Newman said of the job he held in
including this year s — are patterned
1990. "The Palace has an excellent staff
on Detroit's success as host in
and facilities to pull this off."
1990.
The hitch in the 1990 parade was
"In 1990, we did a monumentally
the rain that began to fall as the athletes
successful job operationally, which built
gathered in the parking lot and loading
off [Detroit hosting in] 1984," said
dock areas. Newman has contingency
Games Director Beth Kellman. "It's
plans for this year.
amazing how much we will rely on the
Israel also will be the theme of the
experience of volunteers from years
athletes' Wednesday night social at the
•
past."
Kahn JCC.
With Kellman temporarily away
According to Sandy Stark, the event's
from the Games office on maternity
co-chair, the entire JCC will be trans-
leave, the experience of Detroit's volun-
formed. The entrance is slated to look
teers will make the planning of the
like an El-Al jet, with people "boarding
event manageable.
a plane to Israel" as they enter. The
"Putting this together is a very lay-
Center's foyer will become an Israeli
intensive process," said Smart Wachs,
shuk (market); Shiffman Hall will
the JCC's executive staff supervisor of
become Jerusalem's Ben-Yehuda Street;
the Games.
the Rosenberg Complex will be a disco;
While the organizers emphasize that
and a giant Twister game, using Jewish
the JCC Maccabi Games are a Jewish
and Israeli symbols, may take over the
event through athletics, with emphasis
on Jewish and social activities, they are
gYrn.
"We're trying to get a lot of activities
making sure that the tournaments for all
put together because there are a lot of
the sports are first class.
people we will need to
in
"Athletics is secon
entertain," Stark said.
the Maccabi Games mis-
One of the more expe-
This page:
sion," said Wachs, "but it's
Top: General chairman
rienced Games volunteers
primary to the success of
Alan Horowitz and
is Jerry Eisenshtadt.
the Games."
arrival
coordinator
Jill
Getting the athletes
Said Kellman, "The
Spokojny.
from
point A to point B
schedule is being built
was
also
his job in 1984
around a dual purpose, but
Left: Operations
and 1990 as head of the
we have to give the kids
committee chairman
operations committee.
what they came for."
Jerry Eisenshtadt.
He and committee co-
The Judaic content will
chairs Mark Saidman and
start in the opening cere-
Right: Housing commit- Barry Simon have booked
monies. Arlene Sorkin is
tee chairwoman Maddee 80 West Bloomfield
planning a show for a
Adelson.
school buses and drivers.
20,000-spectator full house
"We've done it twice
at the Palace of Auburn
before without a hitch," Eisenshtadt
Hills. The Games theme is Israel's 50th
said. "This will be the best venture yet,
birthday.
and it will run smoothly and people will
"This will be the first Maccabi open-
move efficiently."
ing that will have this type of undertak-
One of the more impressive pieces of
ing," she said. "We'll be using the Palace
the
operations committee puzzle will be
production equipment and staff to put
the
set-up at Detroit Metropolitan Air-
it together, as well as the Jumbotron
port.
scoreboard."
Each arriving delegation will be met
A script was written by Sorkin,
at the gate by a local host who will
Randy Topper and Rachel Yoskowitz.
direct them to sign-in tables.
Dorothy Duensing, a faculty member at
"When they go to get the luggage,
the Center for Creative Studies, is the
the host will radio the buses," Eisen-
event's musical director, and the dance
shtadt said. Despite the committee's
sequences are being choreographed by
level of experience, 1998 is a bigger task
Valerie Mould, Kristi Sorkin and Harri-
than 1990.
et Berg.
"It's almost one-third bigger than
The tribute to Israel will feature a
eight years ago," Eisenshtadt said. "Traf-
father-daughter dialogue, with songs
fic congestion has increased, road con-
and dancing to illustrate.
struction could be a problem, and more
Ann Arbor's delegation heads, Chuck
athletes and venues need to be account-
and Sharon Newman, also have a cru-
ed for."
cial role in the opening: planning the
Said Kellman, "If we get it right
parade of athletes into the arena.
"The anxiety level is relatively low
MACCABI on page 90
since we've done this before," Chuck
5/15
1998
88
br this summer's Maccabi
Games, there are 16 non-
sports-related organizing
committees consisting of
31 volunteers.
The organizing committees and
chairs are:
Arrival, Jill Sp«kko jny and Patti
Taxe; athlete hoSffitality, Sharon Sid-
der and Trudy Weiss; closing cere-
monies, Marcy Kass and Gayle
Samuels; departure, Roma and Sm-
art Gottesman; development, Joel
Jacob and Carol Ziecik; food, Jerry
Sukenic; general chairman, Alan
Horowitz; guest hospitality, Janet
and Stuart Epstein.
Housing, Maddee Adelson, Carol
Eisenshtadt and Barbara Robinson;
Israeli night, Leslie Black and Sandy
Stark; medical, Michael Kobernick;
opening ceremonies, Sharon and
Chuck Newman and Arlene Sorkin;
operations, Jetty Eisenshtadt, Mark
Saidrnan and Barry Simon; security,
Larry Miller; Tamarack night,
:Joanne and . Michael Bellet; Detroit
Zoo night, Davida and Warren
Robinson.
There's also a handful of JCC
staff who are working on the
Games.
Games director Beth Kellman is
in the office with assistant direct6r
Ari Berris, Games coordinator Sue
Waldman and administrative assis-
tant Sarah Novetsky.
Stuart Wachs, the JCC director
for recreational services, is the exec-
utive staffer overseeing the Games.
--Lonny Goldsmith