Brian Roberts
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VOLUME 15 | NUMBER 1 | SPRING 2017 THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF MACCABI USA Four years later, Brian again qualified for PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Brian the Open Squash Team and brought along 2 the woman he was dating, Aileen Kennedy, THE INTERNATIONAL MACCABI Roberts 3 CULINARY COMPETITION AND MISSION to cheer him on. After the Games were For Brian Roberts, over they took a cruise and Brian proposed 20TH WORLD MACCABIAH GAMES the World Maccabiah to her, and then returned to the States 4 MACCABI USA MACCABIAH MISSION Games has been a where they got married and started a family affair and a family. Twelve years later, Brian qualified A TRIBUTE TO SUE MILLIS unique way for them for the Masters Squash Team at the 15th 5 VOLUNTEER PROFILE BETH MARGOLIS to connect with Maccabiah in 1997 and returned to Israel 20TH MACCABIAH USA ORGANIZING Israel, Judaism and the sport of Squash. with his young family. 6 COMMITTEE Brian first heard of the Maccabiah Games when he was playing Squash at the In 2005, his oldest daughter Sarah UPCOMING EVENTS University of Pennsylvania. He had bumped qualified for the Open Women’s Squash 8 RECENT EVENTS into an acquaintance, Glenn Whitman, on Team and Brian qualified for the Masters the Squash courts at Penn, who told him Squash Team, and they went to Israel EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S together to compete at the 17th Maccabiah. 9 MESSAGE about his own recent experience at the Maccabiah Games. Sarah participated in the B’nai Mitzvah INSIDE THIS ISSUE THIS INSIDE NEWS ceremony during the ISRAEL CONNECT 10 Brian’s first World Maccabiah Games was cultural and educational program and it in 1981, as a member of the Open Squash had an enormous impact on her life. Team. Once he qualified for the team, he th asked his parents to accompany him to After the 17 Maccabiah, Brian decided Israel. Brian was raised in a liberal, Reform to take a break from competitive Squash Jewish family and while visiting Israel and started training for his first Triathlon. had not been a top priority when he was He trained for 11 months and competed th growing up, having his parents watch him in a Triathlon on his 50 birthday. After as he marched into the Opening Ceremony completing the race, Brian decided to was life-changing. return to Squash. As luck would have it, his daughter Amanda qualified for the “My parents never Juniors Girls’ Squash Team in 2009 at understood Squash,” Brian the 18th Maccabiah and Brian competed recounted, “but when they alongside her. After the Games were over, were sitting in Ramat Brian retired from competitive Squash. Gan Stadium with thousands “Marching into the Opening Ceremony was of other Jewish an amazing experience for Amanda, and athletes from for us to have a father/daughter moment around the at the Games was priceless,” Brian said. th world, they “My son Tucker qualified for the 20 World understood that Maccabiah Games this summer, so, of moment.” course, I am coming out of retirement one more time to share this incredible (continued on page 2) Brian Roberts PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE (continued from front page) opportunity with him and compete with What will make 2017 a great year? The 20th Maccabiah some of my old teammates.” Games in Israel in July. Brian highly recommends that any athlete And what will make our U.S. Team’s participation who has the opportunity to participate in successful? Our team of volunteer leaders. Yes, to get the Maccabiah should take advantage of things done an organization needs leadership — not of it. “The Games are unlike anything else. one person, but of a host of leaders who are fired by a Competing and experiencing Israel will passion for what we do and are willing to give up their unequivocally be one of the highlights of time, resources, and personal needs. Our volunteers — an athlete’s life,” he stated. chairpersons, coaches, organizers — care about the project they are working on, the cause they espouse, the needs of Brian has been a continuous supporter others. That’s how they get things done. of Maccabi USA. He recently reflected on a conversation he had with the business Maccabi USA is blessed to count in its ranks people who give and get for our manager of his high school, Germantown organization; people who incorporate what we do into the lives and hearts of our Academy, while he was in college. The participants, while they put aside their own ambitions and wants. It is because of manager told him that if you are fortunate these leaders that we have increased our Endowment over 140% the past seven enough to have any success, it’s a great years, increased the size of our Team by close to 40%, and substantially involved gift to give back to the next generation. many more people in our projects. Their sole reward has been to bring “life-changing” Brian then joined the Board of Directors experiences to the lives of thousands