Maccabi NSW
NSW Maccabi hosts sporting activities covering all popular activities for all age groups at all standards.
MACCABI NSW NEWS
Introducing Maccabi NSW’s new Mega Camp
September 9, 2011 by David Weiner-Maccabi NSW
Mega Camp is a new concept from Maccabi aiming to bring together all it’s sports under one roof while keeping kids entertained during their school holidays.
This October basketball, netball, soccer and futsal will be offered as main sports at the camp.
In the mornings, Maccabi will provide expert coaching in your child’s chosen sport. After lunch, everyone will join together and have a choice of activities and sports that they might not normally participate in. Sports will range and rotate from volleyball, touch footy, softball, cricket and more – depending on demand – while children will also be able to try their hand at activities such as Zumba and boxing!
More information, and registration details, click here.
‘Bennys Ball’ does it for their mate
September 1, 2011 by David Weiner-Maccabi NSW
Winning grand finals are always great news stories, but this one is particularly nice, as a group of friends reformed an old Maccabi team from when they were younger as a way to continue to commemorate their great mate, Benny Glattstein, who passed away earlier this year.
Benny Glattstein
“Benny’s Ball”, comprising James Enoch, David Fridman, Tristan Freedman, Gaby Anger, Daniel Lemish, Jono Grunstein and Steve Barrett, caused a massive boil over in their division C grand final on Sunday, beating the undefeated Pappas Red, who they had lost to by 20-odd points earlier in the year, 33-31.
“I swear someone was tipping in shots for us,”Daniel Lemish told Maccabi News. “Everything went in. I couldn’t make a shot in the warm-up. Once the game started, swish.”
Jamie Enoch added: “The camaraderie between the team throughout the season was sensational. Everyone played their roles for the team perfectly combining to not only make the semi finals but then beat more fancied opponents in the semi and final.
“Sunday was an awesome game, lifting at the perfect time to knock off an unbeaten side who were unbackable favourites. It also meant a lot to all of us as mates of Benny to win the comp in a team we named in his memory.”
The side took an early 13-3 lead through sharp shooting, before taking a surprising 20-8 halftime lead. Pappas began to apply a punishing full-court press and raced back to within a point, but desperate team rebounding, especially by Steve Barrett, allowed Bennys Ball win a fiesty contest. For a team that had won only half their matches, it was a massive win!
“This team was built on friendship and respect for a friend we lost way too soon,” Tristan Friedman said.
“This year has been the most enjoyable in my basketball playing days and to win against an undefeated opposition in the grand final like we did, you can’t help but feel that Benny was there with us along the way. It’s awesome.”
Kogus Wins Masters Tennis
July 20, 2011 by David Weiner-Maccabi NSW
Maccabi tennis stalwart Ilan Kogus won the Masters over-65 tennis tournament at the European Maccabi Games in Vienna last week.
Ilan Kogus (l)
And although we can’t literally say that he ‘brought home the gold’, he brings back a whole lot of fond memories.
“My gold medal was stolen (on the way home to Sydney)!” Ilan said.
“But that is not important. I will never forget the spirit of Maccabi (that was on show in Vienna). That is the beauty of such games.
“It’s the aspect I’ll take with me for the rest of my life. It was so nice, so special. I think I made friends forever.
“(When) my grand-children will ask me about Maccabi, this is what I’ll tell them. Winning a tournament is not so important. The love for each other, Israel, Maccabi … knowing I am a member of an organisation with the spirit like Maccabi, inspires me for the future.”
Kogus, who developed Maccabi Australia’s Leadership Program, said the tournament, played on clay, was the most gruelling he’s ever experienced. He will never question the toughness of clay court tennis players again!
“It was the hardest in my life; on clay, hot, long matches, long points, very difficult. Mentally and physically,” he told Maccabi News.
Ilan, who is already planning his tilt at Maccabiah 2013, says the “competitiveness” of the field in Vienna was “unbelievable”, but he feels he won because of his “mental strength”.
“I will never forget the spirit of Maccabi (that was on show in Vienna). That is the beauty of such games”
“Physically, I wasn’t the fittest player there, tennis wise my technique was ok, but they were better, they play on clay.
“Mentally I hung in there. I would say I used patience, and used in some matches, survival, because my body was on fire; in so much pain.”
Kogus, who has been part of Maccabi in Australia since 1991, says the spirit of the participants got him over the line – as he was the only solo participant in Australia’s squad.
“I set a goal to go and play and win this tournament a long time ago.
“I didn’t know I would be there alone.
“But I must give credit to the spirit of Maccabi – I teamed up with English team that was there; they were fantastic to me.
“I trained with them in the morning. Talked to them in the afternoon. Spent time with them. This is the spirit of Maccabi.”
He also wants to “give credit to the outstanding team manager Peter Grunfeld … Maccabi Australia’s Harry Procel for his support … and the Australian futsal squad … they said I inspired them, but, they were a fantastic bunch of kids. They inspired me.”
Maccabi welcomes back triathlon club
June 12, 2011 by David Weiner-Maccabi NSW
An advertisement placed in the Jewish News in early 1990 by Steve Denenberg was the catalyst for the formation of the Maccabi Triathlon Club, which held its first race – a duathlon – in Centennial Park in May of that year.
Paul Stone, a member of the committee which put on Sydney’s first ever triathlon, at Narrabeen in February 1982, become the first President of the club – a position he was to hold for 10 years.
