In S Id E T H Is Is S
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MaccabiNL Spring12_Layout 1 2/17/12 9:58 AM Page 2 T H E O F F I C I A L N E W S L E T T E R O F M A C C A B I U S A VOLUME 8 | NUMBER 1 | SPRING 2012 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Maccabi USA Plays Cupid: E 2 LEGENDS OF THE Athletes Create Continuity U MACCABIAH GALA 3 Leslie Schlachter (nee Carlson) started to play developed long and lasting relationships. S MAKING A DIFFERENCE basketball because of her height - at the age She was recruited to play professional S I of 12 she had reached 6’4”. Her family had basketball for Maccabi Tel Aviv, which she did LEGACY SOCIETY 4 relocated to Concord, NH for her father’s career. for the 2001/2002 season. While home on a S The basketball coach for the local church visit after the season ended, her sister was I RECENT AND UPCOMING EVENTS league was her new neighbor and when he killed and Leslie chose to stay home with her H 5 caught sight of this very tall young woman, he family after the tragedy. immediately recruited her to play for his team. T 12TH PAN AM MACCABI Her family then returned to her hometown of After a period of mourning, Leslie began GAMES HIGHLIGHTS working as a sales representative for Pfizer. E 6 Newington, CT and she continued to play for another local church team. It was during this time that Ron Carner called D MEET OUR DONORS her and asked her to apply for the USA I 8 VOLUNTEER PROFILE During this time, Leslie’s mother met the Women’s Basketball Team at the 10th Pan S Director of the Greater Hartford JCC who told Am Maccabi Games in Santiago, Chile. 19TH WORLD her about the JCC Maccabi Games for Jewish Leslie made the Team and helped the N I 9 MACCABIAH GAMES teens. Leslie competed in these Games for the coaches recruit other athletes to compete. WEB THRIFT STORE next few years. She also played basketball all Her parents decided to join her on the trip, through high school as well as for a traveling as Supporters of Team USA, with the ulterior NEWS AAU Team. She then went on motive of finding her a husband. 10 to play for George Washington University. Leslie’s participation in the 10th Pan Am Maccabi Games changed her life again. During her senior year in college, Leslie She remembers landing in Santiago, Chile received phone calls from Sherry Levin, and seeing all of her Maccabi USA family and Donna Orender and Ron the love that everyone showed her. It was the Carner to recruit her to try first time since losing her sister that she out for the USA Open opened up. Women’s Maccabiah Basketball Team. She did Leslie was selected as the Flag Bearer, to lead and made the Team that Team USA into the Opening Ceremony. On the went on to win a silver same day that she learned this news she was medal at the 16th World at a practice with her team, and as she was Maccabiah Games in Israel about to catch a pass, looked up and saw a in 2001. striking, tall man, and jammed her finger just as she was thinking how handsome he was. Although it was not her first trip to Israel, the 16th Leslie met Jordan Schlachter, a Masters Men’s Maccabiah Games were Basketball athlete, on the bus after practice Leslie’s first Maccabi USA experience and on the way back to her hotel. He told her that it changed her life. She became part of he had heard her parents were looking for a the Maccabi USA family where she husband for her and wanted to know if he (continued on page 2) MaccabiNL Spring12_Layout 1 2/17/12 10:37 AM Page 3 Maccabi USA Plays Cupid (continued from front page) could submit a resume. Leslie told him he PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE could. They started chatting on the bus and although Jordan was not staying at the same These past 13 months, Maccabi USA participated in three hotel, he escorted her to her lobby where they Regional Games: We sent solidarity delegations continued to talk for the next six hours. When to Sydney for the Maccabi Australia International Games she got to her room, she told her roommate and to Vienna for the European Maccabi Games. And that she had just met her future husband. just last month we traveled to São Paulo, Brazil, for the Leslie and Jordan fell in love and on their Ron Carner 12th Pan Am Maccabi Games, with a Team of 330 second date in Chile, they told each other athletes and 120 supporters led by Fred and Dhana Cohen and Toni Wortman. they would get married one day. They were A huge amount of work was thrust upon our office staff and they responded with engaged in less than a year and married in great