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TORAH PORTION

SPORTS

Bimah And Ice

Bar mitzvah season had added
meaning for hockey players.

Goalie Bruce Henney lies in

front of, from left, Spencer

Tamler, Jarrett Friedland, Zach
Rogow and Mitchell Werner.

Steve Stein
Special to The Jewish News

I

magine playing nearly 70 games
and celebrating your bar mitzvah
during the same hockey season.
Four of the five Jewish players on
the USA Eagles Pee Wee AA team of
12- and 13-year-olds did just that this
winter and spring.
The other Jewish player will have
his bar mitzvah this summer.
Despite many hectic days and
nights, the Eagles soared on the ice.
They finished 41-22-5, won the state
championship and finished third at
the nationals.
Out of the constant tumult and
occasional chaos rose a tight team
chemistry that the 17 players and
their parents probably will remember
more fondly years from now thali the
41 victories.
"The kids didn't see the bar mitz-
vahs as a distraction:' said Eagles
coach Brian Sramek."They got along
very well, and a big reason was the
diversity on our team. Everyone was
interested in learning about different
cultures!'
All the players and their families
attended the bar mitzvahs. Center
Jarret Friedland of West Bloomfield,
defenseman Spencer Tamler of
Birmingham and right wing Mitchell
Werner of Bloomfield Hills celebrat-
ed theirs at Temple Israel. Jarret's was
the week after the national tourna-
ment in Ft. Wayne, Ind. That meant
all of the last-minute preparations
had to be put on.hold until the Eagles
returned from Indiana.
Right wing Zach Rogow celebrat-

ed his bar mitzvah at Temple Shir
Shalom. The Eagles lost a nine-over-
time heart-breaker in St. Clair Shores
on the day of Zach's bar mitzvah party.
Had they won the marathon game, all
the players (including Zach) would
have been late arriving at the night-
time festivities in Troy because they
would have played another game.
Goalie Bryce Henney's bar mitz-
vah will be in August at Temple Beth
El. Bryce lives in Bloomfield Hills.
A half-dozen Eagles players go to
Catholic schools. Zach and Spencer
visited Marist Academy in Pontiac
recently as guests of Eagles team-
mates. Marist is on the campus of
Notre Dame Prep High School. .
The five Jewish players on the
Eagles' roster nicknamed themselves
the "Jew Crew." All played a major role
in the team's success. Jarret and Zach
were among the Eagles' top scorers.
Jarret had 42 goals and 38 assists and
Zach had 26 goals and 36 assists.
Spencer scored one goal and dished
out 27 assists. Mitchell had eight goals
and seven assists. Bryce had a 17-11-
5 record in the nets with a fine 0.87
•
goals-against average.
The Eagles were based at the Detroit
Skating Club in Bloomfield Hills.

Big Effort
Goal-oriented Stephanie Crawford
contributed to every goal scored by
the Novi High School girls soccer
team in the Wildcats' 4-0 victory May
12 over Livonia Stevenson.
Crawford tallied twice and had two
assists as defending Division 1 state
champions and top-ranked Novi (14-
0) flexed its muscles against No. 5
Stevenson (10-2-2).
Even though she's only a junior,
Crawford has already made a verbal
commitment to join the University of
Michigan women's soccer program. ❑

Please send sports news to

sports@thejewishnews.com .

If Not Now, When?

Shabbat Bamidbar:
Numbers 1:1-4:20;
Samuel 20:18-42.

T

the altar of family liv-
he festival of
ing. Years pass quickly.
Shavuot is con-
Sometimes opportunity
nected with
is lost.
a beautiful practice
The rabbis instituted
observed in ancient
a profound psychologi-
times by Jewish families
cal truth about human
in the land of Israel, the
behavior. "If you delay .
custom of bringing the
the performance of a
first ripe fruits of the
mitzvah, you may never
field as bikkurim, as an
do it."
offering to the Temple in
Two thousand years
Jerusalem.
ago, Hillel articulated
When the offering was
Rabbi Irwin Groner
this problem of procras-
brought to be presented
Special to the
tination in regard to the
to the priest, the farmer
study of Torah: "Do not
Jewish News
would recite a prayer,
say when I have some
recalling the enslavement
leisure time, I will begin
of the children of Israel
and Egypt and their final arrival in the to study. You may -never find-the lei-
sure time."
Promised Land. He would finish this
This is true of all life. If your parents
recital of history with these words:
are still alive, spend time with them,
"And'now, behold, I have brought the
enjoy their company, treasure their
first fruit of the land which Thou, 0
companionship. Parents can teach us
Lord, has given me."
Our sages make an interesting com- so much about life and its lessons.
If you are parents, show your love to
ment on this verse. They remark, "And
your children. If we are not careful
now," means immediately, "behold:'
— time will pass us by.
implies joy. "I have brought" signifies
The poet, EVa Rose York, reminds us
of my own. The choice fruits, the bik-
kurim had to be brought to the Temple of this problem in her poem:
immediately upon ripening. They
I shall not pass this way again.
had to be brought with joy and each
And let no chance by me be lost
farmer had to bring his own.
To kindness how, at any cost.
Every one of us would like to feel
that we have fulfilled ourselves by sup- I shall not pass this way again
Then let me now relieve some pain,
porting institutions that mean a great
Remove some barrier from the road,
deal to us; by strengthening causes
Or brighten someone's heavy load; .
that are close to our hearts; and by
The helping hand to this one lend,
contributing to the realization of the
Then turn some other to befriend
highest goals that we have for our-
Then oh, one day,
selves, for our dear ones and for our
community. Let us consider the advice May someone say —
Remembering a lessened pain —
of our sages.
Would she pass this way again. El
We do not begin by denying the
importance of life's highest values.
Irwin Groner is rabbi emeritus of
We do not deny the good. We merely
Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Oakland
postpone it. People do not lack good
County.
intentions. Sometimes they lack good
actions.
Conversations
We understand that there is no
greater treasure than our children. We What is the connection between Shavuot
know that we owe them direction and and Passover?
Why should good intentions never be post-
guidance and that we should involve
poned?
. ourselves personally in their growth
and character development. We prom- What can you do to connect yourself to
Shavuot?
ise ourselves that someday we will
bring choice fruits of our labors on

May 25 • 2006

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