soul sport issue december 2013

Soul Sport Magazine 2013 1

A BLOCKBUSTER JEWISH SPORTS PUBLICATION

SOUL SPORT

SOUL SPORT

The Springbok Minyan10 Legends of SA Rugby

FIFA 2014World Cup Predictions

Frum & FitBody and Soul

Munich ‘72,Sport & Anti-semitism

2 Soul Sport Magazine 2013


Letter from the Publisher

Putting together Soul Sport has been a gratifying experience. Many people have asked me what the drive and motivation was to formu-late such a different kind of publication.

Sport and competition capture the imagination. Health and exercise has never been so cap-tivating of the public audience nor celebrated with such enthusiasm. Their is more research, science, media, time-in-vestment and economic clout in health & sport than at any other time. Countries come to a stand-still and global trad-ing pauses when major sport-ing events take centre stage. We can testify first hand how South Africa was mentioned on the lips of billions of people as the eyes of the world fixed themselves on our rainbow nation during the month long 2010 Soccer World Cup.

In short sport is happening!

The Baal Shem Tov, founder and master of the Chassidic philosophy, taught that everything in creation must serve as a means to grow spiritu-ally. This brings us to the fusion and the 'Soul' in Soul Sport. Taking careful aim through the pen of our superb contributing writers Soul Sport of-fers a range of penetrating spiritual insights into the world of sport, health and exercise.

My own sporting roots also motivated along the project. Being the son of legendary Brazilian footballer, Jorge Santoro Herrmann, I grew up and was nurtured within a sporting environment. It became evident to me that sport has a dispro-portionate focus. It transcends boundaries and is the matter of which dreams are made.

Sport is also the arena of challenge, where per-sonal and national stakes are at play. Where

in order to succeed one needs to strive, to reach deep within & discover inner resources. There are perhaps few better models for the challenges we face as individuals and collectively as a people than that which is of-fered through sport.

Fusing spirituality and sport is a convention breaker. It affirms that our

capacity to find inspiration is not limited to study halls and synagogues but that Judaism opens the window to the divine in all areas of life.

Thank you to our contributing writers and to our supportive advertisers without whom Soul Sport could not have been produced.

Enjoy this first launch edition of Soul Sport. We already look forward to a glamorous & sensa-tional follow on edition in 2014. One request – please give us some feedback!

With very best wishesIlan Daniel Herrmann

“Fusing spirituality

and sport is a convention

breaker”


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Table of contents

Brought to you by 011 440 [email protected] - www.soulworkout.co.za

6 Cover - Exclusive with Dean Furman Soul Sport gets up close & personal with Dean Furman of Doncaster Rovers & Bafana Bafana

12 The Springbok Minyan Jewish legends of the Green And Gold

17 Humour

18 Clinical and Sports Psychology Analaysing the tools we need to achieve

22 Interview with Joseph Leon Pamensky Cricket South Africa's leading administrator

26 Maccabiah Games 2013 The South African experience shared

32 Building Bridges through Sport Israeli & Arab youth forge an unlikely unit promoting peace

34 The Soccer World Cup 2014 Our panel of experts predict the outcome & who will shine in 2014

39 Youth forum A look at athletes in our Jewish day schools that are making their mark

44 Jewish Contribution to SA sport is endless An overview of SA Jewish sports over time

47 Jewish Sporting Snippets

48 Chess & the Jews Uncovering the phenomenal impact of Jews in Chess

52 Jewish History - A marathon of endurance and renewel The resurgence phenomena in sport, life and Jewish History

56 The Jerusalem Marathon A race where every footstep touches thousands of years of history

60 Rambam: Champion of health & exercise Finding the balance between body & soul

64 Munich '72: The Day Sport Was Changed Forever The heart of anti-semitism exposed

68 Frum and Fit Synthesising modesty & sport for the Jewish woman

72 Savour the Salad Adversity, triumph and the language that breaks the cultural divide

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BraamfonteinTel: +27 (11) 408 0000

Fuelled by BEE hatfieldvw.co.za

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At Hatfi eld VW, there are no middlemen. Your service consultant is also your auto technician. Having recently achieved the highest customer satisfaction index in the country, we at Hatfi eld VW continue to strive for service excellence. So, whether it’s a new or used car you’re looking for, or if you’re interested in servicing the one you own and love, visit any one of our three dealerships located in Pretoria, Bryanston and Braamfontein, and experience exactly why we are the best dealerships in the country.

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Cover Story


Soul Workout speaks with Furman about his game - his faith, his life experiences and challenges

He became a household name throughout South Africa when his sterling performances earned him a call up to the Bafana Bafana squad. Dean Furman was born on 22 June 1988 into a Cape Town Jewish family.