of Jewish athletes. of Germantown Academy while a Junior at Penn. The reputation of this organization has been spreading exponentially, as the public has become more aware of us. Just this past holiday period I met two people from “I have been lucky enough to have very small towns in Louisiana and Iowa, both Jews, who surprised me with their knowledge special experiences every time I have of the Maccabiah and the Maccabi Movement. Our message reached them, and they participated in the Maccabiah Games,” enjoyed chatting with me while I was overjoyed to observe how our mission of Jewish Brian shared. “If you are able to do so, identity and pride, as well as our support of the State of Israel, have created a bond it is important to support Maccabi USA among American Jews. so that other kids can have this life- changing opportunity.” As the world turns more hostile to the notion of Jewish right for self-determination in their sovereign country, and incidents of anti-Semitism are spread not only by Upon learning that Maccabi USA’s Executive individuals but by governments, I ask you all to remember how very fortunate we are Director, Jed Margolis, is retiring at the end to live in the USA. However, this good fortune is wrapped with responsibility; each of of 2017, Brian decided to donate $1 million us must remember that Israel gives us a huge sense of pride in its unprecedented to the Maccabi USA Endowment in Jed’s accomplishments and that we, in turn, must stand up for her future, for her very honor. This will help Maccabi USA continue existence. Maccabi USA does it by educating our athletes about the facts on the to provide unique athletic and educational ground in Israel and about the nature of Zionism in order that they can come back as experiences to qualified Jewish athletes for ambassadors and advocates. During the Games, we instill in them the pride of being years to come. Jewish; and we do that through sports. Wow; isn’t that fun and exciting!! “I am also very grateful to Jed and the I hope to see you in Israel this summer for the 20th World Maccabiah Games. entire staff and volunteers of Maccabi USA and Maccabi World Union who put these Games together,” Brian concluded. “They are the ‘unsung’ heroes who Sincerely, have provided me and so many others with some of the most extraordinary moments of our lives. Thank you is truly inadequate.” Ron Carner, President Maccabi USA 2 | sportscene | Spring 2017 The International Maccabi Culinary Competition and Mission JULY 2–9, ISRAEL THE CULINARY AND RESTAURANT SCENE all over Israel is one of the hottest in the world, and this year we will produce the first-ever International Maccabi Culinary Competition featuring some of the best Jewish chefs in the world. And of course we are creating an opportunity for you to join us in Israel to tour the country through a culinary lens and spend time learning, preparing, and tasting some of the best food in the world alongside our chefs. Culinary Competition on July 4! If you join us on the Mission, you will have the opportunity to travel with these professional chefs and learn how food is produced, created and prepared in Israel. The itinerary includes trips to Shuks with tastings by experienced guides, dinners at great restaurants, a gala cocktail party and reception where the winning chefs will receive their medals, and of course, we will bring you to the Opening Ceremony of the 20th World Maccabiah Games where you can cheer on Team USA! The Maccabi Culinary Competition and Mission is being co- chaired by Michael Solomonov, Chef/Partner of Zahav restaurant If you love food, this is one of the most amazing ways you can in Philadelphia and the star of In Search of Israeli Cuisine; Bob experience Israel, food and beverage, and the World Maccabiah Spivak, Chairman of Maccabi USA and Honorary President of Games. Make sure to check out our itinerary by clicking on the QR Maccabi World Union; and Ido Zarmi, Chief Culinary Officer at code below, and if you have any questions, please contact Sara at International Culinary Productions. The co-chairs and staff of Maccabi USA at [email protected] or 267.627.5654. Maccabi USA and Maccabi World Union, along with travel partners at Gil Travel and Via Sabra, have created an amazing itinerary for a select few food lovers to join them in Israel this summer. Chefs from Australia, France, Gibraltar, Israel, Italy, Spain, and the USA will join the Culinary Mission and compete in the International BUILDING JEWISH PRIDE THROUGH SPORTS Spring 2017 | sportscene | 3 Building Jewish Pride Through Sports BUILDING JEWISH PRIDE THROUGH SPORTS 20th World Maccabiah Games Jeff Bukantz, General Chair, 20th Maccabiah USA Organizing Committee It is with great pleasure that I share with you my excitement and pride for the upcoming Games and Team USA! I will never forget the incredible feeling I had in 1981 Team USA, at 1,100+ strong, and another 400 supporters, to Israel this when I qualified for the 11th Maccabiah Games, my first July for the 20th World Maccabiah Games.