Check it out at http://www.MaccabiBusinessForum.org.

About The Maccabi Business Forum

The Maccabi Business Forum is dedicated to creating a worldwide community of Jewish professionals, business leaders and executives who have a strong desire to connect to Israel and to one another.

Operating under the auspices of the Maccabi World Union (MWU), the prestigious, 400,000-member global sports organization, the MBF creates and nurtures strong links between successful and influential Jewish men and women worldwide.

Just as the Maccabi World Union uses sports as a common denominator to promote Jewish identity and education, The Maccabi Business Forum focuses on business relationships and business-related programming as the key linking-point.

MBF aims to inspire and promote young Jewish leadership and social responsibility through open communications, new business initiatives and new volunteer activities.

MBF members enjoy the benefits of being part of an official worldwide network that assists them in establishing social, business, and volunteer relationships.  Furthermore, the Forum intends to establish global MBF centers that will provide networking opportunities in major cities around the world.

The MBF convenes several times a year and hold a bi-annual international MBF summit in Israel.

Maccabi World Union announced the winners of the 2009 Maccabiah photo contest today. Dror Einav of Ra’anana, Israel, took first prize with
his creative photo of the Dutch Field Hockey team and their shadows, winning a Maccabi Tel Aviv Basketball signed by the teams players.

Joshua Fox, of Maryland and Joey Lawrence of Washington, teammates at this years Games, tied for second place with their “Handstand on
Masada” photo. Both will receive rolling dufflebags bearing the embroidered logo of the 18th Maccabiah. This year’s submissions showed great creativity and diversity, producing winners of very different styles, interests, ages and backgrounds. We congratulate them all!

MWU also thanks all of those who participated in our contest this year and invites its members to continue posting great photos, blogs, stories and comments on the My Maccabi community site!

Awardee Bernie Gold is an all-around Maccabi man, active on both the sports and administrative ends of the Maccabi spectrum. Born in London during World War II, Bernie was raised in Australia, where his athletic career began when he was still in primary school.

Almost as soon as he could walk - or kick a ball to be more precise - Bernie could be found playing for at least one sports team each year – with an athletic repertoire which included cricket, soccer, squash, and lawn bowling among others.

As a seven-year-old, Bernie was named to the Sydney District Primary School soccer team, an honor he repeated in high-school at the age of 15 when he played for the Sydney District High School team.

Bernie was also a gifted runner, known at one point as the “fastest Jew in Australia,” a title he defended by setting numerous records at Maccabi Games.

Bernie’s dedication to Maccabi extended beyond sports, however, and can be traced back almost as long. He first joined the executive ranks at the age of 20, remaining just as determined to maintain Maccabi’s stellar reputation as he was to bring home the gold. For 40 years, Bernie served in whateverleadership role needed serving, be it managing Australian Maccabi teams, clubs or visiting delegations, organizing carnival weeks in Brisbane and Melbourne or representing Maccabi at the Victoria Jewish Community Council and the Executive Council of Australian Jewry.

Bernie also served as a sports columnist for the Australian Jewish News for 30 years, which made him an expert on all things relating to Jewish sports in Australia. Bernie’s admirers say that he knows the who, what, when and how of all things relating to Australian Jewish life since the first of his co-religionists landed in Australia in the late 18th century.

In October 2008, Bernie used his vast expertise to help secure the collection of documents, photos, and other sports memorabilia for the Pierre Gildesgame Maccabi Sports Museum at Kfar Maccabiah, after appraising it in a Melbourne auction room.

Bernie’s leadership abilities also shone through in the tragic Maccabiah of 1997, when a bridge collapsed under the Australian delegation. Despite his own injuries, Bernie put on a brave face and competed in the Maccabiah, helping to inspire his fellow-countrymen.

Additional Yakir recipients profiled in this series include:

Michel Grun
Jeanne Futeran
Ron Carner
Gideon Osterer
Bernie Gold
Marcos Kaplun
Stuart Lustigman
Ishie Gitlin
Eli Roloff

Born in pre-State Israel in 1935, awardee Zvi Shur was too young to take an active role in the War of Independence. Nevertheless, he did his part for the fledgling state when his junior high school - the prestigious Science and Technology School in Haifa (a program associated with the renowned Haifa Technion) - became an arms factory, with the young students helping to manufacture weapons for the Israeli fighters.

