More Inside:

HEALTH, TRAVEL, SPORTS, FOOD

Health: Rain Can't Dampen
Diabetes Fund Run.

Travel: Surprises In Israel
Beyond The Dream.

Food: Callbacks Begin
For Cooking Show.

This Week's focus:

Sports

Although Maccabi
planners lefi
Shabbat open,
a number of shuls and
neighborhood groups
fill the gap with
observances, parties
and activities.

Right:
Maccabi housing co-chair Ca. rol Eisenshtadt
answers questions at a recent meeting.

A Day Of Rest?

JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR
Special to The Jewish News

y

ou are a host family for a single athlete or
group of athletes during the JCC Mac-
cabi Games. The week goes well in that
you see the kids at meals and at the end
of the day before they collapse from sheer exhaus-
tion. Shlepping them to and from their activities is
a breeze.
But now it is Friday, Aug. 21, and an entire day
bereft of planned Maccabi activity stretches ahead.
Suddenly, you realize you will be left with a semi-
strange teenager or teenagers for over 24 hours.
With the finals of many events as well as clos-
ing ceremonies held on Sunday, Aug. 23, Mac-
cabi athletes are sticking around town for the
weekend. Although social events are planned for
every night of the Games, organizers have left
Friday night until Sunday morning free of activi-
ties to avoid conflict with religious observance

and to honor the spirit of the Games.
"We want the athletes to get a flavor for the
community," said Michelle Horrigan-Tarrance, the
Jewish Community Center's director of sports and
recreation and the athletic coordinator of the
games. "Some of the kids are shomer Shabbat and
many are not. This gives them the opportunity to
experience Shabbat at the level with which they are
comfortable."
But where the planners have left space free, tem-
ples and synagogues have booked observances to
honor the athletes. Nearly every shul in the Detroit
metropolitan area has planned to recognize the ath-
letes during either Friday night or Saturday services.
A few are taking the extra step of entertaining
the athletes with Friday night dinners. Temple
Israel, for example, is hosting a picnic Shabbat din-
ner while Temple Kol Ami is planning a homestyle
sit-down dinner of brisket, chicken fingers and
mashed potatoes; both congregations plan services
to honor the athletes following the family meals.

"There was a request made of the synagogues
and temples to do something special for Shabbat,"
said Dave Henning of Temple Kol Ami. "The hosts
will have been shlepping these kids here and there
and it is hot out. Not only don't they have time to
cook but also it is too hot to cook. This is the per-
fect solution."
Host families have also taken it upon themselves
to entertain the athletes by planning a few pool par-
ties and barbecues for Friday night, Saturday after-
noon and evening.
Cindy Babcock and Barbara Wallace have
reserved space at the Huntington Woods pool for
their families, their athletes and 45 other host fami-
lies for a Friday night pool party. The group will
also dine on barbecue chicken, pasta salad and
other treats and welcome Shabbat with a Kiddush.
"We had a similar party the last time we were
hosts in 1990," Babcock said.
"The kids had fun, the families had fun, so we
decided to do it again."