His ambition and drive at sport developed into a career in top flight football in the English leagues and internationally for South Africa. His preferred position is Midfielder and his cur-rent club side is Doncaster Rovers in the English Football League.

Like some other players of South African fame who have chants associated with them, Dean arouses a unique response from the crowd when playing for South Africa. Everytime he touches the ball the fans shout MLLLUUUUNGGGGUUUU! Translated to English it means ‘white man’ and no it is not said with a racist undertone but rather as a term of endearment by the fans.

Dean received his first international call-up for South Africa for a friendly on 19 August 2008 against Australia. He was an un-used subsititute in that match. He earned his first cap for South Africa in a friendly against Brazil on 8 September 2012. He earned his first man of the match award in the country’s 2–0 defeat of Mozambique on 11 September 2012.

Dean was selected for the final squad of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations tournament hosted by his home country.


Where and when were you born?I was born in Cape Town in June 1988 Which school/s did you attend?I went to nursery school in Cape Town but moved when I was 5 years old to London where I went to JFS (Jewish Free School). Growing up were you always into sports and was it exclusively soc-cer?I grew up in a sports mad family. I played most sports but excelled in tennis (where I played the equivalent of provincial tennis) and of course soc-cer. Were you affiliated to a Jewish youth group growing up? (Bnei; Habonim; Beitar)Due to my soccer commitments I was training al-most every day so didn't really have much free time. When I did get some free time and was able to attend I joined a group called Brady Maccabi which was I suppose your equivalent of Bnei, Habonim and Beitar. Do you identify with your Jewish roots and how do you express your faith?Judaism has always been important to me. I come from a traditional Jewish home with orthodox values and when I am at home we always have a good Shabbos dinner.


Have you ever encountered anti-semitism in your playing career?Not to date and I hope there will never be any such actions on the field of play. I have actu-ally found people wanting to learn more about my religion. What synagogue were you linked to in SA

and now in UK (if any)?Camps Bay shul in SA and Edgware

United synagogue in London.

What are your hobbies/recrea-tional likes?Any sign of a day off and I am on the golf course or spending time with my girlfriend. Which clubs did you play with

before turning pro?

In SA I played youth (under 5's) for Camps Bay, and then in the UK played for Radlett Rangers in my

local youth league where I was scouted by Chelsea at the age

of 9. I was at Chelsea from 9 years old until 18

years old when I Moved to Glas-gow Rang-ers, then Bradford on loan, then onto Oldham and now Doncaster Rovers in the English Championship. How, where and when did it hap-pen that you turned pro?At Chelsea I became a YT (Youth team) pro-fessional at 16.

After 2 years of my apprenticeship at Chelsea I ended up signing my first real professional contract at Rangers where I stayed for 3 years.

Who were/are the inspirational figures you looked up to then and now?As a playing hero both then and now I have always looked up to Frank Lampard. I was fortunate enough to see him training day in and day out and also saw how he looked after himself both in his personal and profes-sional life which has resulted in him play-ing top flight football for over 10 years now. Others sources of inspiration have come from my people who sacrificed so much time in order to give me the opportunity to pursue my

professional football career. Without them and their

commitment to me and my career I

would not be where I am today. Many youth aspire to be-come profes-sional soccer

players, but don't succeed.

What do you at-tribute your 'making

it' to?I believe the keys to my success have been the fact that I was always learning and listen-ing to my coaches and elders who had good advice in respect of my career. I also realised from an early age that I needed to sacrifice time, social events and even some friend-ships in order to be able to train at night at times instead of going out with them. Hard work and dedication are key and its very im-

“It is the highest honour of a professional

footballers career to represent ones country

and I am no different”

“Hearing the national anthem

was very emotional especially when my parents were also present at some of my games”


portant to have a good support structure in ones life who are always behind one in willing me to succeed on and off the field of play. What is it like playing for your country?It is the highest honour of a professional footballers ca-reer to represent ones country and I am no different. Hearing the national anthem was very emotional especially when my parents were also present at some of my games.

What are the biggest challenges in professional soccer life you encounter?

One is continuously encountering many different challenges. These include the

pressures, highs and lows of profes-sional football, the excitement of scoring and winning games, as opposed to the disappointment of losing games or getting knocked out of tournaments.

Take us through the profession-al clubs you've played with?

SEE ABOVE


Your current club?Doncaster Rovers Which club has thus far been the one you have enjoyed being with most?I have enjoyed my time at all my clubs and take away different memories from each one. What is your ambition going forward, what would like to achieve?My ambition is to play foot-ball as long as possible at the highest level my ability and my

body allows me to. I would love to win trophies with both cub and

National teams. What was your most memorable game?Making my debut for South Africa against Brazil in Sao Paulo was un-

doubtedly my most memorable game.