When it was Zvi’s turn to join the army, he took a slightly different path, first attending university - at the Technion where he studied engineering - and only afterwards putting on his army uniform to serve as an electrical engineer with the Israeli Navy. Recognizing his talent for the sciences, the Navy encouraged Zvi to earn additional degrees - in Design Engineering and Industrial and Business Management, both from the Technion. While attending university, Zvi kept up his army service, eventually reaching the rank of Brigadier-General with the Navy Reserves.

In 1964, Zvi began working with Shimon Peres, then Deputy Defense Minister, to do a cost-analysis of the IDF’s weapon systems and in 1967 Zvi was part of the team that created the IDF’s Defense System Research and Development Unit. Throughout the 1960’s and 70’s Zvi continued to work as a financial adviser to the IDF - spending time in New York as Head of the IDF’s Purchasing Commission’s New York office, and working as Financial Advisor to the army’s Chief-of-Staff, General Rafael Eitan.

Zvi retired from the IDF in 1982 and entered Israel’s business world, becoming CEO of the Israel Diamond Manufacturer’s Association from 1983 until his retirement in 2002.

1982 also marked Zvi’s entrance into the world of Maccabi. Due to his prominence in Israeli society, Zvi was immediately asked to join the MWU Executive, where he served for nearly 25 years as the Inspection Committee Chairman. Zvi’s Maccabi responsibilities included delivering annual reports to MWU plenums and congresses in which he offered critiques and advice.

Zvi’s background in finance served him well in Maccabi, where he helped construct the business plans for the Kfar Maccabiah Hotel, the Second Home Project and other Kfar Maccabiah constructions. Zvi was constantly called upon to provide the organization with cost-benefit analysis and guidance, and could always be counted on for expert advice.

Zvi provided much needed behind-the-scenes assistance to Maccabi as well, discreetly fundraising from his diamond-industry colleagues throughout his tenure with MWU. Zvi helped bring Maccabi numerous corporate sponsors and helped found MWU’s Community Uplift Program, which distributes assistance to needy communities throughout Israel. One of his most famous projects is the Pessach Food Parcels which began in 2000 in order to provide disadvantaged families with food packages before the Pessach holiday. In 2007, this project was expanded to include Rosh Hashanah packages as well.

The Maccabi community salutes Zvi for his work and dedication, and the example of financial responsibility and communal responsibility that he has left for the next generation.

The event was part of the unique Maccabiah experience for this young group of British athletes. Alex Pinnick, the junior manager for the UK delegation, recently told the JPost:

Although the participants came to compete, the Maccabiah is also an opportunity to make them more aware of the situation in Israel. They’ve come to be educated about their Judaism, their culture and issues like Gilad. I want them to do something proactive.

As quoted by TotallyJewish.com, Mr. Shalit urged those assembled, and concerned individuals worldwide to do more for his son:

We don’t have any clue about his health because Hamas prevent any access to him by bodies such as the International Committee of the Red Cross. [We urge Jews throughout the world] to put pressure on the ICRC to be more determined, more assertive to obtain access to Gilad and fulfill its duty by international law.

Shalit was open in his criticism of the Maccabi group’s home country, blaming the United States and British governments for asking Israel to lighten Gaza’s border restrictions while making no mention of his captive son.

These governments don’t mention there is still an open account…an unresolved issue between Israel and the Palestinians.

Shalit’s talk was followed by one from Amir Goldshmidt, the 18-year-old head of the youth campaign to free Gilad.

According to TotallyJewish.com, Goldshmidt asked the audience:

Who is 18 years old? You could also be Gilad Shalit. We need to go into the army in Israel, to serve our country and we’re glad to do it…[but] I go into the army knowing I could die or be injured, but I want to know my government would do anything to get me out of there.

While the Maccabi athletes left the event determined to do their part to secure Gilad’s release, Noam Shalit left the event strengthened by the feeling that there are other Jewish youth out there who care about his son.

As he told the Jewish News after the event (as quoted in TotallyJewish.com):

It’s very touching that young people are interested in such issues. They are not expected to show any interest in this crisis but it seems they do and they show they are involved. [These athletes] are part of the Jewish community in the UK - they can have an influence through their parents or through their youth movements. The main thing though is to raise awareness of the issue of Gilad.

