Sonia Newell – Development Officer

Medals and memories galore

In my “Connecting our Community” page just before the term break, I highlighted Emanuel community members who were heading off to Israel for Maccabiah 2017.  What an amazing experience it was for them all – 18 current students as well as parents and alumni.

It was also a sombre time for some participants who had also been part of the Australian contingency 20 years earlier, with the Maccabiah Bridge disaster and subsequent deaths of four Australian athletes – Greg Small, Yetty Bennett, Elizabeth Sawicki and Warren Zines – and serious injury to many other athletes including Sasha Elterman, Emanuel alumna (Class of 2000), then a 15-year old student and top tennis player.

The 2017 Australian team which included around 30 members of our School community, entered the Teddy stadium in Jerusalem for the Opening Ceremony on 6 July, led by Emanuel parent and Team Captain Sean Bloch carrying the Australian team flag, with cheering from all corners of the stadium filled with hundreds of Australian supporters!  Sean went on to win two individual silver medals and a bronze team medal in men’s cycling.

History was made for Australia during these games in a number of sports. The junior girls football (soccer) team is the only Australian Maccabi football team ever (male or female, senior or junior), to reach a Maccabiah football semi finals. The team which included five Emanuel students – Nadia Coburn, Lara Joffe, Isabelle Shulz, Lara Rutstein and Jordan Weizman, only just missed out on the bronze medal, but they had the best result ever, well done girls!.

The Junior Netball team was undefeated throughout the games, and went on to win Gold – two Year 11 Emanuel students, Gina Seligsohn and Shai Stern are members of this team.  I am sure the girls will bring their gold medals to school to show their fellow students, as will all our medal winners!

From our parents, Trevor Sidley won gold in the Mens Open Golf and bronze in the Mens Open Golf Team event, whilst Daniella Goodridge won gold in the Masters 50m Freestyle event and bronze in the Masters Swimming 50m Backstroke.

Leo Lipman (Year 10) comes home with a silver medal – Junior Boys Cricket team, whilst Amy Collins (Year 11) has a bronze medal as a member of the Junior Girls Basketball team. Alumni Robbie Ezekiel (Class of 2013) and Bradley Sarif (Class of 2015)  won silver medals as members of the Open Mens Futsal team. 

Parent Phillip Behr won bronze in the 1.5km open water swim. 

Apologies in advance if I have missed other medal winners. You can see a list of all Australian medallists at: www.maccabi.com.au/Maccabiah/News/6416/MEDAL-ROLL-OF-HONOUR-Every-medallist-listed.cfm

Here now are just a few of the many very special photos from the games:

• Gina Seligsohn and Shai Stern (Year 11) with their gold medals – Junior Netball champions
• Gabriella (Gabi) Goodridge (Year 9) and her father Anthony who was Coach of the Junior Swimming Team, of which Gabi was a member and medal winner. They are pictured together with her gold-medal-winning mum, Daniella, a member of the Womens Swimming Masters team and Daniella’s first cousin, alumnus Shaun Jankelowitz (Head Madrich, Class of 2004), a member of the Australian Rugby team.
• Jared Elbourne (Year 10), three bronze medals (swimming)
• Danielle (Dani) Rutstein (Year 9) – silver medal 4 x 100m relay; bronze medal 4 x 400m relay; bronze medal high jump.

We are so proud of all our Emanuel Community sportsmen and women who participated in Maccabiah 2017, medal-winners or not.  Well done to you all!

If you have more Maccabiah photos you would like to share, please send to: snewell@emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

Goodridge family and Shaun Jankelowitz (right)

Jared Elbourne in action

Gina Seligsohn and Shai Stern

Danielle Rutstein