40 | MAY 25 • 2023
SPORTS
T
he International B’nai B’rith Bowling
Association was founded in 1939
to coordinate B’nai B’rith bowling
activities throughout the United States and
Canada.
During the 1960s and 1970s, there were
as many as 20,000 B’nai B’rith bowlers in
IBBBA leagues in the two countries. Last
season, there were 414 bowlers in IBBBA
leagues.
Howard Waxer of Farmington Hills, the
IBBBA
’s new president, wants to see the
number of IBBBA leagues and bowlers
grow. How does he plan to do it?
“Time to join the 21st century,
” he said.
That wasn’t a criticism. It’s an
opportunity.
Waxer has bowling friends throughout
the world, many he met while participating
as a U.S. team bowler in the Maccabiah
Games in Israel in 2001 and 2005 and the
Pan American Maccabiah Games in Chile
in 2003.
Those friends are in places like Israel,
Sweden, Great Britain, Belgium, Mexico,
Venezuela and Australia.
He wants to use those connections to
recruit bowlers from across the world to
join the IBBBA. There’s nothing in the
IBBBA
’s bylaws that prevents it.
“This is the perfect time and right time
to expand the IBBBA because of modern
technology,
” he said. “There’s immediate
communication now, the ability to bowl and
report the scores quickly and take photos of
score sheets to verify accuracy.
“The IBBBA is great organization. Its
dues are reasonable, and bowlers are
eligible for awards and to participate in
tournaments.
”
Waxer said he isn’t naive to think
the IBBBA will expand internationally
overnight, “but if we can add one, two or
three leagues next season, it would be more
than awesome, cool and a half.
”
A Facebook post this month by Waxer
announcing his IBBBA presidency and
intention to expand the organization
internationally drew encouraging responses
from bowlers in Israel, Great Britain,
Belgium and Sweden. It was a start.
“We need to do this expansion right,
and we will,
” Waxer said. “This is a great
opportunity for Jewish bowlers to unite
and create camaraderie with other Jewish
bowlers around the world. We can use all
the friendships we can get these days.
”
Virtual tournament bowling isn’t a
new concept for the IBBBA. Because of
COVID-19 and the cost of travel, all of its
tournaments are held virtually these days, in
conjunction with league bowling nights.
The IBBBA
’s sectional tournament has
been held nearly every year since the
IBBBA was founded. World War II and the
COVID-19 pandemic caused cancellations.
Detroit, Las Vegas, Chicago, New
Orleans, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Denver
and Toronto were some of the sites of the
tournament when it rotated locations.
“We didn’t want the sectional tournament
to go away forever during the pandemic.
It’s been around a long time. That’s why I
suggested we hold it virtually,
” Waxer said.
The Brotherhood-Eddie Jacobson B’nai
B’rith bowling league, based at Country
Lanes in Farmington Hills, dominated the
IBBBA tournaments this season.
League teams finished 1-2-4-5 in the
sectional tournament led by the two-time
champion House Ballz, which shared the
$1,920 first-prize money. Mix-N-Match,
Eagles Bakery and Ruby’s Rollers were the
other top-five finishers.
It was the second sectional tournament
held virtually. About 48 teams competed
each time.
Jay Nitzkin won the IBBBA
’s over-average
“eliminator” tournament and took home
$202. Kenny Weiss was second, Aubrey
Topper and Harold Grossbart tied for third
and Larry Woodberg, Mitch Cohen and
Jerry Wayne took the next three spots in the
standings.
Eric Goldberg and Gary Goldin won
the Seymour Orlov Memorial Doubles
Tournament and shared $200. Goldin and
Jeff Berlin were second. Bowlers can be on
multiple doubles teams.
There’s also a tournament that raises
funds for the Seymour Zate Achievement
Award Scholarship, named for a longtime
Detroit B’nai B’rith bowler.
“These are cost-effective tournaments
for bowlers because all they need to pay is
an entry fee,
” Waxer said. “They’re already
bowling in the league those nights. For the
sectional tournament, first place is 50% of
the prize fund.
”
There are IBBBA awards for high scores
and awards for leadership.
Waxer, 74, has been a B’nai B’rith bowler
“for at least 30 years, easily” and he’s been
on the IBBBA board for about 20 years.
He’s also the longtime president of the
Metropolitan Detroit B’nai B’rith Bowling
Association.
He began a two-year term as IBBBA
president earlier this month after spending
three years as president-elect. That should
have been a two-year term, but a year was
added because of the pandemic shutdown.
Waxer won the Orlov doubles
tournament with Gary Klinger in the 2002-
03 season, and his team won the sectional
tournament “at least three times,
” including
in Dearborn “many years ago” and Denver
more recently in 2018.
Send sports news to stevestein502004@yahoo.com.
New International B’nai B’rith Bowling Association
President Howard Waxer has plans to make the
organization truly international.
Bowler’s World View
STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
HOWARD WAXER
Howard Waxer is a longtime B’nai B’rith
bowler and International B’nai B’rith Bowling
Association board member.