Why does Bafana struggle & what do they need to do?International football is becoming tougher and tougher. Under the leadership of Gordon Igesund the team has improved drastically and I am sure that this will continue which will ultimately result in the results going our way and turning in our favour.

What do you advise youth who want to go forward towards pro soccer?

Follow your dreams and never let anyone tell you that you are not good enough. Two valu-

able lessons I have learnt in life are one can never stop learning from others, and you can never practise enough. Have you been to Is-

rael?I have been there many

times and love everything about the place.

Have you represented SA in the Maccabi games? When?No. Due to my professional career I have never had the opportunity to do so. Where would you eventually like to set-tle?Having lived in London for most of my life, and with my family being here as well I see my future here in this side of the world but will definitely endeavour to spend as much time in SA as possible. I love the country and in particular Cape Town. Through which social media can fans fol-low you?twitter: @de4no22

My Family & Friends

“Judaism has always been

important to me. I come from a

traditional Jewish home with orthodox

values and when I am at home we always

have a good Shabbos dinner”


By Natasha Enfield & Ilan Herrmann


On the 30 June 2009 a moving and historical display was put up at the South African Jewish Museum in Cape Town. The exhibition was not of an ordinary kind. It was a tribute presentation celebrating the Jewish contribution to Spring-bok Rugby history.

“The Glory of the Game: Rugby and the Jewish Springbok Min-yan - honours those Springboks who made their mark on the world sporting stage,” went the motto.

It has oft times been said that the world of sport and the world of religion are of a differ-ent and antithetical mould. It may be that in some out of sight attics in the Vatican on a Sunday afternoon the Italian La Liga can be found screening on the local sports channel, but every good Catholic boy knows that he should be at Mass.

A minyan? A minyan belongs in Shul right! True, it may be so, but it takes a special qual-ity to be able to detect it outside the house of worship, find the connection, capture it and

make it into a living legacy. So just before we ‘tackle’ the team that makes up the ‘Springbok Minyan’, let us acknowledge the man whose vision it was that resulted in this innovative exposition and explore why he did.

The late Mendel Kaplan of blessed memory was a man for all seasons. With utmost

discretion nothing short of a philanthropic machine. As a captain of indus-try in the steel business he rose up the ladder of success in quantum leaps. Communally and individually he was dedicated with dili-gence, love and devotion to his religion, his people, the land of his people, Israel, and to his G-d. His contribution to the broader civil

Wynberg Boys 1952 Front Centre: Mendel Kaplan


society and upliftment of numerous others serves as a supreme example and inspiration.

All the while however their was a pulse that beat within him, generated by that of another passion - sport and Rugby in particular.

This dedicated Jew who was at home amidst a politicians luncheon with members of the Knesset; who could be called upon by Rab-bis and leaders across local and international communities; who embraced the teachings and the study of Torah and with enthusiasm the observance of a committed Jewish lifestyle - was just at home competing on the rugby pitch or cheering in the stands (or box suite) at a ‘Province’ match or a Springbok test.

Just a brief background of his involvement in the game shows up just why rugby was held in such high esteem by him.

Mendel played for Parow Boys at Primary school level before graduating to high school where he represented the Wynberg Boys first team. This was a school that contributed several Springboks during it’s time. He then played at University level for UCT and North-erns Rugby club as well as in England on the way to New York

Mendel came from a family who had Rugby in their blood. Uncles Sammy & Abe Bloch play-ers themselves and contributed to the game most particularly in their hometown Parow. Here they facilitated the development of a culture and community of strengthened Rugby ties at both amateur and professional level.

Mendel was a die hard Western Province supporter or ‘Province’ as they are known in Rugby circles.

He simply loved his Rugby. In England he would attend games at Twickenham next to Richmond. He ensured that he was in walking

distance from the ground. His Sabbath observ-ance was not negotiable.

The picture now takes shape as it was this en-during resonance with the game that resulted in his envisioning the Jewish Springbok Min-yan project which after much time and financial investment came to fruition in the form of the museum exhibit. Mendel himself opened the exhibition.

So who are this Rugby Minyan? Where do they hail from and what is their story?

There is a saying in South African Rugby that no Springbok XV can be successful without a Jew or a doctor included in its ranks. On December 5 1931 Morris Zimmerman made his debut for the Boks in an 8-3 victory over Wales. In the years that followed nine other great Jewish players have donned the Spring-bok Jersey.

Those ten Jews are known as the ‘Springbok Minyan’. Read on..

