This Week

Cincy Sizzles

Maccabi teens bring back gold and memories.

From Aug. 13-18, Detroit Maccabi contingents competed in Cincinnati, Ohio, and
Richmond, Va. The following week, Detroit in-line hockey teams skated in Staten
Island, N.Y. In this issue, the Cincinnati games are recapped. Next week will be
devoted to the Richmond and Staten Island Games. Results from Staten Island and
a partial list of medal winners from Richmond appear on the opposite page.

DAVID SACHS
StqffWriter

JN

he weather in Cincinnati was pleasantly
sunny, but competition soared to a fever
pitch for the 2000 JCC Maccabi Games,
Aug. 13-18. Rainstorms dampened the
final afternoon, but not the enthusiasm of the
teenaged participants.
Joel Kashdan has coached track in the JCC
Maccabi Games for 15 years and every year his team
has returned with medals. This year proved no
exception. But Kashdan also had other reasons to be
proud of his team.
In the Games, Lauren Sharkey, 14, the only girl on
the Detroit squad, took the gold medal for her 3.88-
meter long jump, facing what she described as tough
competition in the ages 13-14 event. Lauren also
anchored a mixed-cities' girls relay team, winning a
gold medal, and won the silver in a mixed-cities' co-
ed relay race. Josh Hirschland won a bronze medal in
singles racquetball and silver in racquetball doubles.
Beyond sports, Kasdan said he was
extremely proud of how the boys
on his team reacted on a tzedaka
(charity) mission to a home for the
severely developmentally disabled.
"You don't know how kids are
going to react," he said. "Are they
going to stay in the corner and
snicker or will they be traumatized?"
Instead, he said, "They jumped
right in there like they were trained
professionals. It was unbelievable.
They were talking with the patients,
trying to do something positive. It
gives me new respect for these kids."
For his group's tzedaka project,
Coach David Disner's baseball team of
boys ages 15 and 16 spent the after-
noon of Aug. 15 in Cincinnati's oldest
Jewish cemetery. From about 100
tombstones, they copied both the
English and Hebrew names and text for
a database the community is creating.

cues. The teens spent Wednesday night at the Kin
Some of the graves were from the early 1800s and
Island amusement park and Thursday night at do
very weathered, said Disner.
Joining the boys on the cemetery project was a girls ing ceremonies.
soccer squad from Orange County in California. The
boys and girls continued their acquaintance later at
Baseball
the Maccabi social events.
The bronze medal win in baseball for boys ages
"They socialized real well," said Disner. "That's
15-16 was- a team effort, reported
probably the main objective of these
coaches
Disner and Paul Sternberg.
games — the sports become secondary.
Dan
Horwitz
pitched six strong
It's the Jewish experience of meeting
Below: Lauren Sharkey
innings
in
the
8-7 win against Lon
other Jewish kids from all over
practices what turned
Beach and scored the winning run.
out to be her gold
America and the world, including
Cary Sternberg had two hits and t
medal long-jump form.
Canada, Great Britain, Australia and
RBIs and Steve Pappas had two hit
Above: Lauren with
Israel, that's really the thrust of the
and scored twice.
Coach Joel Kashdan
games."
Mike Disner threw a complete ga
On Monday, Aug. 14, all 1,000-plus
in
the
7-5 victory against Rockland.
Maccabi kids took over Jillian's, a con-
Dan
Mickelson
had
two hits and scored twice. Al
karaoke
verted brewery in Kentucky, enjoying
Wertheimer had a big two-run double.
singing, dancing and video games. The next event
For the tournament, Cary Sternberg was 9 for
Tuesday was host family night, with some of the
(a .692 average). He pitched as well, throwing th
families that hosted athletes putting on huge barbe-

8/25

2000

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