EMC Newsletter December 2013 - European Maccabi Confederation

December 18, 2013
MESSAGE FROM THE EMC CHAIRMAN, MOTTI TICHAUER
Dear Friends, Chaverim,
2013 ­ the year of the 19th Maccabiah comes to an end with the tragic loss of MWU President, our dear friend Guiora Esrubilsky z"l. His untimely death leaves a big void in our Movement. His presence was felt very strongly, we will miss him very much. We wish to comfort his dear wife Marta and his entire family.
MWU Chairman, Yair Hamburger, declared Leo Dan Bensky as President of MWU, until elections are held during the 27th World Congress at Kfar Maccabiah in May 2014.
We wish Leo a good hand in the months ahead. The EMC Executive will support him in his endeavor whenever needed.
In November 2013 Makkabi Germany had their General Assembly. A new Executive was elected, headed by the President Alon Meyer. The EMC Executive wishes the newly elected Executive of Makkabi Germany all the success in their preparations of the European Maccabi Games in Berlin, 2015. The EMC Executive will escort Makkabi Germany during the way to the Games to reassure that we will have well organized EMG in the spirit of our Movement.
The Chanukah celebrations in our confederation were all well organized and brought the Jewish communities closer to each other. We thank the leadership of our T.O.'s for their efforts in preparing these great events.
On November 24 the EMC awarded in London the Most Valuable Player award for the European athlete of the 19th Maccabiah. We thank Maccabi GB for the possibility of the presentation during their Night of Awards. The idea behind it was rewarding the outstanding Male and Female Athlete from Europe who represented the true purpose of Jewish sport, fighting against all the obstacles, in the spirit of the Maccabees, never giving up and showing that Maccabi is the home for every Jewish athlete. The EMC was represented by EMC President, Stuart Lustigman; EMC Sports Director, Robert Cohen and myself.
The awardees were Ellie Edwards and Marc de Hond.
Please read more below.
Dagmar Gavornikova, Stuart Greenberg and myself took part in the GA of the European Jewish Parliament (EJP) in Brussels, December 15­17. The main issue discussed was the growing Anti­
Semitism all over Europe and the ways for the EJP to fight against it. Please send us information about Anti Semitic events in your countries and we will forward the information to the EJP.
Maccabi Chai, Am Israel Chai!
Motti Tichauer
EMC Chairman
MVP AWARD ­ 19TH MACCABIAH
The European Maccabi Confederation Most Valuable Player award is the honor bestowed upon the best­performing and most inspiring European Male and Female athletes during the Maccabiah Games. This prestigious award is not only a reflection of sporting achievement but of how an individual can help, support and inspire others showing a sense of collective responsibility over and above personal goals.
We hope that this inaugural award will inspire and motivate Maccabi members on the field of play and within their communities for many generations to come.
MALE MVP AWARD ­ MARC DE HOND ­ MACCABI HOLLAND
Marc de Hond is a Dutch entrepreneur and TV presenter. Once a talented goalkeeper playing for a football team in Amsterdam, his sports ambition was to be selected for the Dutch Jewish team and play at the Maccabiah games, like his father had done previously.
In 2002 he was operated on his back. Some complications followed and he tragically suffered a spinal cord injury. A long rehabilitation process followed. Walking and playing football turned out to be impossible. He then started playing wheelchair basketball. He was selected for the Dutch National team, and just missed out on qualification for the 2012 Paralympics Games in London.
This summer, when wheelchair basketball was added to the 19th Maccabiah Games for the first time, he finally realised his dream and like his father participated in the Maccabiah Games. As captain of a combined "World Team" he played against Israeli teams and proudly brought home a Silver medal.
Marc is not only an ambassador for wheelchair sports, an inspiration to all disability athletes throughout Maccabi Europe but he is also an individual who dares to dream and achieve when faced with such adversity. We hope his incredible achievement will lead to more European wheelchair/disability athletes competing in future Maccabiah games.
The European Maccabi Confederation Most Valuable Player award is the honor bestowed upon the best­performing and most inspiring European Male and Female athletes during the Maccabiah Games. This prestigious award is not only a reflection of sporting achievement but of how an individual can help, support and inspire others showing a sense of collective responsibility over and above personal goals.