Morris Zimmerman (1911-1992) – 4 capsHe was the first ever Jew-ish player to represent South Africa. Zimmer-man was first capped for Western Province in 1929 and later took the field for Transvaal. He played four tests in total, in all he was victorious.A high knee action and unbelievable speed (Dr. Danie Craven said his speed coupled with his weight “made him a terror”) drew him a reputation as being one of the all time finest Springboks wingers.He would later coach the Transvaal rugby team and was the national selector from 1955-1967. Morris practiced law. He is featured in the British Rugby Museum in Twickenham.


Okey Geffin (1921-2004) – 7 capsKnown as “The Boot” this Springbok prop forward developed his talents in unusual cir-cumstances. He was incarcerated as a POW in Italy and later in Germany during WWll. Their he met and was coached by former Springbok Bill Payn. They played rugby games in the yard barefoot in the middle of the European winter.After the war he played for Transvaal for 7 years and received his first cap in 1949. It was the year of the great ‘white-wash’ of the All Blacks in which he was instrumental. He set several penalty world records displaying “ex-traordinary wizardry” at precision kicking of the ball.

Fred Smollan (1908-1998) – 3 capsThe Smollan’s are one of the few South African families to have had four generations of playing rugby at an official level. Fred Smollan debuted for the Boks in 1933. He was strong, mobile and unyielding, especially in close quarter exchang-es. Following his playing career he served as Senior Vice President of the Transvaal Rugby Union and on the SA Rugby Board.

Louis Babrow (1916-2004) – 5 capsLouis only played one year of international rugby, yet nonetheless is renowned as one of the best South African centers in history. He is remembered for having speed that enabled him to “take the outside gap” brilliantly.In 1937 he was the youngest player on the Australasia tour. The New Zealand scrum half Harry Simon approached him saying; “I believe you’re a damned Jew?” then quickly added “so am I..shake!” In the deciding test against the All Blacks, Babrow scored two tries and had a hand in the deciding one.Following his playing career Louis served as

coach, manager and selector for Western Province.

Cecil Moss – 4 caps (1925-) A great test wing, Springbok vice-captain, coach and doctor. Cecil was the grandson of the immigrant Rabbi of Calvinia and later Mui-zenberg. He played for the Boks in 1949 and 1950. He was Vice Captain in 3 Tests includ-ing the famous whitewash of New Zealand in 1949. Moss described rugby as a great lesson for life: “It teachers you to accept defeat and accept victory with humility.”

Wilf Rosenberg – 5 caps (1953-) Dubbed “The flying Dentist” he began playing rugby at age 6 where he lived in Australia as a child. Wilf developed his talents at Jeppe High School in Johannesburg and went on to play for Transvaal.Upon his selection for his first Springbok call up in 1955 the Sunday Times front headline read: “Rosenberg 5th Jewish Rugby Spring-bok.” He scored on his debut and facilitated two other tries in a 25-9 win against the Lions.He went on to play for Leeds in England where he set an unbeaten record of 44 tries. The International Jewish Hall of fame inau-gurated Wilf Rosenberg in 1997. He was only the third South African to attain such an honour.

Joe Kaminer – 1 cap (1934-)At school in Pietersberg Joe played along-side his twin brother Louis and another fellow Jew Maish Brenner. The twins both played for Northern Transvaal schools. Joe could speak fluent Afrikaans. He went on to play for the Sa-bles (combined SA Universities) on their Euro-pean tour in 1956/7 under Louis Babrow.At Wits Joe played alongside Wilf Rosenberg and then for Wanderers and Transvaal. On the 16 of August 1958 he played his one and only Test against France at Ellis Park.


Syd Nomis – 25 caps (1941-)In 1965 at the age of 23 Syd was chosen as the Springbok centre for the tour of New Zea-land. His career spanned 55 games including 25 consecutive tests. He retired at the age of 32 and not once was he dropped from a Springbok team.The Springbok side toured the British Isles in 1969/1970 amidst bomb threats and unpredictable demonstrations. The same happened during the 1971 tour to Australia and New Zealand. Despite the unrest the teams’ resolve and determination stayed intact. They came home from the Aussie tour of ‘71 unbeaten and be-ing given the name “the invincibles”.Syd Nomis is featured in the International Jew-ish Sports Hall of Fame in Israel.

Alan Menter – 1 cap (1941-)Under his father’s guidance, Alan learned to kick with both feet. This and the fact that he could run “like a lunatic” procured his place in the Springbok team in 1968 for the tour to France. After a year of playing and coaching at the University of Pretoria, Alan Menter retired. He realised a distinguished career in medicine

with high standing in the global medical fra-ternity where his accomplishments have been vast.

Joel Stransky – 22 caps (1967-)Joel Stransky debuted for the Blue Bulls in

1987 at the age of 19. He would also play for Natal and West-ern Province. He was the Bok flyhalf between 1993

and 1996 amassing 22 caps in which he scored 240 points including 6 tries. On the 25th of May 1995, Stransky scored that breath-taking drop-goal in extra-time

against the All Blacks which won South Africa the Rugby World Cup. He is immortalised in the movie Invictus depicting a racially reborn country.

