The Charlotte Jewish News - October 2012 - Page 27
The LJCC Participates in
the Maccabi Games
The LJCC Oasis Group Goes to Bright
Blessings
This past August, 16 Jewish
teens from the LJCC trekked to
Houston with Coaeh Dan Vizzini,
Coaeh Casey Bogarad, and Coaeh
Jonny Levine to partieipate in the
Maeeabi Games. The Maeeabi
Games present athletie, eultural,
and soeial opportunities to Jews
from around the world. Eaeh year,
the Games take plaee in a different
eity and are open to Jewish
teenagers ages 13-16. This year
Houston we loomed 1,400 athletes
from forty JCC’s stateside and
three international delegations
(Israel, Panama, and Great
Britain). The teens are housed
with loeal families where they
beeome an extension of that fami
ly for the week. Many families
have their own ehildren partieipat-
ing in the games and many do not.
Even if the families were person
ally involved in the games, bonds
were formed and lifelong friend
ships seeured.
The Charlotte delegation par-
tieipated in boys and girls basket
ball, tennis, and swimming. The
week began with a festive
Opening Ceremonies held on the
Riee University eampus where the
teens marehed in holding flags
that announeed what eity they rep
resented. Speeehes were made and
the eeremony ended with a huge
danee party on the gymnasium
floor.
After eaeh day of eompetition
all the athletes were treated to an
evening of fun. One night the
group attended a party at the
Houston JCC’s Raneh eomplete
with swimming, video games,
meehanieal bull rides, and
armadillo raees. The elosing eere
mony was held at the Bayou
Center and featured a neon
themed night highlighted by a
daneing and a state-of-the-art light
show.
With all of the evening soeial
events planned and attended by
our athletes, they were still raring
to go eaeh morning for their daily
eompetition in their respeetive
sports. Team Charlotte represent
ed our eommunity well and eame
away with plenty of hardware
after the week of eompetition.
After impressive wins over San
Diego and Houston, the boys’ bas
ketball team faeed Denver in the
Gold Medal Final game. After
fighting hard, the boys proudly
walked away with the Silver
Medal. Congratulations to Sam
Lahn, Max Lahn, Matthew Kagan,
Jake Miller, Roy Kasher, Zaek
Rabinowitz, and Daniel
Zimmermann who were loyally
lead by Coaeh Jonny Levine.
The boys’ tennis players all
eame home with medals in
the doubles eompetition.
Congratulations to Jeremy
Berglass, Brian Handelsman, and
Mitehell Koeh.
The Team Charlotte Swimmers
had a fantastie showing at their
first Maeeabi Games, eaeh bring
ing home several medals.
Congratulations to David Safir,
five Medals; Anna Corrado, seven
medals; Raehel Fellman, three
medals.
Our three girls’ basketball play
ers joined a mixed team with play
ers from Cineinnati, Columbus,
By Thelma Wand
We, the Oasis Group, visited
“Bright Blessings” on August 22.
What a revelation that was.
“Bright Blessings” strives to bring
some joy and happiness to home
less ehildren. With the eooperation
of soeial workers, a birthday eare
paekage of new items is provided
for eaeh ehild. Also, when young
homeless women give birth, a
small layette of neeessary items is
given. It is mind boggling to think
there are thousands of homeless
ehildren in Meeklenburg County.
We all ean do something to help
bring a smile to a homeless
ehild. ^
and Rhode Island. The girls had a
great time meeting new friends
from different eities, playing lots
of basketball, and being part of the
2012 Maeeabi Games
Even though we only partiei-
pated in these few events, there
are many other options for partie-
ipation. If you are a Jewish teen
between the ages of 13-16, don’t
miss out on this onee in a lifetime
experienee. Join us next summer
in the OC. Orange County, CA
will be hosting the Maeeabi
Games August 4-9, 2013.
If you’d like more information
about the JCC Maeeabi Games,
eontaet Dan Vizzini, Athletie
Direetor of the Levine JCC at 704-
944-6773 or dan.vizzini@charlot-
tejee.org. ^