We hope that this inaugural award will inspire and motivate Maccabi members on the field of play and within their communities for many generations to come.
FEMALE MVP AWARD ­ ELLIE EDWARDS ­ MACCABI GB
Ellie is a member of Trafford Athletics Club as well as playing Netball and Hockey for Manchester High School who were County Champions in both disciplines in 2013. Her rewards in the Maccabiah Games were against the odds as she was competing with girls up to two years older than her. Her hard work, discipline, desire and hunger for success and achievement in all aspects of her life along with the willingness to help and support others should be commended and admired.
This award promotes a young Jewish female athlete who achieved so much in the Maccabiah and is an inspiration to the thousands of young Maccabi sports members throughout Europe. At her young age she is role model for others to follow. We hope her success will motivate a generation of young sports stars in GB and the rest of Europe. The European Maccabi Confederation Most Valuable Player award is the honor bestowed upon the best­performing and most inspiring European Male and Female athletes during the Maccabiah Games. This prestigious award is not only a reflection of sporting achievement but of how an individual can help, support and inspire others showing a sense of collective responsibility over and above personal goals.
We hope that this inaugural award will inspire and motivate Maccabi members on the field of play and within their communities for many generations to come.
EMC CHAIRMAN VISITS ROMANIA
November 26­29 EMC Chairman, Motti Tichauer and EMC Executive Director, Stella Syrkin, had meetings together with Roby Roth with the JCC, the Lauder School and the Israeli Ambassador, Dan Ben­Eliezer in Bucharest. They also participated in the Chanukah party in the beautiful Synagogue of Brasov, where Motti greeted the audience on behalf of Maccabi and gave Roby a presentation for his efforts to bring the delegation from Romania to the 19th Maccabiah.
In the meeting with the Mayor of Brasov, in which the President of the Jewish Community, Tiberiu Roth also took part, the possibility was discussed to organize the Maccabi Winter Games in Poiana near Brasov.
MWU DELEGATION IN ST.PETERSBURG
A delegation of MWU senior leadership was invited to Chanukah celebrations in St.Petersburg by the President of Maccabi Russia, Mikhail Mirilashvili. MWU Chairman, Yair Hamburger greeted the 13,000 audience at the festive Chanukah concert in the Ice Palace. The delegation also took part in the celebration of the 120 anniversary of the Choral Synagogue of St.Petersburg.
FLF SEMINAR, BUDAPEST, NOVEMBER 29 ­ DECEMBER 1
The FLF Seminar took place in Budapest, from November 29th until December the 1st. The participants were an integration of 2 important Maccabi groups: the FLF and the Hasbara Kurzus of Budapest.
We had 12 FLF members from the following countries: Scotland, Croatia, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Lithuania and GB. In addition to that, we had 11 Hungarian participants from the Hasbara Course, which was ongoing in the last calendar year.
In this very successful seminar we had 3 main speakers: Dr. Manfred Gerstenfeld, former Chairman of the Board of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, as our main lecturer on Hasbara contents. We had also Rabbi Carlos Tapiero and the Deputy Ambassador of Israel in Hungary, both of them as main speakers. At last we had the honor to listen to two important figures of the Jewish world, Nathan Sharansky (JAFI Chairman) and Avraham Duvdevany (WZO Chairman) who enlightened us with their words, as part of the Opening Events of Herzl Center.
This Seminar was truly significant, it embraced Maccabi values, Hasbara and Zionism. Every evening we had Chanukah candles lighting, remembering the brave acts of the Maccabim. We also celebrated Shabbat, starting with Shabbat candles lighting, Kabalat Shabbat at the Orthodox Synagogue and a Shabbat dinner in a family like atmosphere. During the seminar we shared the different projects that are going on in different T.O.'s, from Maccabi Holland re­branding strategy and activities, Maccabi Scotland Playstation tournaments and even the new project that is starting to grow roots in Poland. All of these were presented to the group by FLF members, giving the opportunity to learn from the experience of each other.
The program focused on the Maccabi Movement and Hasbara, and it included active discussions, networking, project planning, sharing our best practices, and of course having fun together: night pubbing, a city tour, social events and a formal Gala of the Herzl Center Opening.
It is very importance to make sure that all the T.O.'s will keep sending their young leaders to our leadership programs, in order to strengthen the new generation, share ideas and projects, thus motivating the different communities and engaging them in generating and fulfilling fresh ideas.
I invite you to check the online invitation for the seminar with the program, schedule and info:
www.maccabieurope.wix.com/budapest2013 At last, all the pictures from the seminar are on the EMC Facebook page, so we can share them with our different Maccabi around Europe:
https://www.facebook.com/carlos.alberto.tapiero.jazan/media_set?set=a.250464715125942&type=1
CHAZAK VE'EMATZ!
Asaf Golan Golinsky
NEWS FROM MACCABI GB
2013 'Dance­A­Thon' has the Community's Ladies Keeping fit whilst having fun, thanks to Maccabi GB Sunday 10th November 2013 ­ Maccabi GB and Dancing With Louise hosted the largest Ladies­Only dance and fitness event of the year on Sunday as women from all over the Community were welcomed to Hasmonean Girls School to take part in the latest 'Dance­A­Thon'. Over 90 mothers, daughters, sisters and even grandmothers took part in the day.
Hotshots Naima 'a' crowned Maccabi GB Boys Football Tournament Champions Wednesday 13th November 2013 ­ The latest Maccabi GB School Sports Tournament ended in success for Naima 'A' , as they triumphed against 27 other teams to win the Years 5 & 6 Boys Football Tournament. The event, at Mill Hill PowerLeague, welcomed 14 schools, who brought 28 teams to play between them. In total, over 250 young people were engaged in the event. Maccabi GB's Mitzvah Day Kit collection creates comfort for impoverished kids
Collection held alongside integrated football session for disabled participants Sunday 17th November 2013 ­ With everyone in the Community partaking in good deeds during Mitzvah Day, Maccabi GB did their part by collecting hundreds of items of second­hand sports kits to send to impoverished families across UK and the rest of the world. The kit drive, in collaboration with KitAid, will see a number of disadvantaged Jewish families benefit from the donations, as many have to survive the up­coming winter months in colder temperatures ­ in some countries, even as low as ­35 degrees Celsius. Furman and Lazarus take home top honours at the Maccabi GB Sports Awards 2013 Sunday 24th November 2013 ­ Footballer, Dean Furman, was recognized as the top Jewish Sportsperson in the UK at the Maccabi GB Sports Awards 2013. Elise Lazarus, one of Great Britain's top female squash players at only 13 years of age, took home the Junior Sportsperson of the Year prize. Israeli Torch Delegation and MMK School children visit Houses of Parliament Tuesday 26th November 2013 ­ Maccabi GB's 69th Chanukah Torch Relay Delegation received a treat as they were given a special tour around the Houses of Parliament by Lord Janner of Braunstone QC. The group of six teenagers, who are touring around the UK as representatives of Maccabi Tzair passing on the meaning of Chanukah, were accompanied by selected children from Mathilda Marks Kennedy School. During the tour, the group visited the Westminster Hall, received a history lesson on the infamous London landmark from Lord Mendelsohn, and even managed to sit in the House of Lords during a Parliamentary debate. The trip concluded with doughnuts and Chanukah songs from the school children to Members of Parliament.
It's girls galore at the Maccabi GB Netball Tournaments Wednesday 27th November 2013 ­ This week saw over 350 young, female participants take part in Maccabi GB School Sports Tournaments. The Primary Schools Year 6 Tournament took place at Maccabi London Brady, with 12 teams attending from seven schools bringing over 100 players to participate. This was followed the next day with the Secondary School Netball Tournament for Years 7, 8 and 9. This event saw six secondary schools attend bringing 26 teams to play. Over 250 girls took part in the tournament. Pinnick appointed as Joint Vice­Chairman of Maccabi GB Friday 29th November 2013 ­ Maccabi GB is delighted to announce that Board Member, David Pinnick, has been appointed Joint Vice­Chairman of the organisation. The appointment sees David join Daniel Collins as joint Vice­Chairman with immediate effect, a role that Daniel has confirmed David will maintain when he takes the Chair from Michael Ziff in 2015.
