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To Life!
ON THE COVER
Chai Time
Detroit teens look
forward to the athletics
and camaraderie
of JCC Maccabi Games.
Alissa Graff, 14, of Huntington Woods drives against
Ariana Terebeio, 13, of Southfield.
Alan Hitsky
Associate Editor
H
urricane Katrina may
have done its massive
damage last August,
but the ripple effects are still
being felt a year later by North
American Jewish teenagers.
The Jewish community of New
Orleans was scheduled to be one
of the host cities for the 2006 JCC
Maccabi Games this month, but
Katrina's high winds canceled
those plans. That left Phoenix,
Ariz., Vancouver, B.C., and
Stamford, Conn., as sites for the
Games and reduced the numbers
that visiting teams could bring.
"If New Orleans had been
able to host, Detroit would have
been able to bring 20 to 30 more
athletes:' said Karen Gordon,
who will serve as delegation
head for the Detroiters compet-
ing in Phoenix. The New Orleans
community had planned to host
1,100 Jewish teens.
Gordon said the expectation is
that numbers will climb in 2007
when Orange County, Houston
and Atlanta are scheduled to host
the JCC Maccabi Games.
The Jewish Community
Center of Greater Detroit "has
begun the process to host the
Games in 2008," said Mark Lit,
of its longtime president, Dr.
JCC executive director. The JCC
Alan Horowitz, who died this
has received the blessing of the
spring. Maccabi veteran Harold
national Jewish Community
Friedman has stepped in as
Centers Association, is seek-
president and will be the Detroit
ing sponsors, and will request
delegation head in Vancouver.
approval in the coming weeks
Jerry Eisenstadt is serving as
from the Detroit JCC board
vice president and treasurer and
and the Jewish Federation of
Karen Gordon is secretary.
Metropolitan Detroit.
The club has officially
Detroit hosted the second
Chai Time on page 36
Games in 1984, some 2,200 teens
in 1990, and the last
North American
Games — 3,200
Jewish teens from 11
nations — in 1998.
The Detroit delega-
tion this year includes
30 teen athletes going
to Phoenix Aug. 6-11,
90 who will compete
in Vancouver Aug.
13-18, and six teens
who will participate
in the first Maccabi
ArtsFest, to be held in
Baltimore Aug. 20-25.
Coach Brad Friedman of Oak Park gives a
The Detroit
few pointers during practice.
Maccabi Club is still
mourning the loss
Detroit's Neighbors
Ann Arbor and Windsor also are sending teen athletes to the JCC Maccabi Games.
Jean Christian is the veteran
delegation head for the Ann
Arbor Maccabi team. Ann
Arbor is sending an under-16
boys soccer team to Phoenix.
The team includes Noah Share,
Noah Tobes, Noah Trobe, Alex
Perlman, Aaron Sanfield, Adam
Hansell, Jeremy Cohen, Ethan
Cohen and Max Vizelberg. The
coaches are four-year Maccabi
alumni Ryan Christian and Max
Owen.
Ann Arbor was originally
scheduled to attend the games
in New Orleans, but the venue
was changed after Hurricane
Katrina last year. Max
Vizelberg is from New Orleans.
His family has been living in
Ann Arbor since the hurricane.
Windsor competes every
other year at the games
and will be participating
in Vancouver. The Windsor
delegation includes Josh
Autterson, Mike Ellis, Adam
Gellman, Nicole Gellman, Jacob
Gordner, Melanie Jarcaig, Neil
Katzman, Dylan Liebman,
Jenna Monczak, Sarah
Morrison, Jordana Plotnick,
Meghan Plotnick, Michael
Rosenbojm, Dan Sionov, Jessa
Vollans, Michael Zaltsman,
Miriam Zaltsman.
The Windsor coaches include
Ron Poisky, Robyn Winograd,
Joe Shanbaum and Jeremy
Berger.
August 3 2006
35.