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We already introduced you the story of Jacob Bockelmann, the Santa Rosa tech employee heading to the twenty first Maccabiah Video games this summer time as a weightlifter. However the video games — generally referred to as the Jewish Olympics — will see practically 70 different Northern California Jewish athletes compete with different Jewish athletes from all over the world in a variety of sports activities, together with every thing from basketball to squash. Listed below are a couple of extra locals who will signify america on the video games, which can be held in Israel, July 5-26.
Jessie Arons, ice hockey
Jessie Arons, 20, might have grown up in sunny Palo Alto, however she loves the snow — and ice. A rising junior at Lawrence College in Appleton, Wisconsin (“it was actually enjoyable being right here for the winter”), Arons began ice skating at age 4, and by 5 she had picked up a hockey stick. Her mom, Lisa Stifelman, who performed on a membership ice hockey staff whereas attending graduate faculty at MIT, launched her to the game.
Honing her abilities for greater than 13 years with the San Jose Jr. Sharks program, Arons performed ahead on Lawrence’s inaugural ladies’s hockey staff this educational 12 months. And in July, she can be competing within the ladies’s open hockey competitors on the Maccabiah alongside along with her good friend and former Jr. Sharks teammate Isabella Gershtein of Redwood Metropolis.
“The one place in another country I’ve been is Canada for tournaments after I was youthful, so that is going to be actually thrilling to see Israel and expertise the tradition,” Arons mentioned.
As a pupil at Palo Alto Excessive College, Arons performed discipline hockey as a result of the state’s athletic governing board doesn’t acknowledge ice hockey as an official sport. She tore her ACL as a junior however had profitable surgical procedure and was again on the sphere (and ice) the next 12 months.
At Lawrence, Arons is majoring in movie, with a minor in studio artwork. She is an enormous fan of the Marvel motion pictures — her favourite character is Spiderman — and she or he is contemplating a profession as a movie editor. She is fluent in American Signal Language, which she took up as a result of she had a deaf good friend in elementary faculty.
Though her Lawrence staff went 0-23 and was outscored 157-17 in its first season, she mentioned she loved bonding with the opposite gamers. “I really like being a part of a staff,” she mentioned. “Each staff I’ve performed on, I’ve had a second household and I simply develop so shut with them.” — Andrew Esensten
RELATED: Santa Rosa weightlifter Jacob Bockelmann headed for 2022 Maccabiah video games
Neil Solomon, squash
Neil Solomon of San Francisco admits the coronavirus pandemic wasn’t nice for his coaching.
“Squash is a horrible pandemic sport,” he mentioned. “Huffing and puffing in a small room subsequent to a different individual isn’t an excellent factor.”
However the 65-year-old physician, who’s making his second journey to the Maccabiah Video games, received’t let that cease him. A former tennis participant who picked up squash after 30 years, Solomon will compete within the masters division and is a co-chair of the staff.
“I’m coaching proper now,” he mentioned. “I’ve each a conditioning coach and a squash coach to up my recreation.”
He mentioned that whereas some might imagine a Jewish-only sporting occasion could be lower than prime degree, it’s not the case. Maccabiah Video games rivals have gone on to medal on the Olympics.
“It’s a excessive degree of competitors,” he mentioned. “There have been some stellar athletes.”
Pondering again to the video games in 2017, he mentioned it was significant to be along with Jewish athletes from everywhere in the world who nonetheless felt like “cousins, our brothers and sisters” even when many spoke totally different languages.
“All of us got here from the identical inventory!” he mentioned. “Our forefathers obtained on totally different boats.” — Maya Mirsky
Vivian Ovrootsky, tennis
When Vivian Ovrootsky, 17, of San Jose, received her first event at age 7, it wasn’t only a trophy that motivated her. “I’d been pestering my dad for a cellphone,” she recalled. He advised her “You understand what, OK, how about this? In the event you win this event, I’ll purchase you a cellphone,’” Ovrootsky mentioned. “He didn’t understand who he pitched that deal to.”
Since then, she’s had an outstanding profession, successful two prestigious tournaments: the 2019 Easter Bowl (singles) in Indian Wells, California, and the 2019 Eddie Herr Worldwide (doubles) on the IMG Academy–Bollettieri tennis complicated in Florida, each within the 16-and-under division.
She’ll compete within the youth class within the Maccabiah Video games.
Ovrootsky simply completed her freshman 12 months enjoying tennis for the College of Texas; she went 12-7 in singles and 10-8 in doubles. Her coach in Austin, Howard Joffe, received a gold medal on the 1989 Maccabiah, so when Ovrootsky was provided a spot this summer time, Joffe inspired her to take it.
Within the lead-up to the video games, Ovrootsky didn’t have to alter her apply routine a lot. In late Might, the Longhorns competed within the NCAA Championships, the place they captured their second straight staff title (and her teammate, Peyton Stearns, received the singles title).
The Maccabiah will make for Ovrootsky’s first journey to Israel, and she or he’s excited. “I simply actually need to see what the expertise is like,” she mentioned. “I believe it’s simply going to be superb to get to go there, go to Israel, play some tennis.” — Lillian Ilsley-Greene
Katie Lowenstein, volleyball
Katie Lowenstein, 15, of Marin, is likely one of the youngest Bay Space athletes heading to the Maccabiah Video games this 12 months. She’s competing in juniors volleyball within the under-16 division, and most of her teammates are older than her.
