SEPTEMBER 7 • 2023 | 35

Each stayed with a host 
family. 
Each Detroit athlete in a 
team sport played on a team 
with representatives from 
other delegations. There were 
no Detroit coaches. Donna 
Sklar, Gordon’s sister-in-
law, was a chaperone for the 
Detroit delegation.
The other Detroit athletes 
were Riley Agrest (16U 3x3 
basketball); Kaden Cherkasky 
(14U baseball); Drew 
Edelstein (14U baseball); Eli 
Edelstein (14U baseball); Ari 
Ellis (16U 3x3 basketball); 
Ari Gottlieb (16U baseball); 
Hudson Rosner (16U 3x3 
basketball); Noah Ryke 
(14U baseball); Brendan 
Sukenic (14U baseball); Ari 
Wolfe (14U 3x3 basketball); 
Alexandra Zelmanov (16U 
girls swimming); Megan 
Zelmanov (16U girls 
swimming); and Andrew 
Zusel (14U 3x3 basketball).
“Despite the weather, I’m 
sure all of our athletes had 

a great experience,” Gordon 
said.
Detroit will be a Maccabi 
Games host in 2024, 
along with Houston. The 
traditional passing of the 
torch to representatives from 
Detroit and Houston took 
place at the closing ceremony 
and celebratory dinner in Ft. 
Lauderdale.
Detroit will host athletes 
ages 12-16 from July 28 
through Aug. 2, 2024. 
Houston will host athletes 
ages 12-16 and Access 
athletes ages 12-22 from Aug. 
4-9, 2024.
Bradley Anstandig wants 
to be a volunteer at the 2024 
Maccabi Games in Detroit. 
His family, which lives in 
West Bloomfield, was a host 
family for two U16 baseball 
players from New York in 
2019 and is thinking of 
hosting again next year. 

Send sports news to 

stevestein502004@yahoo.com.

JCC ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA

JCC ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA
JCC ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: The torch is passed to next year’s JCC 
Maccabi Games hosts: Karen Gordon (left) representing Detroit and 
Debbie Kaplan, Hilary Most and Lenny Dubin from Houston. Donna 
Sklar (left) and Karen Gordon show off their Detroit On Deck T-shirts. 
The Anstandig family gathers for a photo at the JCC Maccabi Games. 
From left are Emily, Bryan, Bradley and Alissa. 