Rugby remains a source of pride in our national culture. It has a unique ability to get the beat of a South Africans heart rate up as the Green and Gold take the field. As Jewish South Afri-cans we proudly salute our ten Jewish Spring-boks who are remembered for their contribution to SA rugby. We pay homage and thank you Mendel Kaplan for giving us the opportunity to pause and reflect, to admire and applaud.

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The quarter-backMike took his wife to her first ever American football game. They had great seats right behind their team’s bench. After the game, he asked her how she liked the experience.

“ Fun but a bit rough,” she said. “One thing I just couldn’t understand is why they were killing each other over 25 cents.”Dumbfounded, he asked her, “What do you mean?”“Well, they flipped a coin. One team got it, and

then for the rest of the game, all they kept scream-ing was,‘Get the quarter back! Get the quarter back!’I mean what’s the big deal. It’s only 25 cents!”

Sporting a sense of

humourHeavenly corruptionOne Day the satan challenged the Almighty to a Judo tourna-ment each fielding their own team. Smiling the Almighty proclaimed, “You don’t have a chance, I have Kano, Mifune, Kotani, Kimura and all the great-est players up here”.“Yes”, snickered the satan, “but I have all the referees!”

The right ironSelwyn and Natie are golf-ing. Selwyn slices his ball deep into a wooded ravine and climbs down in search of it.While there he spots some-thing shiny. As he gets closer, he realizes that the shiny object is an 8-iron in the hands of a skeleton lying near an old golf ball.He calls out to Natie in an agitated voice, “Hey Natie, I got trouble down here.”Natie calls out, “What’s the matter Selwyn?”Selwyn shouts back, “Throw me my 7-iron. You can’t get out of here with an 8-iron.”

Running euphoriaA friend of mine had resisted efforts to get him to run with our jogging group until his doctor told him he had to exercise. Soon thereafter, he reluctantly joined us for our 5:30 a.m. jogs on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

After a month of running, we decided that my friend might be hooked, especially when he said he had discovered what “run-ner’s euphoria” was. “Runner’s euphoria,” he explained, “is what I feel at 5:30 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.”

FanaticDovi, a youngster was a soccer fanatic. He ate drank and slept soccer.One evening in desperation about the weekend game he called his coach at home. The wife answered and told Dovi that the coach wasn’t home. He became frantic and said he had to speak to the coach right away.“Just calm down, and I’ll have him call you as soon as he gets home,” the coach’s wife told him. “Now what’s your number?”The flustered kid replied, “Three.”


Achievement on the sports field depends on a good balance between technical and mental skills. As in life, one’s attitude, energy, com-mitment and motivation can determine how the game is played. Sports psychology looks at some of the ways in which the mental and emotional side to sport can be managed and improved. As with most situations, this can also be applied to life in general.

Stress managementSport, as in situations in life, can become stressful. It is important to understand and manage stress. Stress, can be defined as when the demands that are placed on an indi-vidual exceeds the resources that individual has to cope. This is similar to anxiety when a sportsman believes he may be unable to per-form or cope.

Stress, is often seen as something as some-thing negative; but it can also be seen as something that can help motivate and push us. This is called eustress and is considered positive, in that it pushes us and makes us try harder. When stress becomes too much it is known as distress and this can negatively affect performance. This is when stress feels too much or to big for us to handle.

Sometimes in big games, players can perform badly. This is known as Big Match Tempera-ment and has unfortunately been used to describe the Proteas cricket team that always seem to underperform at the world cup. This comes about as a result of anxiety, which can

have a negative effect on performance. It can cause athletes to over-tighten muscle groups, increases heart rate and breathing (some-times referred to as choking). All of this can affect the flow of movement. Too much anxi-ety can also affect attention and concentration causing a “tunnelling” effect so that athletes do not focus well.

The best way to handle stress and anxiety, in sport as in life is through practice, determina-tion, and planning. The more hard work and preparation that goes on in practice, the more ready an athlete will be on the big stage. The more organised an athlete is, the more they will believe in themselves; and when this hap-pens, an athlete will feel that his resources (his skills and ability to succeed) will be greater than the demands (the expectations to perform and win) and so, the athlete will not feel over-stressed or anxious.

MotivationThere are two kinds of motivation – external and internal. External motivation refers to wanting to achieve things for external gain ie money, material, medals. In sports this can also include prizes and trophies.

