1 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.