And raise awareness it did. For many participants, this was the first time they heard Gilad’s story in such detail - if at all. Hannah Citron, a football player from London, told the JPost that meeting with Noam Shalit and Amir Goldshmidt gave her a better understanding of his Gilad’s plight and the political machinations surrounding his release.

I always thought they should get him back whatever the price. I didn’t realize it was so complicated… When you see all the soldiers you realize anything can happen.

Martin Berliner, CEO of Maccabi Great Britian/United Kingdom, which sent a delegation of 513 athletes to the Maccabiah at a cost of 1.6 million British pounds, recently told the Israel News Agency:

The Maccabiah is not about the money. Nor is it about medals and winning. It’s about the continuity of the Jewish people.

Yes, every individual loves to win and pocket that gold, silver or bronze medal, but the focus is on bringing together like-minded Jewish individuals from all over the UK, enabling them to meet and make friends that last a lifetime. It’s about bringing them to Israel to explore their Jewish roots and meet other Jews from the rest of the world. It’s about connecting to the homeland.

In fact, Maccabi Great Britain’s main goal is not the acquisition of medals, but supporting the continuity of British Jewry while stressing the importance of Israel, by focusing on the entire community, including the youth with a number of cultural, educational, social and athletic activities.

David Pinnick, head of the Great Britain delegation, told the Israel News Agency:

Before we arrived in Israel, people kept saying to us they hoped we’d win many medals and that we’d do really well in all our games. The first time I even thought of medals was when we started winning them. It’s not about the medals; medals get put into a drawer and forgotten about, but the memories live on forever. We believe it’s about being at a Maccabiah and being in Israel, and the camaraderie and feelings that go with the events.

Israel is part of our mission statement and Maccabi is a huge part of Jewish identity. In fact, many of our players become managers and community leaders because they’ve been inspired by this event. Maccabi is a vehicle to bring people to Israel; it is not an elite sports event focusing only on the sports. People are enthusiastic and passionate about the fact that it is in Israel, and watching the team develop outside of sports, making contacts, networking, making friends, is extremely rewarding.

Berliner agrees:

When the UK team was assembled, we had 513 Jewish people from Great Britain in one room all meeting and getting to know each other. That is what it’s all about. What we do is incredibly hard to put together - it’s all about Jewish continuity; we use sports to engage people, enable them to meet other Jews and have lasting experiences.

If we won all the medals and people went home and never spoke to each other again, we would have failed. It really is about the relationships and friendships that develop. We’ve even had a few marriages that resulted from meeting at previous Maccabiah events.

For both Berliner and Pinnick, the message of continuity has a personal tone, as their enthusiaism has spread to their children, who competed in the Maccabiah, Berliner’s son on the UK soccer team and Pinnick’s daughters on the UK netball team.

As Berliner told the Israel News Agency:

That’s where the continuation of the Maccabiah comes in. We have been involved and now our children are participating - as competitors and as leaders (madrichim). There is a woman whose husband and sons are competing, and in some families, there are three generations who are part of the British team.

Stuart Greenberg, Chairman of the Great Britain/United Kingdom Maccabi delegation told the Israel News Agency recently:

From the British point of view - it is great to win a medal, but it is the ethos of these games which truly counts. Showing support for Israel.

These sentiments are echoed on the other side of the Atlantic as well. As Ron Carner, General Chairman of the 18th Maccabiah Team USA told the Israel News Agency during the games:

I think it is going great - the best run Maccabiah ever. The complaint level is nearly nothing. And the US team really gets it - they understand the dual components of the program. Israel and sport.

The connection to Israel and Jewish life is felt even more acutely by those who came to the Maccabiah from the world’s smaller Jewish communities. Benjamin Waskar, a cricket player from a village three-hours distant from Mumbai, India, told Ha’aretz:

To play cricket, which I love so much, and to be in Israel where all the things I read about in the Bible happened, is simply a dream come true. When I was small, I wanted to play cricket and practiced with my friends, but I came from a religious family that objected.

Instead, Waskar studied to be a cantor, which gave him a new appreciation for his Jewish identity, an identity which has been reinforced by his recent visit to Israel as part of the Maccabiah.

It’s important to me that Jews learn about their roots and the meaning of being a Jew.

