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Maccabiah tennis player Carolyn Rubinstein took time out to confront her past. Read more
The Brumby Labor Government will legislate later this year to ensure sentencing laws take into account crimes motivated by hate or prejudice. Read more
Open footballers Adam Joseph and Rebecca Sheridan have ended the 18th Maccabiah on an absolute high….by announcing their engagement. Read more
An orthodox Holocaust survivor killed in a road accident in Melbourne on Wedneday, is expected to be buried in his home town of New Square in New York State today. Read more
“We are alone – you are alone. Let’s be alone together.” Read more
Australia’s 2009 Maccabiah Games campaign has ended on a huge high with the Open Rugby team defeating Great Britain 19-16 in a thrilling gold medal match…shown live on national television. Read more
Swimmer Jeff Sher is one of the Australian contingent’s stars of the 18th Maccabiah. Read more
The Sachs family of three flew to Israel to compete in the 18th Maccabiah Ten Pin Bowling tournament…and each family member will bring home at least one medal. Read more
Two Australians will meet in the final of the Maccabiah Junior Tennis Championship.
Alex Sanders and David Sofaer were seeded 1 and 2 in the competition being held at the plush Ra’anana West Tennis Centre. Althought they have known each other for seven years, this will be only the fourth time these two gifted players have been pitted against each other.
Sanders won his way into the final by beating Israeli Genya Gamazov 6-2, 6-3 and Sofaer defeated Daniel Tyntarov [Israel] 6-4, 6-2
The 18-year-olds have both played internationally including Wimbledon and are highly ranked players on the world Junior circuit. Sanders, who lives on the Gold Coast is ranked 37 in the world and has represented Australia in the Junior Davis Cup, being a member of the winning team in 2007.
Sydneysider Sofaer is ranked 60 in the world. Both boys are ranked highly in the Australian Open listings headed by Lleyton Hewitt. Sofaer is ranked 78 with Sanders not far behind him at 84.
One hour after winning their semi-final matches which were played concurrently, the boys paired in the Doubles beating a combined Swiss-German pair 6-2 6-4. The boys were in top form and never under threat. They moved about the court effectively and Sanders’ volleys were a joy to watch.
As a partnership, the boys will meet the French pair of Jonathan Zaouche and Jeremy Klifa in the Doubles Final…two players they each beat on the way to the Singles Final.
Tennis fans will pack the Ra’anana courts today to watch the two Aussies battle it ouit for gold. The head to head tally to date has Alex leading 2games to 1.
Whatever happens it will be another Gold and Silver plus a Doubles medal for Australia today in Junior Tennis..
Photos: Peter Haskin
Two Australians will meet in the final of the Maccabiah Junior Tennis Championship. Read more
The 24-year wait is finally over for the Australian Maccabiah Rugby team after they qualified for their first final at the Games since 1985 with a 41-19 demolition of Israel. Read more
Brad Sewitz is the only member of the rugby team who already has a Gold Medal for rugby. Read more
Teenage sensation Marni Burger made Australia’s first night in the pool a golden one by smashing the field in the junior girls 200 metre butterfly. Read more
Michael Danby has responded to a decision by fabled film-maker Mike Loach, a strong critic of Israel’s Palestinian policies, to withdraw his film from the Melbourne Film Festival as the event is screening Israeli movies. Read more
The Jewish community has rejected a claim by a university sociologist that the rise of faith-based schools is restricting the ability of students to relate to people of diverse backgrounds. Read more
Preparations have already begun for the Zionist Council of Victoria’s Yom Ha’atzmaut 2010 celebrations. Read more
The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) has rejected calls by Palestinian activists not to accept “blood money” from the Israel Government. Read more
Holocaust-denier Dr Fredrick Toben has been barred from visiting a Courage to Care exhibition in country Victoria. Read more
Roy Vandersluis has finally won a Gold Medal at his own record-breaking ninth Maccabiah.
Read more
At the Opening Ceremony of the 18th Maccabiah, Sydney athlete Josh Small recited Yizkor . J-Wire presents a pictorial record of this event. Read more
Hendrik Zimmet and LarryCohen are our first medal winners.
Hendrik, 37, hails from Melbourne and met his partner for the Cycling Team Trial event, Sydney-based Larry Cohen,for the first time at the airport on the way to Israel for the Games.
