Jewish Olympics 10 Oregonians bound for 19th Maccabiah Games above: Baseball player Clayton Gelfand will be competing in the games for the first time. middle: Lauren Goldstein, 14, of Bend will compete in Junior Girls’ Volleyball. left: Golfer Adam Ruben will be competing in the games for the first time. By Deborah Moon More than 9,000 athletes from historic sites to experience #rsthand their still living there, but will be competing 72 countries are expected to participate own connection with Israel and Judaism. on the Maccabi USA rugby team for the in the 19th Maccabiah Games in Israel At least three members of the Oregon second time. July 18-30, including nine athletes and contingent have participated in the games “I can’t tell you how proud I am to an accommodations manager from before, though two will have di"erent have been selected again. It is an unbe- Oregon. roles this time around. lievable honor and a privilege to be able !e Maccabiah Games began in Portland native Joji Kurosaki says, to represent my country alongside some 1932 in what was then British-ruled “For a person of Jewish heritage, the of the best Jewish athletes America has to Palestine. Held every four years in Maccabiah Games are the most important o"er. I wouldn’t miss this opportunity for Israel, the Maccabiah Games now are and meaningful athletic competition in the world. Although Australia is now my the third-largest international sporting the world. !e games represent all that home, Oregon is where I became the per- event after the Olympics and the World is good about sports. Maccabiah is about son I am now, and the Jewish community University Games. !e Maccabiah heritage, awareness, peace and athletic had a huge part in that.” Games are intended not only to encour- competition.” A majority of his family still lives in age athletic excellence, but also to foster After winning a bronze medal in rugby Oregon. Joji attended Portland Jewish a sense of Jewish belonging and pride at the 2009 Maccabiah Games, Joji was Academy in #fth grade, participated in among the participants, to which end invited to play international rugby. He BBYO and belonged to Neveh Shalom, juniors/youth/open athletes and sta" moved to Sydney, Australia, in January where he became a bar mitzvah. will participate in the seven-day Israel 2010 to play rugby for a year, where he Portlander Glen Coblens has been Connect education and cultural pro- is on a team with some of the Australian involved with Maccabi USA since 1999. gram that takes athletes to cultural and Maccabiah players he met in 2009. He’s In 2000 he went to Israel with Maccabi OREGON JEWISH LIFE | JULY 2013 51 Samantha Lee and her father, Larry Lee, in Israel for the 2001 Maccabiah games in which Samantha competed in soccer. Samantha running in her Pacific University uniform. USA to participate in a planning meeting di"erences in practice time and focus, but for the 2001 Maccabiah. At the 2001 I’m also certain that I will have a much games he was the team manager of the more mature outlook, understanding and women’s basketball team, returning in appreciation of this opportunity on my 2005 with that team as chair and assistant second trip.” coach. !is year Glen will compete During high school she excelled in for the #rst time – in men’s masters both soccer and distance running. Born basketball. and raised in Fort Wayne, IN, in 2008 she “It will be totally di"erent as an athlete moved to Forest Grove to attend Paci#c because I get to play as part of a team and University, where she eventually shifted hang out, play and compete with men in her focus back to distance running. the same age group,” Glen says. “Also I’m “I had some great teammates and a going with my family, and we’ll stay with OREGON MACCABIAN ATHLETES superior coach at Paci#c and still hold the Russell Brown, my wife’s aunt in Jerusalem. We will be records for the steeplechase and 10,000 Open Track and Field, Eugene at a home and experience how life is in meter run,” says Samantha. “I proceeded Israel. ” He and his wife, Mia Birk, have Glen Coblens, with running and #tness after college in Men’s Masters Basketball 45+, Portland three children, ages 1, 11 and 14. “We will large part to honor my family’s value in get to see the beauty and values of Israel Adam Frank, outdoor exercise. My father is a lifetime and also all kinds of sports. We will meet Open Fencing, Portland runner, as is my sister, Jennifer – both people from around the