c 2

etroit's Maccabi athletes divided into del-
egations that fanned out across the coun-
try in search of a summertime Jewish
experience.
Nearly 170 strong, they competed in a variety of
competitive disciplines, from soccer to softball to
dance. They also made friends and celebrated being
Jewish.
Not all our athletes won medals, but all returned
winners in the Jewish Community Centers
Association of North America-sponsored games for
13- to 16-year-olds, held over two weeks in August.
Winners, too, were the 36 local volunteers who
cared enough about the games to coach several prac-
tice sessions here and lead a week of competition in
Houston, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; and Cherry Hill,
New Jersey, in the heat of summer. For what they
witnessed was a week that's not just a test of athleti-
cism but also an important building block for Jewish
identity among highly impressionable teenagers.

CORRECTIONS

Jodi Beals, 15, of West Bloomfield,
earned a silver medal for shot put in
track and field competition in
Cherry Hill, New Jersey, for 15- to
16-year-olds. Her first name was
incorrectly listed last week.

Photo by Krista Hu sa

— Robert A. Sklar

Gregory Heimlich, 14, of Southfield,
won four medals in swimming corn-
petition in Cherry Hill. Only three
medals were listed last week. His per-
formance netted him a silver medal
for the 400-yard combined medley
relay, a bronze for the 400-yard
freestyle relay and a bronze for the
100-yard backstroke for 13- to 14-
year-olds. He also won a bronze for
the mixed 200 yard freestyle relay for
15- to 16-year-olds.

-

Ben Potter, 14, of Huntington
Woods, earned a bronze medal
for the mile event in track and field
competition in Cherry Hill. He com-
peted against 13- to 14-year-olds.

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Detroit Jewish News 11