28 | OCTOBER 15 • 2020 Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Needs New Home quick hits BY STEVE STEIN Frankel Jewish Academy basketball teams play their home games at the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit in West Bloomfield. But that arrangement has a cloudy future because of the JCC’ s recent announcement that it’ s closing its health club. JCC CEO Brian Siegel told the Jewish News the JCC will honor its lease agreement with FJA, which includes use of the fitness center. FJA athletic director Rick Dorn said last week he hadn’ t had any discus- sions with the JCC about the lease. JCC announcement leaves location of plaques in limbo. STEVEN STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER T he Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of Fame is much more than just a col- lection of plaques on walls. And there are a lot of plaques. Since 1985, there have been 130 induct- ees into the Hall of Fame. Since 1987, there have been 36 recip- ients of the Alvin and Shirley Foon Humanitarian Award. Since 1991, there have been 69 Jewish News High School Athletes of the Year. Since 2012, there have been 41 Pillars of Excellence recipients. Since 2016, there have been 18 recipients of Dr. Steven and Evelyn Rosen Stars of Tomorrow scholarships. Each honoree is celebrated with a plaque at the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit in West Bloomfield. But those plaques need a new venue now that the JCC has closed its health club in the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Building. The JCC has been the Hall of Fame’ s only home. The Hall of Fame has been there since 1985. Stuart Raider, president of the Michigan Jewish Sports Foundation, which oversees the Hall of Fame, wants the Hall of Fame to remain at the JCC. He’ s cautiously opti- mistic that will happen. “The majority of the Hall of Fame inductees have a connection to the JCC, ” he said. “I hope the JCC also appreciates the fact that the Hall of Fame is like the Michigan Jewish sports historical society, and it needs to be preserved. “The Hall of Fame is very much a part of our community. If the Hall of Fame can’ t stay at the JCC, we hope we can find a home in another Jewish venue, like a syna- gogue. ” As someone who has had the privilege of informing several Hall of Fame induct- ees about their induction, Raider said, he knows what the honor means to them. “One man told me it made his life, ” Raider said. West Bloomfield resident Maynard Flusty’ s life is intertwined with the JCC and two Hall of Fame inductees. Flusty, 88, has been using JCC sports and fitness facilities since he was 10, back when the JCC was located at Woodward and Holbrook in Detroit. The building is now the Considine Recreation Center. Before COVID-19 shut down the JCC health club in West Bloomfield in March, Flusty was working out there for an hour in the morning seven days a week, then taking a steam bath, showering, shaving and kibb- SARI CICUREL sports HIGHlights NMLS#2289 brought to you in partnership with Bowling alleys across the state can host organized events like leagues as long as recommended COVID-19 safety measures are in place, but two weekly B’ nai B’ rith bowling leagues don’ t plan to begin their season in 2020. Justin Kaplan, president of the Downtown Fox-MLZG League, which bowls Tuesday nights at Hartfield Lanes in Berkley, said league members will assess the situation in January and see if they want to start a short season that month. “If it’ s safe, we’ d love to bowl,” Kaplan said. “Our league is not just about bowling. It’ s about camaraderie.” Kaplan said league members, in a majority vote, decided not to bowl in 2020 even though Hartfield Lanes provided infor- mation and a video about its safety measures. “Things are just too unpredictable right now,” Kaplan said. Gary Klinger, from the Brotherhood-Eddie Jacobson League, said league play is scheduled to begin Jan. 4 at Country Lanes in Farmington Hills. The league bowls on Monday nights. Each league ended last season a month early in March because of the pandemic. Read more Quick Hits at thejewishnews.com. Gary Klinger Justin Kaplan SHAEF led the Inter-Congregational Men’ s Club Summer Softball League’ s fall season through four weeks of the five-week season, posting an 8-0 record. The Jeters (5-3), Marble Rye (4-4), Kosher Ribs (3-4-1), The Sandlot (2-6) and Bad News Jews (1-6-1) followed the leader. Regular-season play in the league ended this past Sunday. Single- elimination playoffs will be held this Sunday. Teams in the weekly fall league are made up of players from different Inter- Congregational summer league teams. Games are being played this fall at Keith Sports Park in West Bloomfield. SHAEF is the acronym for the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force commanded by Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower during World War II. A bust of former Detroit Tigers star Hank Greenberg and plaques honoring Pillars of Excellence recipients are on display in the Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of Fame at the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit.