Maccabi Games 2008
Fun And
Food
Activities reign at
temple barbecue for
Maccabi teens, hosts.
Robert A. Sklar
Editor
T
Above: Baseball players Brad Wiederman,
14, and Martin Tischler, 13, with the Orange
County, Calif., delegation, try their luck at
Sumo wrestling.
Left: Marilyn and Herb Lantor of West
Bloomfield are hosting English athletes
Ashley Diamond and Gideon Ripstein, both 14
Bottom left: Basketball players Melissa
Tischler and Jessica Rosen, both 16, are part
of the East Hills, N.Y.-Sid Jacobson JCC.
Bottom right: Karen and Glenn Siegel of
West Bloomfield with son Ari, 13 (Metro
Detroit JCC, golf) and their guests, 14-year-
olds Brian Bernard (table tennis) and Max
Pedinoff, both playing for the Bridgewater,
N.J., delegation
he Maccabi athletes danced,
bounced, slid and climbed
while their host adults engaged
in good conversation Monday night at a
barbecue hosted by Temple Israel in West
Bloomfield.
A special feature was disc jockey Jordan
Wagner of Oakland County-based Electric
Equipment.
About 1,200 people enjoyed the great
weather with hot dogs, hamburgers and all
the trimmings. Host families were respon-
sible for dinner for their guest athletes
taking part in the JCC Maccabi Games on
Monday. The synagogue's Zachary Talan
Edelson Maccabi Fund helped cover the
cost.
Many of the host adults echoed Dorothy
Hack's assessment: "It was a great way for
the kids to get to know one another while
the adults relaxed!'
She and her husband, Bob, of West
Bloomfield hosted two boys from
British Columbia: Nathan Winick, 16,
of Vancouver, who runs track, and Sam
Myers, 14, of Vancouver Island, a swimmer.
The boys came in Aug. 14 and the Hacks
kept them busy before the Games began.
The itinerary included go-carting, a bat-
ting cage, the Dream Cruise and a Tigers
game. The Dream Cruise along Woodward
Avenue was a big hit. "It was awesome
Myers said. "I took 300 pictures there!'
Winick had the honor of carrying the
flag for his delegation during the opening
ceremonies Sunday night at the Palace of
Auburn Hills.
Maccabi athlete Ari Siegel, 13, plays golf.
His parents, Karen and Glenn, of West
Bloomfield, hosted first-year swimmer
Max Pedinoff, 14, and returning table ten-
nis player Brian Bernard, 14, both playing
for Bridgewater, N.J. "I thought the whole
day was a lot of fun, from the competition
to talking about being Jewish" Ari said.
Bernard, a second-time Maccabi com-
petitor, liked "the atmosphere of the day,
the interaction, the spirit, the facilities
— just everything about the Games." I]