It is going to be Lowenstein’s first go to to Israel, and she or he’s making the journey solo. “I’m excited,” she mentioned. “If that’s how I’m going to see Israel for the primary time, then that’s such a cool approach to see it.”
At 5-foot-7, she isn’t tall for her sport, however she has one talent that units her aside. “I’m simply quick,” she mentioned. “It’s not likely a volleyball-related talent, however I’ve simply been advised I’m very fast.”
Lowenstein simply completed her freshman 12 months of highschool on the Branson College in Ross, the place she performed for the women varsity volleyball staff. She additionally performs for the Absolute Volleyball Membership in San Rafael and practices three days every week.
“It’s one thing I love to do like after I’m confused with faculty, or simply something happening,” she mentioned. “Volleyball apply is a approach I can simply take my thoughts off of it.”
Lowenstein, who attended Brandeis Marin in San Rafael, started enjoying volleyball at age 11 and realized in regards to the Maccabiah Video games on the Ok-8 faculty. She additionally realized so much about Israel.
“I’m simply actually excited to see all of those locations,” Lowenstein mentioned, noting that the seashores and Israeli meals can be on the prime of her checklist whereas she’s there. — Emma Goss
Hana Strause, gymnastics
Hana Strause, 17, has been doing gymnastics since she was 4. “I’ve been doing it for thus lengthy,” she mentioned. “I don’t know what I’d do with out it.”
Now the current highschool graduate from Foster Metropolis can be becoming a member of teammates from California and throughout the nation for the Maccabiah in Israel, competing within the open gymnastics class.
Strause competes at Stage 10, the very best degree of USA Gymnastics Junior Olympics Program, which places her on the degree of most faculty gymnasts. She practices about 20 hours per week.
“I’m in all probability finest at beam and flooring,” she mentioned.
As soon as the Maccabiah is over, Strause already is aware of her subsequent step: She’s dedicated to Yale College for gymnastics, and is contemplating finding out economics.
Strause additionally competed for Group USA on the Maccabiah Video games in Israel in 2017. However she mentioned it didn’t go effectively, for a few causes — she was solely 12 years previous again then, plus she had been sick and didn’t have good outcomes.
Now, although, she is wanting ahead to displaying her finest self. She additionally mentioned it will likely be fascinating competing with a gaggle, as she often competes regionally in meets as a person. However the Maccabiah can be totally different, as all rivals are a part of Group USA for his or her sport, even when they compete on their very own in any given occasion.
“I’ve a staff, a bunch of individuals for the staff, as a substitute of simply myself,” Strause mentioned. — Maya Mirsky
Josh Anish, basketball
Josh Anish of Berkeley knew he needed to signify the USA on the Maccabiah Video games this summer time. However first, he mentioned, he wanted to lose some weight.
Now in his mid-40s, Anish was a 6-foot-7 middle who performed 4 years of school basketball at Amherst School. Final summer time, when a good friend identified that tryouts for the Maccabiah masters division (45 and older) had been developing, Anish stepped on the size: 265 kilos.
“I used to be fats and out of practice throughout Covid similar to all people else,” he joked.
However Anish was acquainted with the chance in entrance of him. At 16, he competed within the junior division on the 1993 Maccabiah Video games. His staff received gold — an unforgettable expertise that led to lasting friendships.
When his staff landed in Israel again then, “suddenly the complete American delegation began dancing,” he mentioned. “I used to be like, what is that this? What cult am I in?”
These video games will mark his first return to Israel after 29 years.
From final summer time to the tryouts in October, Anish labored exhausting to get into preventing form. And since the 2021 Maccabiah had been postponed by a 12 months because of the pandemic, Anish had time to show 45, simply eligible for the masters division.
“I misplaced weight. Dieted. Went to the gymnasium. I used to be doing every thing,” he mentioned, finally reaching a svelte 225 kilos. “Once I went to the tryout in Philly, it was clear I ought to make the staff.”
On the court docket, Anish isn’t a highflier. Although he’s as tall as Julius “Dr. J” Erving was in his enjoying days, he’s not a dunker. He’s an excellent passer and an environment friendly scorer — and he’s stunned himself with how the sport has come again to him after a few years.
“I’m truly pretty athletic,” he mentioned. “Which is loopy.”
Anish had a formidable profession at Amherst, a aggressive Division III faculty the place he was staff captain in his senior 12 months. Nonetheless, “my two basketball peaks had been Maccabiah after I was 16, and hopefully, Maccabiah after I’m 45,” he mentioned. “Who is aware of what occurred within the center?”
Within the center, Anish began a profession in tech, obtained married, and had three children — who will be part of him on the video games. For the primary time ever, they’ll get to see their dad play aggressive basketball. His 14-year-old son Nate can even rejoice his bar mitzvah.
The USA grasp’s staff can be competing towards Israel, Argentina, Australia and Brazil. Anish mentioned Israel is the favourite, however Group USA has a really robust squad, together with guys who performed Division I many years in the past at good basketball colleges like Miami and Washington. Anish mentioned he idolized these gamers in Israel when he was 16, after they performed within the extremely aggressive open division.
“They’re nice. They’re form of legends,” he mentioned. “However they’re 52. It’s good to have some youthful blood in there.” — Gabe Stutman
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