CST bowls over the competition during the Maccabi GB and Marcus Fielding Inter­charity Bowling tournament Thursday 5th December 2013 ­ CST bowled over the competition as Maccabi GB hosted the 8th Annual Maccabi GB and Marcus Fielding Inter­Charity Bowling Competition. The charity beat 9 other teams to claim the title of 'Lord of the Lanes' for the first time in five years. However, the real impact of the event was the number of charity workers who donned their bowling shoes, with over 100 participating at Hollywood Bowl, Finchley.
Sweet 16 for Maccabi GB Futsal Club Sport London Benfica 1 ­ 16 Maccabi GB Sunday 5th December 2013 ­ SportHouse was treated to a flurry of goals and Sport London Benfica were on the end of some clinical finishing from Maccabi GB. Two more players made their debut for MGB this week ­ the young Ben Winters and the more experienced Max Radford. The last time these two teams met was at the beginning of the season when MGB overcame Benfica 7­2 in a tight contested affair, but lessons were clearly learnt.
Streetwise reaches record­breaking 20,000 young, Jewish people Monday 16th December 2013 ­ Streetwise was celebrating as they engaged their record­breaking 20,000th young person of the year during a session at Michael Sobell Sinai School.
Since being established nine years ago, Streetwise ­ a partnership project between Maccabi GB and CST ­ has built up its reach and is now present in every mainstream Jewish Primary and Secondary School in the UK. As well as their presence in Schools, Streetwise also works with many communal organisations and youth movements to enhance the personal safety and personal development of young, Jewish people in order to support their safe, physical, and emotional well­being.
Richman and Green chosen to lead Team Maccabi GB on home soil at the EMFT Tuesday 17th December 2013 ­ Maccabi GB, in partnership with UJIA, is delighted to officially announce that Robert Richman and Jonathan Green have been appointed as Joint­Managers to oversee Team Maccabi GB's Open Football Squad at the European Maccabi Football Tournament (EMFT) in London in 2014.
From Israel to Northampton
19th Maccabiah Games athletes participate in 'Leadership by Streetwise' Weekend after representing Team GB in Israel Tuesday 17th December 2013 ­ It was a case of 'from Israel to Northampton' this weekend as a number of athletes who represented Great Britain at the 19th Maccabiah Games in the summer joined 80 participants from across the UK for the first national 'Leadership by Streetwise' seminar of the 2013/2014 year. Many of Team Maccabi GB's representatives signed up to the Sports Leadership programme after attending the Maccabiah Games in Israel with Maccabi GB. NEWS FROM MACCABI SCOTLAND
Ladies badminton at Glasgow Maccabi
There is now a new way for ladies and girls to stay active in the Jewish community ­ ladies and girls only coached badminton at Glasgow Maccabi. Around 20 ladies show off their skills and connect through a sport they love.
Mitzvah Day This Mitzvah Day, along with 8 other Community Organisations, Maccabi GB Scotland took part in various activities to do a good deed for other communities. This included making holiday cards for lone soldiers of the British and Israeli Armies, helping to spin kosher wool to create tzitzit for Ethiopian immigrants in Israel and design Chanukah bunting for Jewish care homes. This was the FIFTH time Maccabi GB Scotland were involved in Mitzvah Day and already look forward to next year.
New Sections A new section has started at Glasgow Maccabi. Adopted from Maccabi Netherland, the Gaming Section features every Sunday. 20 Jewish boys and girls play against each other in a bid to become the next Gaming Champion. Prizes are always given to the winners and food is always provided. We look forward to building on this into the New Year as part of Project Youth Room.
Youth Room In October, 10 young Scottish people, ages 13 ­ 23, traveled to
Leeds, England, to visit The Zone. The Zone is a Jewish Youth Club
that produces films, music and documentaries. These young
people were hand picked as creative individuals who would be
committed to getting others involved in this project. The Group identified the demands of the Jewish Youth in Glasgow.
What would appeal? How can we connect more with the Jewish
children and the Jewish Students that live in Glasgow today?
