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Sept. 2, 2005
Vancouver wins at Maccabi
Local delegates leave with 22 medals and renewed Jewish spirit.
KYLE BERGER
It was the experience of a lifetime for the 100 teens who made
up the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver's (JCC) delegation
at the 2005 JCC Maccabi Games in early August.
When they arrived home from competition in either Dallas, Tex.,
or St. Paul, Minn., they returned with stories of athletic success,
camaraderie and sportsmanship.
"We came back to Vancouver with a total of 22 medals, which
is incredible," said Lu Winters, Vancouver's assistant delegation
head. "We also came back with a renewed sense of Judaism and
golden memories for everyone involved."
"We're so proud of the hard work, dedication and commitment
from the entire delegation," added Alan Slater, who led the
delegation.
The 36 delegates who competed in Dallas were made up of the boys
under-14 soccer team, who brought home a silver medal, and the boys
under-16 basketball team, who won the gold. Dallas-based delegates
also won a bronze medal in table tennis and the silver for dance.
The larger Vancouver team in St. Paul hauled in a bronze medal for
the boys under-14 basketball team, a silver for the boys under-16
soccer team, two gold, one silver and five bronze medals for the
individual swimming competition, two silver and a bronze for the
individual track competition and two gold, one silver and two bronze
for individual bowling.
The JCC also sent an in-line hockey team, two girls under-16 basketball
teams, tennis and table tennis players and the girls under-16 soccer
team, who were forced to forfeit halfway through their bronze medal
game after a gutsy effort that resulted in too many injuries to
continue playing.
The games included opening and closing ceremonies at prestigious
locations – the St. Paul athletes took over the Metrodome in
Minneapolis for the closing celebrations – and other opportunities
to visit local sights.
The opening ceremonies in Dallas took place at a rodeo arena and
included a performance by the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. In St.
Paul, the Maccabi torch was lit by windsurfing champion Gal Friedman,
who won Israel's first-ever gold medal at the 2004 Olympics in Greece.
"Coming from a smaller Jewish community like Vancouver, it
was really great to see the looks on the faces of our delegates
when they entered the opening ceremonies," said Winters, who
joined Slater in Dallas in the first week of August and St. Paul
in the second week. "They were surrounded by Judaism and it
was very inspiring."
The Maccabi games are held in four different North American cities
each summer, with 1,500 Jewish athletes and coaches from around
the world participating in each city.
Aside from the competition, the games also feature social, educational
and spiritual programming that aims to offer a unique Jewish experience
for the delegates.
Each team also participates in a program titled the Day of Caring
and Sharing, in which the athletes engage in social action projects
dedicated to improving the communities that they visit.
The 100 local athletes represented the largest delegation from Vancouver
ever sent to the JCC Maccabi Games. However, that number is certain
to be surpassed next summer when Vancouver will play host to the
2006 games.
Information about the JCC Maccabi Games can be found online at www.jccmaccabi.org
or by calling 604-257-5111.
Kyle Berger is a freelance journalist and graphic designer
living in Richmond.
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