The undefeated Steelers: Sophie
Thompson, Grace Kleinfeldt, Jacob
Friedman, Arye Gamer, Spencer Cherrin,

famil focus

Jonas Singer, Caleb Starr and coach

Nancy Kleinfeldt.

Lynx players Tali Rubenstein, Sammy Vieder, Max Friedman,

Caleb Kleinfeldt and Bella Gottlieb are having a "ball."

The Collies (from several years back): Coaches Bobby Dubin and

Nate Kleinfeldt with David Grand, Aidan Hoskow, Josh Dubin,

Adin Kleinfeldt, Jacob Schlussel and Sammy Schlussel.

Soccer And Shabbat, Too

Sunday league offers observant kids the chance to participate fully.

Karen Schultz Tarnopol
Special to the Jewish News

T

he lazy days of summer are
behind us and schedules once
again are overflowing. Work,
school, activities, doctors — and somehow
it all seems to work out. Imagine having
to factor in Shabbat and the many Jewish
holidays as well.
Many families have had to choose
between athletics for their children and
their religious observance, but fortunately,
a soccer league in the area has found a way
to accommodate families that are shomer
Shabbat (Shabbat observant).
In the fall of 2006, South Oakland
Soccer (SOCS) offered its first "no
Saturday" team. The teams play against all
of the other teams in the league, but their
games and practices are scheduled around
Shabbat and the Jewish holidays. They
now have six teams consisting of approxi-
mately 50 kids and are willing to add more
teams as needed. The majority of the kids
on the teams are Jewish, but several of the
kids are non-Jewish.
Claire Charlton, a division manager

father and son time at their Collies

Lindsay Schlussel and Caleb Kleinfeldt of
the Lynx Team get ready to line up for some

soccer games.

team spirit.

Adin and Nate Kleinfeldt enjoyed

of SOCS, says, "We, as an organization,
are pleased to provide this option for our
community. We have many families that
require a more specific schedule to accom-
modate their religious observance, and we
are happy to help"
Nancy Kleinfeldt's son, Adin, was on
that fall 2006 team. "When I reached out

to SOCS, they were very open to the idea
of creating a 'no Saturday' team" she says.
"They recommended that we put the team
of kids together, and now I simply send
them a list of all the Jewish holidays at the
beginning of the season so they can plan
accordingly"
Kleinfeldt of Huntington Woods has

three children who have played in the
league — Adin, 13, Caleb, 10, and Grace,
5. Her husband, Nate, has coached for the
past six years, and Nancy currently coaches
Grace's team. All three kids attend Akiva
Hebrew Day School in Southfield.
The teams consist mainly of kids from
Southfield, Oak Park, Huntington Woods
and Berkley; however, kids from all over
Michigan are welcome and encouraged to
join.
"The kids get to know children from dif-
ferent schools and synagogues that they
wouldn't otherwise get to know, and the kids
seem to really love it, too" Kleinfeldt says.
"I loved that my dad coached me" says
Adin Kleinfeldt. "I played with some of the
same friends for six years, and it was awe-
some. We had a great time together, and I
know that we will always be friends:'
Daniel Cherrin, who also lives in
Huntington Woods, says he could not be
happier with the opportunity to play on
Sundays and that his son, Spencer, "is just
enjoying the chance to play soccer with his
friends:' His three children, Emma, 9, Brie,
8, and Spencer, 6, go to Hillel Day School
in Farmington Hills, where his wife, Marni,
also works.
Rabbi Robert Gamer of Congregation
Beth Shalom in Oak Park and his wife,
Wendy, of Huntington Woods have three
kids, Maya, 10, Oz, 8, and Aryeh, 5, who
attend Hillel as well. Oz and Aryeh have
been playing soccer for two years.
"We signed up with this league because
we knew it was something that would work
in our schedules without having to miss
a bunch of games," Rabbi Gamer says. "I
really appreciate the fact that we have this
option here. It's great that the kids don't
have to give something up and be penalized
for observing Shabbat:' He says many cities
don't have this option available.
Rabbi Aaron Starr of Congregation
Shaarey Zedek in Southfield agrees. "It's an
opportunity for kids to have a wonderful
sports experience and live a meaningful,
beautiful, observant Jewish life" he says.
"It's really the best of both worlds."
His wife, Rebecca, and their children live
in Southfield. Caleb, 5, and Ayal, 2, attend
Hillel. This is Caleb's second season. "I
particularly love that Caleb is able to have
all the same fun as the other soccer teams"
Rabbi Starr says.
Aside from the scheduling benefits, "it's
also an opportunity to reinforce what we
believe" he says. "We are bringing kids
together from all over the Jewish spectrum
— Reform, Conservative and Orthodox. It's
a nice twist:'
During Sukkot, the team headed over
to the Kleinfeldt house for a pizza party in
the sukkah after practice.
For further information, go to www.
southoaklandsoccer.com to register or call
(248) 399-6487. ❑

iN

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