Popular ideas include a music studio where talented youngsters can
write, play and produce their own music; a media suite where the
youth can create anything from a newsletter to documentaries and
learning how to become the next Steven Spielberg.
The main body of the Youth Room would be a 'chill out area' that
can also be used for Madrichim meetings. This would also include a
coffee bar where they could purchase refreshments and simply
meet up with their friends. Community Chanukah Carnival 2013 This years Community Chanukah Carnival lived up to its expectations with 650 people attending and an extra 137 volunteers getting involved to ensure that it was the biggest event of the year. 20 Community Organisations gathered together to celebrate the Festival of Lights on the seventh night of Chanukah. The Candles were lit by Rabbi Rubin and seven Children from the Jewish Primary School. There was something for everyone from giant inflatables and a green screen photo booth to a petting zoo and a fortune teller, as well as a magician. There was also musical entertainment where everyone enjoyed a good­old­fashioned sing­a­long.
And what's a Jewish event without food? The Chanukah Cafe served hot dogs, latkes, popcorn and doughnuts all evening.
If that wasn't enough to bring the Community together, the Israeli Torch Relay Delegation from Maccabi Tzair kicked off proceedings with a procession starting at Giffnock Synagogue followed by the Glasgow Maccabi Junior Football Team. They certainly added some Maccabi Ruach to the evening!
The following day they led a very funny but educational assembly at Calderwood Primary School, teaching to pupils about the story of Chanukah. MIKULOV WEEKEND WITH HAKOACH CZECH REPUBLIC, OCTOBER 18­20
Jewish Mikulov ­ a connection that surprises few, even outside the expert circles. That is why Hakoach decided to organize a sports and culture weekend for its members and friends within the walls of this ancient Jewish settlement, the second most important after Prague at a time. Program was extensive, everyone could choose based on their preferences. On Friday we visited the synagogue where a soon to be finished reconstruction is going on. A young and well founded guide from the Mikulov museum held a short lecture. On Saturday we set of for a bicycle trip. Those who preferred walking to bikes could take part in a guided tour of Jewish sites in Mikulov, including the reconstructed Mikve that was discovered during construction of the new settlement. We visited the famous Cafe Fara in Klentnice village and even managed to hike on the Sirotčí hrádek hill nearby. On the top of that, some of us made use of the wonderful autumn sunny weather and took a long walk through the Palava region.
In the evening everyone was invited to join a tasting evening with Mr. Zelezny, full of wine and traditional Jewish meals like cholent, duck and prune butter in hotel Tanzberg, that is named after the winery of Mr. Zelezny located in the neighboring Bavory.
The traditional flavor of the weekend was concluded by a visit of the local cemetery with more than
4 000 gravestones, mostly carved from the limestone mined nearby. We visited an exhibition of photographs and objects connected to Jewish holidays and traditions at the reconstructed rite site. As we were walking at the cemetery, a group of young scouts was just cleaning the site from fallen tree branches, contributing thus to the unforgettable atmosphere of this South Bohemian town.
Those who attended, were leaving with a warm feeling in their heart, those who could not be there should look forward to the next similar occasion. The atmosphere was more than friendly, a combination of Mikulov genius loci, great program, weather, food, accommodation and of course people who were there. Thanks to everyone who participated, we look forward to seeing you again!
For further information on the upcoming events please visit our website: www.hakoach.cz
MACCABI VAC HUNGARY CHANUKAH EVENTS
Maccabi VAC Hungary celebrated Chanukah 2013 in diverse ways within the divisions. Sports competitions and candle lighting was part of the way the divisions made this special holiday memorable. The children received sports equipment from the club .
CHESS TOURNAMENT ­ "MACCABI OR KHERSON", KHERSON, UKRAINE
The "Debut" Chess section recently founded in
"Maccabi Or Kherson" is very popular. The development and promotion of the game of Chess is one of the important activities of the Club.
On December 8, 2013 a Chess tournament dedicated to the celebration of Chanukah took place, with the participation of the students of "Debut" Chess section and the Chess section of "Hesed Shmuel" Community Center. The tournament was supported by the Chief Rabbi of Kherson and Kherson region Josef Wolf .