For the Indian cricket team, not only was the Maccabiah a lesson in Zionism and Jewish continuity, it was also living proof of the fact that kol yisrael arevim ze l’ze - All of Israel are responsible one for the other, as their travel costs were covered by Steve Soboroff, a Jewish businessman from Los Angeles and major Maccabi supporter.

According to Steve Marshall, the Indian delegation head:

Thanks to the donations we could allow young players and those with little means to fulfill a dream.

A dream which brought them to Israel and cricket glory, as they beat out South Africa to win their first gold in the 18th Maccabiah.

The committee of 18 is headed by business leader Steve Soboroff and counts actor Kirk Douglas - father of actor Michael Douglas - as a supporter.

Mr. Douglas spoke with Reuters news agency in California shortly after the Committee’s founding:

I am very excited about these games because sport is an international language the brings people together, not tears them apart.

While in Israel for the Maccabiah, Soboroff explained the group’s mission to the IDF news service:

We gathered a group of people who understand marketing and understand what makes the Olympics a success, and we try to bring it to Israel for the Maccabiah.

Soboroff went on to explain that while the Maccabiah is well known in Israel, it gets far less international publicity.

The group was created in order to raise funds to make the Maccabiah an event that will be seen everywhere in the world. 120 million homes in the world will be able to see the games this year [thanks to the satellite TV coverage Soboroff helped organize] compared to zero in past years. For us, it is important to work for the Maccabiah games in order to raise the level of awareness and bring people to Israel to see what they are fighting for and to understand the importance of the cause.

Soboroff and his Committee were able to see Israel’s best and brightest firsthand when they visited an Israel air force base on July 12th:

People have to know that without the IDF, Israel would not exist and that it is important to support the existence of the Defense Forces.

At the base, the group met with Air Force pilots and watched F-15 planes take off on the base’s main runway. The group also learned about the history of the Israeli Air Force and heard of some of its more recent missions. Pilot Capt. Yuval told the Committee:

Our squadron is in charge of transporting soldiers and elite units into combat areas. The Yasur helicopter is also used by [our unit] for search and rescue operations.

The visit made quite an impact on the Committee, including Jamie McCourt, CEO OF the Los Angeles Dodgers:

The purpose [of our Committee] is to support the Maccabiah - and the Dodgers support the games. [Israel] is a magnetic place, people are confident, charismatic and live their lives to the fullest because they never know what might happen.

The 18th Maccabiah was powered by over 450 volunteers, with at least 10% traveling to Israel specifically to volunteer at the event.

As Sara, the Tel-Avivian who served as Director of the Volunteer Unit for the 18th Maccabiah, recently told the Israel News Agency:

We decided to custom make the right jobs for the right volunteers. We have 12 professional translators, 24 writers and photographers, those who enjoy wrapping and packaging gifts, 60 volunteers of all ages helping in the sporting events, welcoming the delegations as they arrive at Ben-Gurion airport with flags, signs, posters. At the 18th Maccabiah Fun Beach Day we had 50 volunteers on the beaches of Israel giving presents from the Maccabiah. We have many who have volunteered for the MOKED emergency operations. These are hard working people who have left their day jobs to give a few shifts.

The commitment and dedication of these volunteers cannot be understated, as was made evident by a group of Sabbath-observant volunteers from Argentina, who walked from Ramat Efal to Ramat Gan in order to help out with a Maccabiah event.

What drives these volunteers? Many just want to be a part of this ground-breaking Jewish sports event.

This drive is often hard to explain to native Israelis, whose financial concerns often hamper their volunteer efforts. To Sara, this makes the Israelis’ efforts as meaningful as those of volunteers who flew thousands of miles to be a part of the Maccabiah.

Volunteerism is an effort which comes from the heart. For many of us who live in Israel, it is difficult to volunteer as the financial conditions in Israel do not allow for disposal income…But there are still those Israelis who make the ultimate sacrifice of doing without a night out or a movie to give a day or a week of their time…to the Maccabiah.

Sara’s deputy head, Shuli Speilman, from Tel Aviv, concurs.

We do it for others and we do it for ourselves. Nothing could be more rewarding and we have the respect of everyone we meet. In the US, France and the UK volunteering is seen as something usual, in Israel it is viewed as being even more important as the sacrifice is that much greater.

For many of the volunteers, the payback comes in the form of knowing they are doing something for their fellow Jews. Brett Weiss, a 25-year-old volunteer from Maryland, left a family brokerage business to spend two months volunteering with Maccabi.