Intrinsic motivations are internal drives. They are generally more concerned with the de-sire for self-development, improvement and the desire to achieve more potential. When children first start to play sport, they enjoy it more for internal rewards such as enjoyment,

By Jaydon Immerman

Clinical and Sports PsychologyBy Jaydon Immerman

Clinical and Sports PsychologyPsychology


By Jaydon Immerman

Clinical and Sports PsychologyBy Jaydon Immerman

Clinical and Sports Psychologybut when they start to enter competitions, many sportsmen become more concerned with winning and medals – external moti-vation.

In general, psychologists believe that internal motivation is stronger and more lasting than external motivation. In order to succeed in sport, as in life one must have passion, conviction and self-deter-mination, as this is the real driving force; and only later do the trophies, medals and success fall into place.

Goal settingGoals are important in life as they are in sport. They help to translate thoughts into relevant action steps and strategies. They provide focus and can lead to increased effort and perseverance. Goals can also allow for good planning and can increase motivation and purpose. There are three types of goals – immediate, short and long term; all of which are important.

There are some guide-lines for setting goals:Goals should be in writing.Goals should be concrete, clear and specific.Goals should be prioritized.Goals should be positive.Goals should be achievable but challenging. Goals should be measurable –and have deadlines.Goals should be flexible and

adjustable according to the circumstances.There should be goals for practice sessions and competitions.

Imagery“You have to see the shots and feel them through your hands” Tiger Woods

Professional athletes of all discipline be-lieve that mental imagery can improve per-formance. Mental imagery techniques are therefore widely recommended by sports psychologists to enhance motor skills and confidence.

Imagery can be used to learn and prac-tice sports skills as well as to learn and rehearse tactics and strategies. It can be used to practice problem solving and can also help the athlete become more aware of what is happening inside of him and around him during competition.

Many neurological studies have demon-strated that imaging an object in the mind is similar to perceiving it in reality. The reason for this is that mental imagery activates the same muscles that are ac-tive when we play the sport. Psychologists generally believe that we can use mental imagery to rehearse and practice real life situations; and therefore, mental imagery, can help athletes become more prepared and improve their performance before they take to the field.

Some guidelines for using imagery in-clude:


Use all the senseThe more involved and the more senses ath-letes use in their mental imagery the more ef-fective it will be. The senses typically include: visual, auditory, smell, touch, taste and feel. For example, if you are a cricketer and you are imaging bowling a ball being bowled at you, then, imaging it in colour is better than imagin-ing it in black and white. In the same way you can feel the weight of the ball in your hand and the run up as you approach the crease.

Maintain real-life timingIn order to imagine as accurately as possible, it is important to imagine things as they hap-pen in real life. For example if a penalty kick in rugby takes a minute to execute, the imagery should also be practiced for a minute.

Imagine a specific venue

This will help the imagery become more re-alistic. It will also help to imagine specific opponents that you will be playing against. The more specific you imagine an event, the stronger it will become.

Be realistic and positiveAthletes need to be realistic in their imagery. It is not about fantasizing about winning Wimble-don for example. Tennis players should rather practice rehearsing about their next game and tournament than daydreaming about ultimate glory at some point in the undetermined future. Athletes should always imagine themselves performing well and achieving positive results

Imagine with a purposeThere are many different reasons and differ-ent ways to imagine sporting actions. These can include mental preparation for big games, learning relaxation techniques, improving self confidence, dealing with anxiety and learning new skills. Visualisation exercises need to be sharp and focussed.

Self talkThe way in which we think about ourselves and our performance can influence how we play. This is true in life as well in that how we think and feel about ourselves determines how we go about our daily activities.

The important point here is to be able to think positive thoughts and counter negative thoughts. Thinking you can never win a tour-nament will become a self fulfilling prophecy. It is important to be able to reframe negative thoughts into more constructive and positive self-evaluations.


For example, some players call themselves a “looser” after a loss or they can think of them-selves as “stupid” if they make a mistake. If a player can reframe these thoughts into think-ing that everyone makes mistakes and it is normal, and that loosing is an opportunity to play and perform better the next time, then an athlete will be better able to pick themselves up and move forward. As in life, everyone falls from time to time, but the important thing is to be strong, resilient and move forward.

Exercise adherence and disciplineSport, like everything in life requires disci-pline and commitment. Unfortunately we live in a world of instant reward and gratification. People in this world want results straight away, often, at the push of a button. Many athletes, like first year university students, drop out of their respective sport after a short period of time.

Staying fit and healthy is a lifestyle. It is not a sprint but a marathon. It requires sacrifice and stamina. People need to work hard, and to keep on working hard at their activities. Finding time to practice and keeping up their exercise regime requires ongoing motivation. Perseverance and determination is the key and will ultimately separate athletes who are serious and athletes who are not.