The winners of the tournament: among boys ­ Leonid Tkachenko , among girls ­ Sima Wolf. The youngest participant of the tournament, a seven years old Nastya Kozlovskaja, was ranked third. All the participants were awarded with diplomas and prizes.
More than 30 participants are engaged in both Chess sections. The parents of the children express strong interest in the success of the sections in the development of the intellectual abilities of children; they assist and support the work of the Club.
Paul Serebnitsky
Chairman of " Maccabi Or Kherson"
FUN COMPETITIONS IN MOLDOVA
It has become a tradition to organize during Chanukah a fun sporting event in a boarding school in Kishinev. The "Merry Starts" event was organized by the charity fund «Dor le Dor» jointly with Maccabi Moldova. The funny and amusing competitions required some skills, for example, to carry the balloon, not keeping it , but simply pushing , gallop in a bag across the room , speed climb in a long tube made of cloth, etc. Teams were awarded with trophies and Chanukah gifts The event ended with a concert of Chanukah songs and sufganiyot ­ delicious Chanukah donuts. CHANUKAH CHESS TOURNAMENT IN BELARUS
The annual Chanukah Chess Tournament took place in Minsk, Belarus, December 1, organized by Maccabi Belarus jointly with the Israeli Cultural Center.
MACCABI CUP AMONG JEWISH SCHOOLS, ST.PETERBURG, RUSSIA
December 15, 2013 ­ the traditional Chanukah Maccabi Cup Tournament among Jewish schools took place in St.Petersburg. "Shamir" school won the 1st place, the Jewish Gymnasium came second and the elementary Jewish school "Menachem" won the third place. MACCABI SPAIN CELEBRATES ITS 250th FAMILY WEEKEND
Sunday, November 17 ­
Maccabi Spain celebrated a very special activity. It was our 250th Sunday's familiar activities, and we made a "surprise wedding".
A sunny Sunday brought 200 people with inflatables castles for the kids, we gave the football and volleyball T­shirts to the sport teams, zumba for the women, and our weekly padel tournament.
At the end, we said goodbye to Andy Kornitz and Johy Krichesky (they are moving to Buenos Aires, and celebrate their wedding), with a very special way. We prepared for them a surprise wedding, where all our maccabeos were watching such act.
We wish you good luck in your new life
MACCABI GIBRALTAR IS IN THE GIBRALTAR LEAGUE
See the link below, it is the Gibraltar league standings on the UEFA website. Note that there is a Maccabi team in each group!
http://www.uefa.com/ memberassociations/ association=gib/futsal/index. html
We hope to be a strong team in the upcoming European Maccabi Games!
MARATHON IN FLORENCE, NOVEMBER 20th Over 150 athletes arrived and were received in the Tuscan city by the Deputy Mayor of the city.
The beautiful and amazing thing was that the Synagogue was full with people for the Shabbat and we made a kiddush with over 200 people!
An extraordinary event organized by ENZO B Onlus in Turin, the Jewish community of Florence, the City of Florence and Maccabi Italy.
CHANUKAH RUN AND CHANUKAH CELEBRATIONS ­ HAKOACH CZECH REPUBLIC Following up on the very successful last year event, the Multi­generational Centre Hagibor in cooperation with Hakoach sports club organized the Chanukah Run on Sunday, December 1, 2013.
Just like last year, they joined forces with citizens association Chinuch, which prepared an interactive workshop for children of all ages. They held the best latkes competition, for families with kids. The program for kids was concluded by a puppet theater show performing the Chanukah story. Those leading an active lifestyle, joined the Chanukah Run with the torch. The run was rather symbolic and the speed was adjusted to the needs of the runners. The torch was lit at the old Jewish cemetery at Fibichova street and from there they ran to Hagibor. The athletes carrying the torch reached Hagibor, and together with the Chief Rabbi Karol Sidon lit the Chanukah candles. Chanukah story was told by the Chief Rabbi, after which the party started, including a reception, a magician and eventually dancing at the concert of the Klezmer band Klec. Please LIKE the EMC page on Facebook
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