As he explained to the Israel News Agency:

I have paid for most of my expenses. I came for the experience…I came to help out. I love it. Everyone is really warm. [I'm happy to be] doing a mitzvah for myself and the Jewish nation.

Similarly, Kim Maniovich, a 21-year-old volunteer originally from Tel Aviv and currently a student at Boston University, says:

We work long hours, but it’s inspiring to see strong Jewish athletes, men and women who are fit both mentality and physically - it gives us something to be proud of.

Kim, by the way, has an impressive Maccabi family with family member competing in Maccabiot for over 30 yers and a grandfather who served as President of Maccabi World Union.
Gaby Cohen, a 16-year-old volunteer from the United States sums it all up when she says:

I never felt that I belonged to the Jewish community [as much as when] I came here. It’s important to support the Jewish community by participating…I am very lucky to be here in Israel.

Awardee Jeanne Hazel Futeran (nee Lipschitz) was born in South Africa while World War II raged in Europe. Her connection to Maccabi began early, as a six-year-old she was already competing on the South African Maccabi swim team. Jeanne’s athleticism soon found expression in netball, tennis and badminton as well, and she soon added golf to the list of sports in which she was a formidable competitor.

In 1975, at the age of 34, Jeanne began working for a number of South Africa’s Maccabi committees, and in 1981, she competed in her first Maccabiah, as a golfer. Inspired by her experience, Jeanne organized a number of large golf competitions for Maccabi upon her return to South Africa. In 1985, Jeannne joined the South African Maccabi Confederation Executive, managed the South African Juniors at the 12th Maccabiah and became Maccabi’s first female congressional delegate at the Maccabi World Union’s 20th Congress in 1986.

Jeanne’s trailblazing continued, as she set about putting Maccabi’s rhetoric of gender equality into practice. In 1994, she was elected Chairperson of Maccabi South Africa, the first woman to hold such a leadership position. She later became the Maccabi World Union Vice President, which she assumed would be the pinnacle of her Maccabi career. Not only was she the first woman to reach such a high office, Jeanne is dyslexic, a condition which went undiagnosed for much of her life. Jeanne thought that the writing and media appearances that were par for the course for Maccabi Presidents would be too much for her.

Jeanne was convinced to take on the presidency by her predecessor, Ronald Bakalarz, who claimed her leadership was necessary in the aftermath of the bridge tragedy that marred the 15th Maccabiah.

It was fitting that Jeanne took the helm in a time of adversity as her presidency was tested almost immediately when the second intifada swept Israel and threatened the 16th Maccabiah.

Jeanne proved up to the challenge and the Maccabiah was held, a symbol of unity and strength at a time of great adversity.

No stranger to adversity, Jeanne battled health problems including a 3-stent operation in 2006, and immediately returned to competition, winning 3 medals in the over-65 women’s swimming competition at the Maccabi Australia International Games. “I’m passionately competitive, addicted to the thrill of winning,” Jeanne explained.

Jeanne’s strength and leadership skills ensured her re-election in both 2002 and 2006. This year, Jeannes is able to add the prestigious Yakir Award to her list of honors.

Additional Yakir recipients profiled in this series include:

Michel Grun
Ron Carner
Gideon Osterer
Bernie Gold
Marcos Kaplun
Stuart Lustigman

While in Israel to take part in the Maccabiah, a number of young Maccabi athletes traveled to the Joara Army Base for a day of basic training. As the base’s Deputy Commander, Captain Salech Halvi recently told the official IDF website:

For the arrival of the Jewish youth, we prepared a special program that is a shortened version of a military experience. The young athletes wore uniforms, had weapons, learned about discipline and the army in general.

In addition to the excitement of playing soldier for a day, the experience helped deepen participants’ connections to Israel as they identified with their soon-to-be drafted Israeli contemporaries.

Yaron Veiner, Deputy Executive of Kfar Maccabiah, who accompanied the American youth team throughout their travels in Israel, explains the significance of the gadna visit.

The majority of the young athletes that arrived here have never seen an Israeli soldier in real life, and now they got the chance to meet real soldiers and feel like soldiers for a day. The relationship with the Jewish youth population is very important to us.

No doubt the day at Joara helped deepen that excitement.