world through ran in the half marathon (with Maccabi Clayton Gelfand, sports.” Junior Boys’ Baseball, West Linn USA) in Australia in 2003.” Samantha Lee, who will be running Family history also plays a role for Lauren Goldstein, the women’s open half marathon this Junior Girls’ Volleyball, Bend Wilsonville High School graduate year, was the second-youngest soccer Clayton Gelfand, who will play on the Joji Kurosaki, player on the 2001 junior women’s soccer junior boys’ baseball team. Clayton has Open Men’s Rugby, Portland/Australia team. “I then played with the (Maccabi signed a “Letter of Intent” to play base- Samantha Lee, USA) junior’s team and open women’s ball for the Sacramento State University Open Half Marathon, Forest Grove team in Australia in 2003 and Chile in Hornets, where he was recruited to be a Jeffrey Merrill, 2004. I had a fantastic time playing at a dual player for both pitching and middle Open Track and Field, Portland higher level against teams from di"erent in#eld (shortstop/second base). Adam Ruben, countries, playing under brilliant coaches Clayton’s father, Scot Gelfand, has Open Golf, Lake Oswego and traveling,” says Samantha. fond memories of trying out for the “I’m very excited to be able to travel to Maccabiah games. MANAGEMENT Israel again with the Maccabiah Games. “As a youth I would say I was a suc- Matan Cohen, I’m sure running, opposed to playing Accommodations Manager, Portland cessful athlete in the sport of wrestling,” on a soccer team, will show its own says Scot. “My father signed me up for 52 JULY 2013 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE the tryouts and %ew with me to the University of Penn, to be in my corner and support the great op- portunity to go to Israel to wrestle in the games. I did make it to the #nals of my weight class but unfortu- nately lost the match in the #nal period. I was appointed as the #rst alternate for my weight class but did not Russell Brown will compete make it to Israel. !e trip in open track and field. was a special trip nonethe- less, because I had a special time with my father before I went o" to college. !is was one of those times that I above: Joji Kurosaki returns to would remember forever. Israel to compete in Rugby for the “In 2011, I had the hunch that the games would be coming second time. along soon, so I called to see if baseball was an option. I signed right: Adam Frank hopes his first him up like my dad did for me. Clayton and I drove to Los appearance in the Maccabiah Angeles for the tryout. We had a great time together in Los launches a fencing career similar Angeles. I hope that Clayton will remember this moment in to legendary Maccabiah fencers. time, like I did with my father. “Clay made the team and will get the opportunity that I Adam Frank, 16, never had. In the end, I will be traveling to Israel and riding the will compete in open coattails of my son’s success. I hope one day my son is fortunate fencing. A student at enough to experience this memorable time with his children.” Catlin Gabel High, his parents are Fred Frank Lake Oswego High School 2012 graduate and Lin#eld and Jacqui Frank. College freshman, Adam Ruben, will compete in men’s open golf. He is the son of Daniel and Lisa Ruben of Lake Oswego. “I am looking forward to it as an Adam says, “I’m really excited about having the opportunity opportunity to embrace my heritage and compete on a high to go and visit Israel and all the history it has. I’m also excited level in the sport I love,” says Adam. “I hope that I will be able that I get to represent the U.S. team, my Jewish community in to do well and compete in this tournament in the future. Many Portland and my congregation Temple Beth Israel.” legendary fencers have done this tournament, and I hope to In April Adam shot the best score of any Lin#eld golfer for become one of them. As an Oregonian I hope to represent my this season at the Willamette Cup, where the freshman carded a state well, and as an American I hope to represent my country blistering 68. well through sportsmanship, integrity and victories.” Lauren Goldstein, 14, will play junior girls’ volleyball. A Russell Brown, a professional track and #eld athlete rep- freshman at Summit High School in Bend, Lauren is the resenting Nike, will compete in open track and #eld. He is a daughter of Kirsten and Mike Goldstein. !e family belongs to member of the Oregon Track Club Elite – a professional track Temple Beth Tikvah of Bend.