18- The Jewish Tribune August 15,, 2013 Jewishtribune.ca Sports N News

Vancouver Jays’ ‘A’ team in good hands with Takefman Mike Cohen tions of the club,” he said. management fronts, working In addition to his communi- on the Jewish Community dinator of sales and community “This includes immigration is- to ensure that each player and cation with the Jays, Takefman Centre (JCC) Sports Dinner relations, is also Jewish and Quebec Bureau Chief sues with our roster, legal mat- staff member is handled pro- takes a great deal of pride in Committee and is involved works closely with Takefman. When the Jewish Tribune last ters. From the time I joined fessionally as they ascend to- developing the front office with BC Children’s Hospital. Everything is sponsored at a visited the home of the short- the organization in 2006 I wards the majors. staff, having already handled “It is important for me to stay Canadians game, from the ce- season rookie ‘A’ class Vancou- have spent a lot of time work- Takefman, 30, has had some the majority of the daily du- connected to the Jewish com- ment company, which sup- ver Canadians professional ing on community relations. It contact with Blue Jays GM ties over his tenure with the munity and the sports dinner ports a kids’ play area, to a kiss baseball team five years ago, is so important for us to con- Alex Anthopoulos, also a for- organization. does that for me.” camera feature on the Jum- former Montrealer Jason nect with the people and pro- mer Montrealer. In Vancouver Takefman sits Alex Dachis, the team’s coor- botron scoreboard brought to Takefman was the head of moting the product.” you by The Keg. ticket sales. Since that time he The Canadians are a real hit Dachis oversees a program has been promoted to the post in Vancouver. They have had a whereby companies buy a of general manager while the number of sellouts this season bulk of tickets and get an all- team itself became an affiliate while averaging more than you-can-eat opportunity in a of the Toronto Blue Jays. 4,800 fans per game. It is a 76- picnic area along the first base- “I am not a title guy, but I game season, crammed into line beginning one hour before guess being GM is pretty cool,” just 80 days plus playoffs. At game time, topped off with a Takefman said between in- one time Vancouver had a dessert at 8 p.m. nings of a recent game. “When Triple A team, but that ended “These promos start selling the job became vacant in 2009 in 1999 and they returned at a out in December,” he said, un- I approached our team presi- lower tier. derlining the busy off-season dent and told him I really “Vancouver is a great baseball that takes place. wanted the job. A month later city,” said Takefman, a gradu- For more information about it was mine.” ate of Bialik High School in the team log on to www.cana- Being the GM of a minor Côte Saint-Luc. diansbaseball.com. league club is not like the big As a Blue Jays minor league See our video interview leagues, where trades are affiliate, Takefman stays in with Takefman at made. close touch with the Toronto http://www.youtube.com/w “I oversee day-to-day opera- organization on player and atch?v=g4aK-p7NiDU.

Vancouver Yiddish language Jewish pitcher classes offered MONTREAL – Yiddish Be- ginners’ & Intermediate hopes to earn a Language Classes will start in September at the Jewish Public Library, 5151 Côte berth with Jays Ste-Catherine Rd. in Mon- treal. Beginners’ Yiddish will be held Sept. 10, 17, about his Jewish heritage and Mike Cohen 24 and Oct. 1. from 7 p.m. of one day suiting up for the to 8:45 p.m. Intermediate Quebec Bureau Chief Blue Jays. Yiddish begins Oct. 8. The Toronto Blue Jays already “I had my bar mitzvah at the Toronto Blue Jays rookie ‘A’ team in BC, the Vancouver Canadians, is led by GM Jason Takefman (left), who worked his way up in the or- from 7 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. had a significant Jewish con- Western Wall in Jerusalem,” ganization. With him is left-handed pitcher Scott Silverstein, a 2013 draft choice hoping to make it to The Show in Toronto. for 8 sessions. Advanced nection with their short sea- Silverstein said. “It was a move up,” he said. “Starting, off balance is the main goal.” couver is an awesome city. The Yiddish begins Sept. 10, son rookie ‘A’ ball affiliate tremendous experience for closing, cleaning the bath- While already very much at fans here every night are in- 2013 from 7 p.m. to 8:45 Vancouver Canadians, with me.” rooms…. I don’t care. I just home in Vancouver, Silverstein credible. It is a big league city.” p.m. for 12 sessions. native Montrealer Jason While Silverstein was a want to pursue my dream of says he is following the Blue See our video interview To register and for more in- Takefman at the helm as gen- starter in college, it appears getting to the big leagues. Jays very closely. with Silverstein at formation, call (514) 345- eral manager. In July that that his future for now will “I throw a fastball, slider and “In Vancouver all you get is http://www.jewishtribune.ca/ 2627 ext. 3006 or visit went up a degree when 2013 likely be in the bullpen as a re- a changeup,” Silverstein noted. Blue Jays coverage,” he said. “I sports/2013/08/01/toronto- www.jewishpubliclibrary.org. draft choice Scott Silverstein, lief pitcher. “It depends upon the day, re- guess I have a new favourite blue-jays-prospect-scott- 23, a six-foot-five, 250- “I will do whatever it takes to ally. Trying to keep the hitter team. In the meantime, Van- silverstein. pound, left-handed pitcher from Brookeville, MD, was assigned to the club. Silverstein was a 25th round Peres Center rejects play because of one line pick in the Major League Base- JERUSALEM (JNS.org) – The Peres Center migrant to Israel from Argentina who is a gether. Initially, the Peres Center was very intended for one nationality only. It is hard ball Draft in June. He com- for Peace decided not to include the play huge fan of FC Barcelona star Lionel Messi. enthusiastic about the initiative. They sent for us to bring Palestinian children to a play piled a 10-2 record in his Snow Ball in its program for the visit of the After learning that FC Barcelona was com- staff members to watch the play and indi- that uses the words ‘Jewish state.’ Unfortu- redshirt senior season at the Barcelona soccer team in Israel, because ing to Israel, Sherry Aryeh, artistic director cated that they were favourably impressed. nately, we will be unable to cooperate on University of Virginia, finish- the play includes the line that “the state of of the Israel Children and Youth Social The- But much to the theatre’s surprise, the this venture.” Israel is the national home of all Jews.” atre, which produced the play, approached Peres Center ultimately nixed the play, via Snow Ball director Horovitz said, “What is ing with a 3.15 ERA. The affair began this April when the new the Peres Center for Peace with the sug- a letter written by Dvir Zivan, the manager particularly outrageous is the argument Rejected play, Snow Ball, a play based on In an interview with the Jew- play, directed by Roy Horovitz, was per- gestion of performing the play during of the Peres Center’s sports department. they gave. It’s sad to discover that in a cen- ish Tribune after a recent game an original Israeli script that tells the story formed as part of the Haifa International Messi’s visit to Israel. She suggested the The email, which was obtained by Israel tre that carries the name of the president of Felipe, a 10-year-old new immigrant to at the picturesque Scotiabank Children’s Theatre Festival. The play is theater perform a festive rendition of the Hayom, says, “We would be happy to bring of the state of Israel there are those who Israel from Argentina who is a huge fan of Field at Nat Bailey Stadium, based on an original Israeli script that tells play with the Argentinian star, while Jew- all the Jewish children to the play, but believe that identifying Israel as the Jewish FC Barcelona star Lionel Messi (pictured). Silverstein spoke proudly the story of Felipe, a 10-year-old new im- ish and Palestinian children watched it to- there is a problem. We do not do activities state is a problematic statement.” (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)