metro Israeli Olympian To Try Again Franklin Athletic Club swim instructor readies for 2016. Michael Higer JN Intern N imrod "Nim" Shapira's jour- ney from Olympic swimmer to specialized swimming instructor at Franklin Athletic Club in Southfield followed an unexpected path. Shapira was born on a farm in Ashdod, south of Tel Aviv. His parents taught him what it took to get back on his feet after facing an obstacle. As a kid, I always saw what it is to go up and fall down, go up again and try to rebuild all the time Shapira said. Shapira played competitive basketball, earning a full scholarship to play for Maccabi Tel Aviv. At age 11, a severe knee injury ended his court career. While rehabbing in an aquatic center, his basketball coach noticed he had a knack for swimming and suggested he try out for a team. "To start swimming at 11 is very hard:' Shapira said. "When the manager did my evaluation and saw I was already tall and developed, he said, 'You know I don't think he can be on the swim team. I think it's a little bit too late: There was this old man who came running down the stairs screaming something in Russian. I didn't know what he said, but he was a coach for the team, and pretty much the translation of what he told that manager was 'That's going to be my first Olympian swimmer in Israel7 The old man happened to be the coach for the Soviet Union national team — a Jewish coach who had always wanted to live in Israel. That day had a large influence on Shapira's path. "It was total luck to fall on a coach like that:' he said. "It's very special to look back at it now" Shapira trained with the coach for two years; by age 12, he was already breaking Israeli age group records that still stand today. At 13, he moved to England to train at the National Institute of Sport. After two years, his coach there advised him to move to the United States so he could train at the Olympic level. He moved to Jacksonville, Fla., and studied at the Bolles School, a boarding school known for its academics and athletics. At age 18, he competed in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, representing Israel in both the 100 and 200 meter freestyle. He finished 26th overall in the 100 meter. In the 200 meter, he unex- pectedly won his heat and became the first Israeli in Olympic history to reach the semi-finals. Although he lost his 18 July 24 • 2014 JN Olympian Nim Shapira with a mascot from Franklin Athletic Club's AquaClub next heat, racing with Michael Phelps, he came away positively from the expe- rience. Shapira raced four years later at the Olympic Games in London, but a back injury kept him from performing at the level he was at in 2008. Shapira went on to swim and study at the University of Arizona, where he was a national champion and 10-time All-American. There he met his now- fiancee Katherine Larson. Following graduation, Larson found a job at a dance studio in Rochester, Mich., and Shapira reluctantly moved with her. "At the time, I was super afraid to move to Michigan with her because all I knew about Michigan was snow. I lived in Israel, England, Jacksonville and Tucson, so I was always used to the sun:' he said. Shapira took a class in coaching and decided that would be his career path. He contacted a local synagogue, look- ing for people with a common interest in swimming. He was directed to the Franklin Athletic Club (FAC), where he met Itzi Saar, vice president and general manager. "From the first time we met we had plenty of things in common," Saar said. "Nim told me about his vision of build- ing swim teams and swim schools. I believed his thinking and energy would be a perfect fit to the FAC aquatic pro- gram. Two months later, Nim started AquaClub at Franklin and now, after five months, we have 200-plus happy swim- mers:" At the AquaClub, Shapira has a spe- cialized idea for his class that sets it apart from other swim clubs. "AquaClub is not about teaching your kids how to float. It's about teaching your kids how to swim safely, how to have fun while they're learning from the process. It's more the bigger picture:' According to Saar, Shapira has not only served as an excellent swim teacher but someone to look up to as well. "Nim has worked with many kids, and we hear nothing but smiles and happiness:' she said. "As an athlete with such high achievements, Nim is a role model to our kids and their parents. Nim makes sure our kids are good swimmers but also wants them to be good people and lead by example:' Classes are open for all ages, start- ing with his AquaBabies class for age 4 months. Shapira also offers need-based schol- arships for his classes. "Every clinic that we do, a kid in need gets a clinic. There is no way in the world I would've been where I'm at today without the support of scholarships, and it's really important to me to give back to that:' Shapira also opened an AquaClub at Oxford High School in March. The classes are taught by him and three oth- ers with at least 15 years of swimming experience. He has already begun training for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. "I'm gradually building my way to 2016. I want to get there and do the best I've ever done in the sport. Me teaching the kids, it's also me learning. I learn from the parents, I learn from the kids, and I think if I continue down the path I am now, I will get to 2016 and be very successful." ❑ Beth El Installs New President And Board On June 27, Steven Weiner was installed as president of Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township. Weiner and his family have been members since relocat- ing to Michigan from Steven Weiner Florida in 1996. Together with his brother, Evan, Steve works at the Edw. C. Levy Co., where he manages real estate, environmental and legal affairs. He was previously a real estate development executive at the Walt Disney Company in Florida. Other officers installed were First Vice President John Kessler; Vice Presidents David Foltyn, E. Todd Sable and Jordon Wertheimer; Treasurer Robin Fenberg and Secretary Liz Modell. Newly installed members of the board of trustees include Steven Craig, Cheryl Kerwin, Rae Monchnik and Mike Sher. At the meeting, two members were honored with the President's Cup. Debris Weinstein is chair of Beth El's Mitzvah Meal program, now celebrating the deliv- ery of more than 100,000 meals to needy Jews. Ten-year Cantorial Soloist Rachel Gottlieb Kalmowitz is currently in Israel, completing the final phase of her studies to become a cantor. B'nai Israel Synagogue Names Board, Officers On June 17, B'nai Israel Synagogue in West Bloomfield elected the following members to its board of directors for a one-year term: Joanna Abramson, Steve Dines, Frank Ellias, Vicki Freedman, Mark Kuhn, Warren Lada, David Pappas, Ruby Robinson and Debra Singer. Officers elected were Ellias, president; Kuhn, vice president; Robinson, treasurer; and Singer, secretary. Linda Jacobson will serve as executive director. Temple Kol Ami Elects New Board Of Trustees Temple Kol Ami has named its new board members for 2014-2015. The executive board officers are Paul Gross and Howard Katz, co-presidents; Harvey Leven, first vice president; Tom Vorenberg, second vice president; Gene Farber, third vice president; Miriam Leary, treasurer; Kineret Gable, secretary; and Karee Strome, past president. General board trustees include Armonite Albalak, Chris Bocker, Ellen Craine-Rostker, Chriss Golden, Sue Farber, Chuck Freedman, David Higer, Amy Klein, Rhonda Kotzen, Rick Rubin, Lee Schottenfels, Andy Spilkin, Jim Stegman, Irene Swerdlow-Freed and Alan Wormser.