Being in the ZoneThe zone is a sports psychology term and refers to a heightened state of focus and in-creased consciousness to the task at hand. It is sometimes known as being in the groove, or being on the ball. It occurs when your mind fully connects with the sport, blocks out all

distractions, and attention is absorbed into the present. When you are in the zone, time goes slower, and as a sportsman, you have more time to react. Emotions are channelled and en-ergized into the task at hand. The athlete feels more in control in this situation and the task can appear more natural, requiring less effort.

Being in the zone allows the athlete to per-form and play better. It is a skill and like all other skills can be learnt. When you are in this state of mind, you will feel more relaxed and will also experience more enjoyment and satisfaction about your performance. It is pos-sible to be in the zone for activities outside of sport – such as work. It is the sense that things flow smoother, obstacles are easier to overcome, distractions and problems appear further away and you have all the time to man-age the demands and constraints that you are faced with.

ConclusionSport and exercise is physically good as it keeps you healthy. Sport can also help peo-ple emotionally as athletes feel good about themselves. Mentally, athletes can also feel stimulated. Furthermore, it can give athletes a sense of belonging and purpose. Sport also has a social dynamic and team sports teach participants to get along and work towards a common goal. Sport can provide enjoy-ment and be a source of hard work. And this is the connection it has with life: the harder we work, the more committed we are, and the more we try, ultimately the greater will be our success – both internally and externally!

Dr. Jaydon Immerman is a Clinical Psycholo-gist at Wanderers Wellness Centre, Illovo, Johannesburg. He trained at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia and specialises in short term Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.


Soul Sport sits down with

Joseph Leon Pamensky

Since he was in school, Joseph Pamensky has lived and breathed cricket. He sees cricket, as the years have shown, as his pas-sion. Pamensky has contributed a great deal to South African cricket by being involved in the rebel tours, being a part of the Gauteng Cricket Board and seldom misses going to a game. So why cricket? What impact does cricket have on Pamensky’s life? And what ripples has he brought to the game? Soul Sport met up with one of SA Crickets most important executives and covered his story.

SS:Why did you choose cricket as opposed to any other sport? JP:Because I played cricket and cricket is what drew on my passion.

SS: What impact did cricket have on your life?JP: When I was in senior school, my home was really close to the school and I used to go there and score on the board just to watch the team. One thing lead to another. As I was a keen crick-eter in school, I played in the first cricket team, then I came here and played in the first team for Wits. After qualifying for Wits, I went to Pirates and played for them. Then came the introduction to administrative involvement. I was the youngest cricket official that was ever chosen by the Transvaal Cricket Board (TCU); they were the Cricket Union in those days, and that was mainly because the Treasurer of the TCU was retiring and he wanted someone who knew something about accounting. As I studied Chartered Accounting, he asked me if I would like to be a part of the

Interview

By Sarah Kobal


board of which I said yes. From then onwards, I enjoyed the company of all the people some of which were legendary South African cricket-ers that were on the board. So it has been my love, and my life.

SS: Why are you a life member of the Maryle-bone Cricket Club (famously known as Lords Cricket ground in London)?JP: It was in terms of the struggle that we had and the times that we were isolated in South Africa. The English Cricket Board wanted us to get back into world cricket and I happened to be around at the time. I was the person that they were speaking to as a way to facilitate everything.

SS: Your family have roots that are steeped in

Jewish tradition – can you elaborate?JP: Yes, firstly, my late father was the presi-dent of the Greenside synagogue. In the Greenside synagogue, there's a main hall there which is known as the Sam Pamensky Hall. My dad grew up around there, he was also a treasurer and he raised a huge amount of money to build the structure that they now have.

Judaism is an integral part of my and my families identity. The loyalty and love for our tradition has been inherited through the chain of my family. On the subject, although I was approached to serve on the shul committee, due to my ex-tensive involvement in cricket executorship I declined the invitation.

Clockwise: Joe & fam-ily, Mervyn King, Mandy Yachad, with late Chief Rabbi Cyril Harris

Clockwise: Joe Pamensky, his late wife Pam and their children.With Mr Mervyn KingReceiving the State President’s Award from the then State President, PW Botha.Joe and Mandy YachadWith son Martin and late Chief Rabbi Cyril Harris at the 50 years of service for Gauteng Cricket celebration.


SS: Has being Jewish, been an inpediment in any way in your career?JP: Insofar as inpediments of that nature, I have been able to rise above it. The people accept me for who I am, what I am and not for what religion I happen to be.

SS: Dr Ali Bacher, a former South African Test cricketer and administrator of the United Crick-et Board of South Africa has been a long time colleague of yours – please elaborate..JP: Yes, I have known him since he was a

school boy. He played for Belford park cricket club, when he first played at school. I was just very close with him in those days when he played first league cricket for Belford Park and I was keeping wicket for Pirates. Then they had a powerful cricket team. Later on, I was administrator at the time when he was captain of SA cricket, so yes, we've known

each other for a very long time.

