Maccabi 2000

Richmond Rocks

The JCC Maccabi Games spark fun and friendship.

DAVID SACHS

playoffs and medal rounds began for many
sports. That night, the teens partied at
Kings Dominion amusement and water
park.
On Thursday, finals were held for all
sports. Closing ceremonies that evening
was "Israeli Night" at the JCC. There was a
live camel, a magician, casino tables, for-
tunetellers, dancing and hanging out
together on the last night of Maccabi.
There was also a lot of trading of pins
and clothing, said Rudick, but, most

N aA v ti...

Staff Writer

0

9/1

2000

n Friday, Aug. 17, nine teams of
Detroit teenagers returned
exhausted and exhilarated from
six days at the JCC Maccabi
Games in Richmond, Va.
They had left for the Games the previ-
ous Sunday with jerseys, pins and para-
phernalia proclaiming their home team,
but returned wearing the
swapped gear of newly
A Richmond youth
made friends from other
is instructed
locales.
in tennis by
In addition to their
softball players
changes in uniforms, the
Alissa Kerner,
teens underwent changes
Moira Kessler and
in perspective.
Hilary Goldin.
"They come home and
everything is different," said delegation
head Howard Friedman. "They're different
kids.
"It's just wonderful for these kids
because a lot of them have no Jewish expo-
sure whatsoever and this is the first time
they actually have something Jewish in
their lives," he said.
Friedman praised the "wonderful job"
the Richmond Jewish community did in
hosting their first JCC Maccabi Games.
Some 1,056 athletes and 250 coaches par-
ticipated, including teams from Great
Britain and Israel.
Opening ceremonies were Sunday, Aug.
13, and competition began Monday morn-
ing. That night the teens visited Camp
Hilbert park for a barbecue, games, swim-
ming and concerts.
Tuesday morning's competitions were
followed by an afternoon of tzedaka (chari-
ty) activities. For the main project, inner-
city Richmond children were matched with
groups of Maccabi teens for arts and crafts,
tennis, soccer and other activities.
"These kids were so enveloped by these
older teens who took them on as brothers
and sisters — they've had more attention
than they know what to do with," said
Friedman. "We gave each of the children a
Hebrew name."
Don Rudick, girls softball coach, said,
"At the end of the day, the kids did nor
want to leave their new friends, and our
athletes were in tears because they had such
a good time."
On Wednesday morning, the Maccabi

important, a lot of hugs and tears for the
many new Jewish friendships that were
made.
During the competitions, Detroit teens

won numerous medals, including gold in
swimming, tennis, table tennis and golf.

Tennis

Thirteen-year-old
Michael Kaufman, in his
First year at Maccabi, won
two gold medals, and
Danny Matz, 16 won a
bronze in his final year.
Coach Janice Bloom
praised the efforts of her
team and camaraderie
among the competitors.
She called Kaufman an
up-and-coming athlete
"that we'll hear about in
the future."

Detroit was later
eliminated, losing two of
three games in the play-

offs.
"Despite injuries and
tired, sore arms, we still
won, even though we
did not win a medal,"

said Rudick, "because
our girls were friends
with everyone. They had

the spirit of the Games,
they worked hard and
they played hard."

Swimming

Softball

Detroit began play
defeating South Jersey
10-1, with Jackie

Rosenberg striking out
15. Baltimore then fell
11-1, with Avie Linden

scoring three runs.
In the third game,
Detroit lost to eventual
gold medal winner Los

Angeles, but rebounded
against North Jersey, 13-
1, to advance to the play-

offs. Lindsey Taub
pitched an excellent
game, said coach Rudick.
Hilary Goldin and Rose

Berg each had three hits.

"Our swimmers did very
well," said coach Herb
Bernstein, "and even the
kids I didn't expect to
win won medals."

In addition to the 12

medals won on Monday,
Aug. 14, as reported in
the Jewish News of Aug.

18, Detroit swimmers
continued their success
on Wednesday, Aug. 16,
winning 14 more

medals.
Leading the way was
Emily Canosa, who took
silver in the girls age 15-

16 individual medley
(IM), gold in the 100

yard freestyle, and gold
in the 200 backstroke.
Rebecca Nyquist took
silver in the girls 12-14
200 IM, silver in the 50

butterfly and silver in
the 100 free.
Eric Canosa won gold
in the 15-16 boys 200
IM and silver in the 200
back. Leah Karchin took
gold in the girls 15-16
50 fly and silver in the
100 free. Elise Landa
took silver in the 12-14
girls 100 breaststroke.
Greg Heimlich won sil-
ver in the boys 15-16

100 free and gold in the
200 back.
On Thursday; Detroit
swimmers won another
14 medals, ending the
meet with a total of 41.
Detroit won the team
point total with 327.
The following swimmers
led the way:
Rebecca Nyquist won
gold in the 12-14 girls

100 fly, gold in the 50
back and silver in the

200 free. Leah Karchin
won silver in the 15-16
100 fly. Emily Canosa
won gold in the girls 15-

16 50 back and gold in
the 200 free.

Emily Eubanks won
silver in the girls 15-16
50 back and silver in the
50 breast. Greg
Heimlich won gold in
the 15-16 50 back, silver
in the 200 free and silver
in the 50 breast. Eric
Canosa won bronze in
the 15-16 50 back and
gold in the 200 free.
In the relays, the team
of Emily Canosa, Greg
Heimlich, Eric Canosa
and Michelle Attar on
Monday took silver in
the 15-16 200 mixed

free relay. On Thursday,
the team of Greg

Heimlich, Leah Karchin,
Eric Canosa and Emily
Canosa took gold in the
15-16 mixed 200 medley

relay and Eric Canosa,
Emily Canosa, Rebecca
Nyquist and Greg
Heimlich won gold in
the 15-16 mixed 400

free relay.
Due to a lack of elec-
tric timing in

Richmond, Detroit
swimmer Greg Heimlich
was declared a gold

