EDITOR'S WATCH
We Truly Enjoyed Serving
As A Maccabi Host Family
Now in their 16th year, the inter-
I t was an experience we'll
national games are hosted in differ-
remember fondly.
ent locales around the country each
Hosting two athletes for
year to inspire camaraderie, sports-
the week-long JCC Maccabi
manship and Jewish identity.
Games was both exhilarating and
"They bring Jewish kids together
exhausting, but always special.
from different, backgrounds to
My wife, Beth, and I
enrich their Jewishness so
hosted two girls from
they know they're part of
Rochester, N.Y., for the
one heritage," said Dr.
games, hosted by the Jewish
Alan Horowitz, general
Community Center of Met-
chairman of the 1998 JCC
ropolitan Detroit from
Maccabi Games Organizing
Aug. 16 to 23 at more than
Committee.
20 venues across Oakland
He, as well as the 1,000
County. This year's games
volunteer workers and
saluted Israel's 50th
1,250 host families,
anniversary of statehood.
deserve plaudits, not brick-
ROBERT
A.
The games drew 3,200
bats, for giving of their
. SKLAR
Jewish competitors and 650
time to coordinate such a
Editor
coaches from around the
huge experience.
U.S. as well as Mexico,
Sure the nagging problems, like
Great Britain and Israel. The 13-to
the long opening ceremonies at the
16-year-old entrants competed in 15
Palace of Auburn Hills, the busing
sports plus dance and chess.
woes at the end of the Maybury
The 437-member Detroit delega-
Night Picnic and the coaches' corn-
tion boasted 15 Israeli teens from - -
plaints about poor planning, tested
the Central Galilee, Detroit's Part-
the patience of even the most sup-
nership 2000 sister region.
portive souls.
Snafus aside, it was a week that
But to ridicule the volunteers
seemed to roar by — from the
because of logistical snafus — Beth
torch lighting of the opening cere-
and I were volunteers at Maybury
monies to the torch passing of the
Park Night and fielded some of the
closing ceremonies, and all the bus-
busing complaints — is to miss the
stop runs, on-the-go meals and laun-
point of why the games are held.
dry washings in between. I even got
In the bittersweet afterglow of
the girls to try kosher pizza from
passing the torch to representatives
Southfield's Jerusalem Pizza the
of next year's host cities of
evening of Israeli Night at the Kahn
Rochester, N.Y., Cherry Hill, N.J.,
JCC in West Bloomfield.
Columbus, Ohio, and Houston,
Jay Robinson
Remembered
As an athlete and medalist in the 1984
Maccabi Games — the very first large-
scale version of the games — I enjoyed
reading your profile and editorial regard-
ing the late Jay Robinson ("Stamp Of
Approval" Aug. 14) and his many con-
tributions to what the games are today.
Those of us who participated in the
`84 games got to know and appreciate
Mr. Robinson, who took much pride
and initiative in volunteering a great
deal of time and effort toward develop-
ing this showcase of international Jew-
ish youth athletic prOwess.
Through the Maccabi Games, Mr.
Robinson showed the world that, as
Jews, we are not the stereotypically
weak, small, unathletic figures that our
detractors would have others believe.
Though he is no longer with us, his
imprimatur on the successful '98 games
illustrates that his spirit and Jewish
pride live on.
Debbie Sc.hlussel
West Bloomfield
Youth Group
Needs Noting
I was recently shown your editorial on
the subject of Jewish youth groups in
the Detroit area ("Major Youth Groups
Merit Funds" July 10), and I applaud
your call for larger Federation support.
Only through strong youth activity can
we guarantee the Jewish identities of
our children and future leaders.
However, I also noticed that you left
off one key youth group in the Detroit
area: Bnei Akiva. Bnei Akiva is an
Rachele Haber--Thomson, Elise Kahn and Elyse Sklar, shortly before the JCC Mac-
cabi Games closing ceremonies.
Texas, Horowitz said it's the friend-
ships, not the game results or the
logistical snafus, that will endure:
"The games are merely the vehicle
for getting the kids together. In the
long run, it's the interaction that
counts the most."
All three of the Maccabi teens at
our house — guests Rachele Haber-
Thomson, 15, and Elise Kahn, 13,
and our daughter, Elyse, 14 —
agreed.
"Meeting new kids and having
fun was what I liked best," said
Elise, a soccer player who celebrated
her . bat mitzvah in May. "I've never
seen so many Jewish kids together at
once. It was so cool."
"Everyone was so friendly," said •
Rachele, a runner who thrived on all
the pin and gear trading. She
swapped New York gear for a bag
from Mexico, pants from Los Ange-
les and a T-shirt from Philadelphia.
"So many of the kids have things
in common, no matter where they're
Orthodox Zionist youth movement
which, this coming year, will be cele-
brating its 70th birthday. Bnei Akiva of
Detroit was founded over 40 years ago
and has helped to educate the Jewish
youth of Detroit about the importance
of Torah, avodah and aliyah for that
duration.
Bnei Akiva is the youth movement
of Mizrachi. Our motto is Am Yisrael
BEretz Yisrael al pi Torat Yisrael, "the
people of Israel in the land of Israel
according to the Torah of Israel." Bnei
Akiva worldwide functions in 30 coun-
ties and in the United States and Cana-
da in 15 cities, including Detroit.
It is largely a "self destructive" orga-
nization as the majority of strong lead-
ers end up making aliyah by age 25.
This results in a new group of
madrichim each year and relatively
young leaders. By ninth grade, members
of Bnei Akiva are expected to become
involved in the leadership of their city.
In addition, they are expected to help
run the weekly youth groups that cur-
rently meet in three locations every
Shabbat in the metro Detroit area.
Bnei Akiva fills a vital hole in pro-
gramming for the Jewish youth of
Detroit that no other youth group can.
It is the only strictly Orthodox and
Zionist youth movement and, therefore,
also deserves the support of Federation.
I was away this summer working at
two of the five Bnei Akiva camps
throughout the United States and
Canada: Camp Stone, in Sugar Grove,
Pa., near Jamestown, N.Y., and Camp
Moshavat Ennismore, in Ontario, near
Peterborough.
MACCABI on page 39
Joshua Skarf
Former regional director
Bnei Akiva of Metropolitan Detroit
8/28
1998
Detroit Jewish News
37