Zimmet and Cohen have openly declared their new friendship to be for life as they proudly showed off the Bronze Medals they won in the gruelling Team Trial.
Held yesterday at Kibbutz Urim, only 10 km from the border with Gaza, Zimmet and Cohen pitted their strength in the gruelling event against the clock.
The Trial sees individual riders launched a minute apart from a ramp to cycle a 27.5 km course in the Negev. Zimmet said: “Even though it was early morning morning, the mercury had topped 36 degrees and the course was very hot, dusty and windy.”
The combined individual times are placed Zimmet and Cohen in third spot behind Gold Medal winners Israel and 2nd placegetter USA. Zimmet added: “We used aerodynamic bikes and helmets and our average speed was between 37 and 41 kph. It’s known as the race of truth as it’s you against the clock and you cannot use another rider’s slipstream. Winning this medal has been an amazing experience.”
Cohen agreed: “It’s my first Maccabiah. What a thrill.”
The boys compete in the Triathlon in Tiberias on Friday.”
Hendrik Zimmet and LarryCohen are our first medal winners. Read more
Ready…Uzbekistan, steady..Austria….go ! Enter the Aussies.
More than 400 of them, pumped up and ready for the enormous buzz of the Opening Ceremony of the 18th Maccabiah.
As more than 7000 athletes from over 60 countries prepared to enter the arena, the exuberant Aussies delighted the 25,000 crowd with their cries of “Aussie, Aussie Aussie – Oi, Oi, Oi!” as they entered Ramat Gan’s National Stadium behind flag-bearer Roy Vandersluis competing in his record-breaking ninth Maccabiah. It was business as usual with fierce trading in the swapping of badges, caps and clothing.
When all countries represented had settled into the centre of the arena there was a moment of solemnity when the haunting tones of a Shofar sounded to herald Australian Ten Pin Bowler Josh Small recite Yizkor in memory of the four Australian athletes who died in the 1997 bridge collapse…one of whom had been his father, Greg. Josh also recited the prayer for the eleven athletes who lost their lives in the 1972 Olympics, for those who had lost their lives in terrorist attcks and for members of the Israeli Defence Forces who had been killed in action.
In his address to the Maccabiah, Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said:”Our brothers and sisters from every continent, from North America, from Europe, from Africa, South America, from Asia and from Australia, you come here representing 65 different countries, but above all, you represent one united nation, the nation of Israel.” After receiving thunderous applause, the Prime Minister asked all overseas participants to consider making Aliyah. Before officially opening the Games, President Shimon Peres said: “The Maccabiah is a festival for the whole of Israel. You are a blessing for Israel.” For the first time, all athletes had a role to play in the ceremony, wearing specially designed caps on top of which a velcro-attached white cardboard card became a part of a 7000 pixel screen.
Olympic Gold Medallist Jason Lezak lit the torch which will burn throughout the Games…believed to be the third largest sporting event in the world.
Ready…Uzbekistan, steady..Austria….go ! Enter the Aussies. Read more
More than 400 members of the Australian delegation to the 18th Maccabiah in Israel crossed the still poisoned waters of the Yarkon river to attend a memorial service in honour of the four athletes who lost their lives in 1997.
As the line, headed by Australia’s ambassador to Israel, James Larson and NSW State Member of Parliament Peter Debnam, solemnly marched across the permanent bridge eight abreast, Israeli girl guides and scouts stood by the sides handing each athlete a single flower.
That flower was gently laid at the foot of the memorial to Elizabeth Sawicki, Yetti Bennett, Greg Small and Warren Zines alongside a wreath bearing the words “from the Government and people of Australia” laid by the ambassador.
An Australian United Israel Appeal Study Mission joined the athletes in watching Greg Small’s wife Suzanne and her children Greg and Rebecca cling together in front of the black monument now draped with the Australian flag.
As the melancholy tones of a flute wafted through the searing heat, the Smalls took their place in the front row to listen to speeches and prayers and Kaddish followed from various dignitaries including the Ambassador and the President of Maccabi Australia, Harry Procel. Ambassador Larsen said: “If there is a lesson from this tragedy surely it’s the willingness of those Australians who were involved to come together and to remember those who unnecessarily died or were injured and to show a willingness to change the future.
