' ...................

OMPLAISAti
WEST BLOOMFIELD PLAZA

7)
/--

-

The entire U.S. delegation
spent its first Shabbat evening at
the Bet El Synagogue and then
shared Shabbat dinner in the home
of a Mexican Jewish family. A
week later, some athletes went to
an Orthodox Shabbat service at
Ramat Shalom synagogue.
From an athletic stand-
point, the games featured
strong performances by all
but one U.S. team. The
U.S. won gold medals in
open and junior basketball,
junior baseball, softball and
women's volleyball. The
masters basketball team won
bronze.
The only U.S. team that
failed to medal was the boys
junior soccer team, which lost in the
bronze medal game to Chile. The
U.S. finished the competition with
the most medals of any visiting dele-
r ation, winning 67 gold, 42 silver
and 46 bronze for a total of 155
medals. Only host Mexico won more.
California swimmer Sarah Jacobs,
who will be a senior at Indiana
University, placed first in every race
she entered, winning 12 gold medals.
Since the games took place during
the two-year anniversary (July 14) of
the bridge collapse in Israel, twice
during the games all competition was
stopped and a moment of silence was
observed. Some athletes wore black
ribbons on their uniforms or warm-
up suits.
Consistently drawing the largest
crowds
at the games was the U.S.
I
open basketball team, featuring
Oklahoma State's Doug Gottlieb,
Harvard's Andrew Gellert and the
University of Southern California's
David Bluthenthal. The U.S. was
challenged only mildly in its two
games against Brazil and easily won
the Maccabi gold medal for the first
time since 1985.
Also causing a stir was the U.S.
junior team. In what they called "a
team bonding thing," all the athletes
dyed their hair blond for the games.
Considered by many to be the best
player for the gold medal winners was
West Bloomfield resident Dani Wohl.
"From the time I was selected for the
team in February I was really excited,
and when I arrived at our training
camp in New York and we began
working out I couldn't believe how
good our team was," said the 16-year-
old Wohl. A junior at West
Bloomfield High School, he will also
play for the Detroit team at the JCC

/-••

TRUNK SHOW
NE PEDERSEN KNIT
FALL '99

Jackets, Sweaters, Skirts,
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The blonds on the U.S.
junior basketball team. West
Bloomfield's Dani Wohl is
pont row, second from right.

Team captain Phil Horowitz
led the bowlers.

Maccabi Games in Columbus, Ohio.
Wohl, at 5 feet 10 inches, was the
starting point guard. He led the
undefeated team to seven victories,
including a 59-44 win over Argentina
in the gold medal game.
A member of Adat Shalom
Synagogue, Wohl also had a career
highlight in a scrimmage against the
U.S. open team. On the first play of
the game he stripped the all-American
Gottlieb and went in for an uncon-
tested lay-up.
"I only wish I had a videotape of
that one because it's something I'd
like to show my grandchildren,
Wohl said. "But overall, the best
thing about this trip, besides winning
the gold medal, was meeting my
teammates from around the country.
We got so close in a such a short peri-
od of time that it's incredible to think
that two weeks ago none of us knew
each other.
"I feel truly special and hOnored
that I was chosen to be a part of this
team and that I got to represent my
country and American Judaism. And
that I seemingly gained the respect of
so many people here makes it all that
much more gratifying."
Two other members of the United
States delegation from the Detroit
area, softball player Ben Mutnick and
masters squash player Jeffrey Deitch,
had to cancel their participation at
the last minute. II

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Brian Schiff is a Philadelphia-based
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Detroit Jewish News

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