28 | NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 

M

emories of summer 
2022 are quickly 
fading.
Before they do, let’s wrap up 
coverage of the 27th season of 
the Inter-Congregational Men’s 
Club Summer Softball League 
and the inaugural season of the 
Detroit Jewish Men’s Basketball 
League.
First, the softball league, 
which once again played 
its games at Drake and 
Keith sports parks in West 
Bloomfield.
Richard Elias from Temple 
Shir Shalom No. 1 was the 
recipient of the Jeff Fox 
Sportsmanship Award, cho-
sen by league directors Steve 
Achtman, Michael Betman and 
Mitch Kline.
Andy Broder from Temple 

Beth El No. 1 was the recipient 
of the Michael Yendick “Pure 
Heart” Award, chosen by the 
league’s umpires.
A new league award made its 
debut this summer. It’s named 
for former league player Steve 
LeVine, who participated in 
several sports with one arm 
after losing his dominant arm to 
cancer when he was 14. He died 
in 2021 at age 58.
The award’s first recipients 
were Bob Tarnow from Shir 
Shalom No. 1 and Jerry Beigler 
from Temple Beth El No. 1, 
who were honored for their lon-
gevity in the league.
The Jeff Fox Award has been 
presented since 2012. It honors 
the memory of a Shir Shalom 
softball player who died in 
2011.

Elias said winning the award 
was “humbling, a great honor.
” 
It was especially meaningful 
because Elias was Fox’s Shir 
Shalom teammate for a few 
years.
“Jeff was the nicest, kindest, 
friendliest person you’
d ever 
want to meet. Win or lose, he 
always had a smile on his face,
” 
said Elias, who has played in the 
league for about 20 years.
Elias joined the board of 
Friendship Circle of Michigan 
this year.
The West Bloomfield-based 
nonprofit organization affiliated 
with Lubavitch of Michigan 
provides assistance and support 
to more than 3,000 individuals 
with special needs and their 
families, and supports individu-
als and families struggling with 

isolation, addiction and other 
family-related crises.
Elias combined his passion 
for Friendship Circle and 
Inter-Congregational soft-
ball this summer by asking 
teams in the league to donate 
to Friendship Circle’s annual 
Walk4Friendship, held Aug. 28.
As an incentive to donate, 
Elias promised to purchase a 
new softball bat for the league 
team that raised the most 
money.
That team turned out to be 
Congregation Shaarey Zedek, 
which contributed $350 of the 
$1,875 raised by league players. 
The walk fundraising goal of 
$650,000 was shattered, with 
$748,142 raised.
“Friendship Circle is a worth-
while cause. We were glad to 

Here are the Inter-Congregational Men’s 
Club Summer Softball League’s award 
winners and the Detroit Jewish Basketball 
League’s champion and all-stars.

Summer Celebrities

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

sports HIGHlights

INTER-CONGREGATIONAL MEN’S CLUB SUMMER SOFTBALL LEAGUE

Steve LeVine Award winner 
Jerry Beigler with Michael Betman.

Jeff Fox Sportsmanship Award winner 
Richard Elias with Mitch Kline (left) and Steve Achtman