From these tentative beginnings, the club soon made its mark on Jewish sport, and for nearly 20 years, the Maccabi Triathlon Club brought together Jewish triathletes of all ages and abilities to compete regularly and enthusiastically, both at club races and at outside events.
A quite remarkable statistic is that no less than seven members of the club have represented Australia in world championships (both triathlon and duathlon) in age group competition, and a swag of medals of all hues is testimony to the distinction with which its members have performed at the Maccabiah Games.
Husband and wife Anne and Michael Besser, who between them have won the Maccabi Masters Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year award a remarkable nine times, both started their triathlon careers at the club.
Triathletes have continued to make their mark in Jewish sport. Last September, Paul Stone and Julian Rifkin (below) competed at the World Masters Triathlon Championships in Budapest. Julian – who last week won the 2010 Maccabi Masters Sportsman of the Year award – will again represent Australia in age group competition over both the Sprint and Olympic distances at this year’s championships in Beijing in September.
Several years ago, the club ceased to function, but an enthusiastic committee has now re-formed the club to cater for the many Jewish triathletes (and would-be triathletes) of all ages who would like to train and compete together on a regular basis. It hopes to attract at least 50 members in its first full season.
The Maccabi Triathlon Club has a proud history, but looks forward to an even better future. And since the future of any club must lie with its youth, the present club committee is determined to encourage much greater participation amongst the younger members of our community.
The club will hold its own races – triathlon, duathlon and other – at approximately monthly intervals throughout the year, and its events calendar will be designed to give its members the opportunity to compete in the many external events (in Sydney and beyond) that are now available for enthusiasts of this increasingly popular sport.
Its first event – a duathlon (a 2.6k run, 19k bike and 3.8k run) will be held at Centennial Park (opposite Mckay oval) on Sunday 5 June at 7.00 am.
Those who wish to join the club can download and complete an application form.
For further information, please contact David at davidtay@bigpond.net.au or phone 9326-1262.
Karp to lead Australia to Brazil
May 17, 2011 by David Weiner-Maccabi NSW
Maccabi Australia’s preparations for the Pan America Games in Sao Paolo in December have begun in earnest, with the announcement that former Australia and Melbourne Victory player Tal Karp will be the open women’s football side’s player-coach.
Karp, who represented the ‘Matildas’ at the 2003 FIFA women’s World Cup and 2004 Athens Olympics, enjoyed a distinguished career at the top level, and has now turned her attention to inspiring the next generation of young Jewish footballers.
“It feels fitting,” Karp said. “Maccabi was the first club I ever played for as a seven-year-old in Perth.”
“Now that I no longer have the pressures of training and competing for the Matildas or at W-league level, being involved again with Maccabi feels right.”
Nominations have opened for participants wanting to represent Australia in South America, and Karp, as well as team manager Sydney Kahn, want to take the young side that travelled to Israel in 2009 to the next level.
With an eye on Maccabiah 2013 as well as the competition in Sao Paolo, both Karp and Kahn have put the call out for talented Jewish players of all ages across the country to throw their hands up for selection.
Karp has already taken up an ambassadorial role with the North Caulfield club in Melbourne, and this new coaching role will allow her to play a hands-on part in the growth of Jewish women’s football in the community.
“I think we can build a strong new generation of creative, talented, athletic Jewish soccer players,” Karp added.
“Maccabi clubs are doing a great job locally. Its now really important for us to boost the number of girls in the game and help build the players coming through so that we can make more of an impression on the international stage.
“I’m very excited to be a part of that building process.”
Team manager Sydney Kahn hailed Karp’s appointment as a sign that Maccabi Australia is serious about women’s football.
“For any Jewish sports person to have the opportunity to be coached and play with a player of Tal’s calibre – that opportunity doesn’t come around very often,” Kahn said.
“If they have a passion for soccer and they have the opportunity to be coached and work in a tournament environment with Tal, it’ll be an unbelievable opportunity.
“(Her appointment) is an amazing coup for us and anyone remotely enthused by the game should be beating our doors down.”
“I think we can build a strong new generation of creative, talented, athletic Jewish soccer players” – Tal Karp.
Maccabi Australia President and Pan America Head of Delegation Lisa Borowick added: “We are thrilled to have Tal spearheading our team to Sao Paolo. It’s great to have her also involved at an ambassadorial level at Maccabi club level. It will be a huge boost to our women’s football program.”
With these goals in mind, Karp hopes to attract the best players available for trials, most likely in July, which will be the first step in what will be a professional and high quality preparation.
“I’ve been fortunate to have had some wonderful coaches and wonderful playing experiences,” said Karp, who holds an Asian Football Confederation C-level coaching license.
“I hope to share some of my experiences with these young girls to help them in their playing careers.” Players in their development phase will benefit by joining.
“In Brazil, I really want us to be able to present a competitive, fighting force, while keeping our development goals in mind. I think over time we can be successful.
“It’s very exciting to be competing in a country that I consider to be the home of football, and to get the chance to play against some of the best female footballing countries in the world.”
The former Melbourne Victory skipper was part of the 2005 Maccabiah Games squad and now plays with Victorian Premier League club Bundoora United as she focuses her on her legal career.
For more information contact team manager Sydney Kahn. Phone: 0412341544 or email: skahn@maccabi.com.au
For more information on representing Australia at the Pan America Games in Sao Paolo, visit Maccabi Australia’s information page.
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