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.

