The Charlotte Jewish News - January, 1998 - Page 15
Maccabi Moment
1998 JCC Maccabi Games athlete profile:
Erin Goldstein
jccmaccawL
By Della Breen
At the Sarasota Maccabi games
last summer, Erin Goldstein took
home four gold and two silver
medals. But she doesn’t consider
them her greatest victory, and
breaking her record isn't why
she’s busy practicing for this com
ing year’s Games in Charlotte.
“What means the most to me is
the chance to be with hundreds of
other Jewish kids from around the
world,” says Erin, 15, who com
peted on Charlotte’s bowling
team. “It’s the thought of so many
of us getting together and meeting
each other. Winning medals is fiin,
but they aren’t what motivates
me.
Indeed not. Erin, a 10th grader
at Northwest High School, has
never considered herself particu
larly athletic, says her mother,
Ellen, City Director of BBYO.
“The Jewish Community Center
has always been a big focal point
for our family,” says Ellen. “When
Erin was younger, the J didn’t
have girls’ soccer or basketball
teams. Erin never was very inter
ested in joining sports teams with
other youth groups, and we never
pushed her.”
But when signups began last
spring for the Sarasota Maccabi
Games, Erin jumped at the
chance. “I chose bowling because
I figured I’d do it as well as any
thing else,” she smiles. “It might
sound strange, but I wound up
being a little surprised at how
focused the Games are on sports. I
thought the social and religious
aspects would be emphasized
more.”
But perhaps that’s because
social and religious aspects are so
important to Erin, who got into the
tradition of trading sports gear
with new friends from other coun
tries, especially, in Erin’s case,
Mexico. And, she says, one of the
most “amazing experiences” in
Sarasota was seeing athletes from
other countries practice Judaic
and praying together. “I mean,
here are kids from all over the
world, and most of us don’t speak
each.other’s language. But when
we prayed, we were all saying the
same Hebrew words. I really felt
bonded with everyone else, as
though I was a part of something
bigger.”
Like her father, Shelton, a mem
ber of the board of the Charlotte
Jewish Federation, and younger
brother Craig, Erin was bom in
Charlotte. “We moved to
Charlotte 19 years ago from
Columbia, SC,” says Ellen, origi
nally from Atlanta. “That proba
bly makes us old-timers here.” It
certainly gives the family a unique
perspective on Charlotte’s being
chosen as a host city for 1998.
“Charlotte is a great choice,” says
Erin. “Its size is perfect for the
Games — big enough to be excit
ing but not too big. And our facil
ities are excellent.”
“The Jewish community here is
very strong,” agrees Ellen.
“People are here to help any way
they can. And hosting the Games
is a great opportunity for all of us,
a really important time for our
community to come together to
house and feed hundreds of
Jewish children from all over. It’ll
be a great way to show off our
southern hospitality.”
Meanwhile, Erin, who plans to
study Judaism or social work in
college, has inspired her younger
brother Craig, 12, to sign up for
basketball competitions in next
year’s Games. How would she
talk other kids into participating?
“I’d show them pictures of the
Games in Sarasota,” says the girl
whose medals hang from her bed
room wall. “I’d show them what a
wonderful experience it was just
X
imy
Erin Goldstein takes a break from the athletic competition
at the Sarasota Maccabi games to talk to kids during the
“Day of Sharing, Day of Caring."
being there with so many other
Jewish kids.” She pauses. “After
all, we’re going to be the Jewish
leaders of tomorrow. It’s impor
tant that we know each other and
stay together.” O
The JCC Maccabi Games: gold
medals and tikkun olam
by Diana Ades
What do Olympic . Gold
Medalists Mark Spitz, Mitch
Gaylord and Israel all have in
common? They, along with
renowned tennis players Brad
Gilbert and Dick Savitt, participat
ed in the Maccabiah Games in
Israel.
The Maccabi Movement began
in 1895 when the first all-Jewish
sports club was formed in
Constantinople. In 1932, the first
Maccabiah Games were held in
Israel and have been held there
every four years since. This two
week international competition
has attracted the best of Jewish
athletes including the above men
tioned and famous basketball
players Ernie Grunfeld and Danny
Schayes.
JCCs around the country have
had swim teams, basketball
leagues and various other compet
itive and recreational sports for
youth for over 100 years. In fact,
Baseball Hall of Famer, Sandy
Koufax and outstanding women’s
basketball player Nancy
Lieberman were both active com
petitors at their JCC.
Inevitably, it became apparent
that there needed to be a new ver
sion of the games, geared specifi
cally for the Jewish youth in North
America. In 1982, Memphis,
Tennessee hosted the first ever
JCC Maccabi Youth Games. The
Games were started not just to
provide Olympic-style athletic
events, but to provide Jewish
youth with an enriching experi
ence in Jewish values and prac
tices. During the first games, over
300 participants gathered to com
pete in athletics as well as
exchange cultural ideals.
Now, in 1997, the JCC Maccabi
Games (the name was officially
changed in 1997) have grown in
both size and sophistication. They
are now held annually in the
United States, as an international
event. The Games in 1998 will
consist of over 4000 athletes and
1000 coaches from more than 90
US cities, Canada, Mexico, Israel,
Great Britain, Australia and South
America.
Between August 9 and August
14, Charlotte will have the distinct
pleasure of being the smallest
community ever chosen to host
this prestigious event. We will
welcome over 600 young Jewish
adults between the ages of 13 and
16 to our city to meet, compete
and participate in many activities
including the “Day of Caring, Day
of Sharing. “
This new addition the JCC
Maccabi Games is an opportunity
for all athletes to enhance their
participation by engaging in com
munity volunteer services includ
ing: cleaning up parks, visiting
local children’s hospitals and
nursing homes and serving meals
at a homeless shelter. This basic
American value is closely related
to the Jewish concept of tikun
olam (repairing the world) which
urges us to make a difference in
the lives of others who may be less
fortunate than ourselves.
The JCC Maccabi Games are a
terrific way to educate today’s
Jewish youth culturally, religious
ly and socially. Wouldn’t you like
to get more involved? There are
many opportunities, but housing is
the most important item at the
moment. For more information or
to volunteer yourself or your
home, please call Barry Schumer
(Games Director - ext. 236) or
Amy London (Assistant Games
Director - ext. 253) at the JCC
(704/366-5007). 0
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