Maccabiah Management member, Michelle Tremigliozzi, representing her brother-in-law whose mother, Elizabeth Sawicki died in the 1997 tragedy was next to speak followed by Tom Goldman, the Head of Delegation. Goldman said: “We will never forget the passing of Greg, Yetti, Elizabeth and Warren. We continue to honour their memory by participating in the Maccabiah here in Israel, which is a true celebration of Jewish life”
As eyes welled with tears, the emotional service was next to hear from Josh Small, the 19-yr-old son of victim Greg and wearing his father’s team shirt from 1997…in Israel with his mother Suzanne and sister Rebecca. Greg will compete in his late father’s sport Ten Pin Bowling.
Josh’s speech is reproduced here in full:
TWELVE YEARS AGO…AT THIS PLACE, FATE DEALT OUR FAMILY THE CRUELEST OF LIFE’S BLOWS.
MY BELOVED DAD, GREG SMALL, LOST HIS LIFE IN THIS PLACE.
MY DAD HAD COME HERE TO TAKE TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL WITHIN JEWISH SPORT HIS PASSION FOR TEN PIN BOWLING.
LOVED AND RESPECTED AS A HUMAN BEING AS WELL AS A HIGHLY TALENTED BOWLER BY ALL WHO KNEW HIM, DAD WAS BURSTING WITH PRIDE AND ENTHUSIASM AT HAVING BEEN SELECTED FOR THE AUSTRALIAN DELEGATION TO THE 15TH MACCABIAH IN 1997.
HE HAD PRACTICED AND TRAINED HARD AND WAS READY TO TAKE ON THE JEWISH WORLD’S BEST BOWLERS HERE IN ISRAEL.
THE TEN PIN BOWLING COMPETITION STARTED ON THE DAY BEFORE THE OPENING CEREMONY SO HE CERTAINLY GOT TO REALISE HIS DREAM OF COMPETING IN 1997…BUT HIS COMPETITION WAS TO BE TRAGICALLY CUT SHORT.
A FEW WORDS TO MY BELOVED FATHER
DAD
IT IS NOW 2009 AND YOUR SEVEN-YEAR-OLD SON IS NOW 19.
WE ARE FAST APPROACHING THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE 18TH MACCABIAH.
I AM HERE…IN THIS PLACE…AT THIS TIME…AND I WILL FINISH OFF WHAT YOU STARTED ALL THOSE YEARS AGO…AND I WILL DO MY BEST TO WIN YOUR PRIDE…AND MAYBE A MEDAL…FURTHER EVIDENCE THAT NOT EVEN A TRAGEDY OF MONSTER PROPORTIONS CAN BREAK THE BOND THAT WILL FOREVER EXIST BETWEEN US.
YOU MAY HAVE BEEN SMALL BY NAME…BUT YOU REMAIN A GIANT IN STATURE.
I AM GRATEFUL TO ALL OF YOU HERE TODAY FOR GIVING OF YOUR TIME AND YOUR THOUGHTS AT THIS MEMORIAL WHICH ENSURES THAT MY DAD’S MEMORY ALONE WITH THAT OF ELIZABETH, WARREN AND YETTI REMAINS ETERNAL…
The crowd stood silently as the Small family clutched each other and slowly dispersed as the service drew to its close.
More than 400 members of the Australian delegation to the 18th Maccabiah in Israel crossed the still poisoned waters of the Yarkon river to attend a memorial service in honour of the four athletes who lost their lives in 1997. Read more
The Ku Klux Klan claims it has infiltrated an Australian political party. Read more
Nine time Maccabiah golfer Roy Vandersluis will lead the Australian contingent into the Ramat Gan Stadium in next Monday’s 18th Maccabiah Opening Ceremony. Read more
Chris Townley is a frequently-published letter writer in Queensland papers…but he is scratching his head wondering what precipitated hate mail he received this week. Read more
Victor Smorgon, one of the foremost members of Melbourne’s Jewish community, died today at the age of 96. Read more
During last month’s JNF Memorable Moments Mission, three Australian JNF presidents met the JNF Chairman. Read more
Governor-General Quentin Bryce “popped in” to Sydney’s Yeshiva Center today for a tour of Our Big Kitchen and to pick up a Menorah for Government House. Read more
Adjunct Professor John Sheehan is assisting Bedouins in the Be’er Sheva region in preparing native title claims similar to those of Australia’s indigenous Aboriginals…and for Mabo, read Muri. Read more
The Australian Government has re-listed Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation. Read more