energy, competence and dedication. a castle in Connecticut in June 2005. In July 2005, they both left for Israel to It was heartening to witness our delegation bond through a sense of togetherness, participate in the 17th World Maccabiah harmony, and purpose. This style of leadership is our goal for all our projects. Games as members of Team USA – she for the Open Women’s Basketball Team and Our Brazilian hosts were very well-prepared: from transportation to game he for the Masters Men’s Basketball Team. scheduling, from security to hospitality. Buses left on time, and no organizational crises arose. From where I sit, I can well appreciate this great feat! While in Israel, they had a second wedding ceremony which was performed by the Back home, we hit the ground running as we’ve started gearing up for our Crown USA Team Rabbi and attended by all their Jewel — the 19th Maccabiah in Israel in 2013. Outside Israel, the USA’s Jewish teammates, Israeli friends and Maccabi Community is the largest in the world. Our presence in the Maccabiah drives family. Leslie now works as a Physician the participation of Jewish Communities across the globe, and we take this Assistant; she and Jordan reside in New York responsibility seriously. Currently, we intend to participate in at least 35 of the City with their children, Devin who is five and 41 different sports offered with a Team projected to grow from 900 in 2009 to a half and Eliza, who is three. 1,000 in 2013. When asked how Maccabi USA has impacted her life, besides the obvious, Leslie The Organizing Committee of the 19th Maccabiah, under Chairman Amir Peled, says, “When you play your sport in high will be ready for the participation of over 7,700 athletes from about 60 nations. school, AAU and college you tend to think Bigger is only better if it runs well. The solid infrastructure, led by the Israelis, more independently so you can build your will ensure the success of every new sport introduced. stats and stand out. When you play as a member of Team USA for the Maccabiah or But what does it take on our end beyond the capable leadership of USA General other Maccabi Games, you are not just Chairman, Jeff Bukantz, working with our amazing office staff and 19th Maccabiah building a team, but creating a family, a USA Organizing Committee. The cost of participation in such an international event community. Winning is great, but the is foremost on my mind, and I am out there every day attempting to find ways to relationships and lifelong friendships you build raise over $8,000,000 to make this dream a reality. while participating in the Maccabiah Games is so much more important.” The fun and exhilaration of organizing the teams sometimes eclipses the true Maccabi USA has helped Leslie build a mission of our organization: building Jewish Identity and Pride. Sports is merely religious culture in her family and maintain the conduit to connect with the Jewish world, to rediscover one’s roots and gain her relationships with her Israeli friends. Both a sense of belonging and pride. she and Jordan remain involved as members of the Board of Directors of Maccabi USA and Commitment and passion for what we do are the key ingredients of our success. Leslie plans to get much more involved as her We need your help on all levels – your expertise, contacts and fundraising. children get older. In the meantime, Leslie Therefore, I ask that you step up now and join us in making this project happen. and Jordan are certainly living the mission of We need you now!! Maccabi USA and building Jewish Continuity in their lives. Ron Carner President, Maccabi USA sportscene | Spring 2012 | 2 MaccabiNL Spring12_Layout 1 2/17/12 9:58 AM Page 4 San Francisco, CA - October 25, 2011 Legends of the Maccabiah Gala This inaugural event took place in San Francisco to honor San Francisco Team participating in the JCC Maccabi the Legends of the Maccabiah from the Bay Area. There Games for many years and as a vital supporter of were 13 Maccabiah athletes, 6 of them Olympians, Maccabi USA and the World Maccabiah Games. who were honored as Legends. The Gala dinner was emceed by NBA Hall of Famer The first Maccabi Spirit Award, created to recognize Rick Barry. This event, the first of what will be an those individuals who embody the ideals of the Maccabi annual event around the country, was used to raise Movement – using sports to strengthen Jewish Continuity much-needed dollars to fund the USA Team to and support for the State of Israel - was presented to participate in the World Maccabiah Games in Israel.