroit Games have a
Shabbat component, something that
had been dropped after the 1992
Games in Baltimore.
At Monday's funeral for Jay
Robinson, a friend told Barbara that
1998 would be the best Games yet
because all the volunteers "will be
giving 200 percent in tribute to Jay."
Rabbi Avraham Jacobowitz told
the mourners that Jay Robinson was
their best friend. "Once you met
him, he was your friend for life."
Said Barbara, "He's still my
rock. He's getting me through
this."
Robinson was a board
member of the Jewish
Community Center of
Metropolitan Detroit and
Maccabi USA. He owned
the Beacon Hill Medical
Building on 13 Mile near
Southfield Road and
Beacon Hill
Construction Co.
He is survived by his
wife, Barbara, of West
Bloomfield; son Steven,
of Birmingham; daughter
and son-in-law, Beth and
Edward Kellman, of West
Bloomfield, and son
Aaron of Ann Arbor and
Aaron's fiance Tina Schust.
The Jay Robinson
Memorial Fund has been
established at the Jewish
Community Center, 6600 W.
Maple Rd., West Bloomfield,
MI 48322.
❑