SS: Hansie Cronje shocked the cricket world with the match fixing saga years ago – was it something you had to get involved with?JP: Yes in fact I was very much involved. What I mean by this is when it broke out, I happened to be with Ali Bacher and Michael Katz, the attorney in a meeting. Somebody came into the office when we were consult-ing with Katz and told us that all the press are here from all around the world, wanting to know what Ali's reaction is to Cronje's alleged involvement in the issues that were ultimately confirmed later to be the facts. Ali said, "well I spoke to Hansie this morning and he said there's no truth in the rumour, therefore as far as I'm concerned that's the end of it" because Ali believed that Hansie was telling the truth. Once this was said, they decided then and there that since all the press were downstairs, a press conference would be set up. At the press conference Ali said what he had previ-

Letter of tribute by Dr Ali Bacher to Joe Pamensky on the

celebration of his 80th birthday.Dear Joe

Congrats on a very well played 80 – an innings that has been executed with competence, efficien-cy and careful planning. When I look back at my cricket career, either as a player or administrator, JLP was always there either directly or indirectly. He remains for me one of the best, if not the best, all round cricket administrator that I encoun-tered during the past 50 years. Strong on financial and constitutional matters he played a pivotal role in the financial well being and success of Transvaal/Gauteng and South African cricket over many years. Although he only played cricket at club level he was smart enough to circle around himself former international cricketers and by doing so he was able to imbibe their cricket expertise and knowledge. Thus in cricket meetings he was able to engage in cricket discussions with a reasonable degree of conviction. Internation-ally he remains highly respected and to this day remains in contact with past and present world cricket administrators.

Besides his close family his passion and love has always been for the great game of cricket. I have always said that if you show passion and com-mitment for what you are doing you will make a success of that responsibility and position. Joe has always displayed those attributes and that is why he became a very successful cricket admin-istrator. Joe being very meticulous also became a CEO’s nightmare. At the outset of any cricket meeting, minutes of the previous meeting would first have to be approved. Invariably it would take 45 minutes to approve as Joe would methodi-cally expose deficiencies in the previous minutes. Calm always, even under extreme provocation, only once did see him lose his cool. Joe, may you continue to have good health and looking forward to you attaining your ninetieth in 2020.

Your very good and close friend over many dec-ades.

Ali

Joe with Ali Bacher

ously said to us which turned out ultimately not to be the facts.

SS: How did you feel when you heard about the match fixing?JP: I was very disappointed.

SS: You were on the South African cricket board with Hansie's father, how did he react to Hansie’s match fixing find? JP: Hansie's father was very disappointed in him, he couldn't believe that had happened to Hansie.

SS: What is your current perspective of the Protea Squad and how do you think they will do in the Cricket World Cup?JP: I think that they are a very good team. I would prefer it if they didn't change the team as much as they do, but unfortunately there are so many aspects to the game today that didn't prevail in the past. There are the day matches, the night matches, the short term game, the five day test match which is then compared to the Pro 20 or other limited overs matches.

The game has changed and the public respond differently; the elderly people with respect, are

the people who like the 5 day matches because they have 5 days to go watch it. Whereas gen-erally the younger people like things to move much faster even though the 5 day test match is still regarded as the pinnacle of one's cricketing ability as opposed to a one day match or other limited overs day matches.

SS: How do you think the game has changed over the years?JP: The game itself has taken on a whole new dimension because it is appealing to younger people and appealing to the people who want things to happen yesterday. Nowadays people don't have the time to go and watch test match-es. This said however, there is still good attend-ance at test matches which is great to see.

Cricket South Africa is more the richer due to the extra-ordinary dedication, commit-ment and overall contribution by Joseph Pa-mensky. His legacy is one that continues to impact the game and we wish Joseph many more years of good health and the opportu-nity to enjoy the game he so loves!

Sarah Kobal writes for ‘Do it Now’ magazine and is a freelance journalist.

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MACCABIGAMES 2013 - By Team South Africa

Maccabiah 2013 review

Left: David Letchert Right: Maccabi Chairman Cliff Garrun

By Cliff Garrun

Chairman of Maccabi SAWinner Silver & Bronze swimming 55-59 category

Having taken over the Chairmanship of Maccabi SA late in 2010 we held a Strategic Planning Conference. One of our goals was to put togeth-er a viable Team to compete in the 2013 Macca-biah with the focus on excellence AND participa-tion AND with a major focus on our Youth. I think this was achieved with our largest ever Delega-tion (200 out of 320 participants being under 20) and highest Medal haul ever. Personally and for the Senior Management the planning and prepa-ration in the months leading up to the Games was extremely stressful bearing in mind we had a currency collapse and no full time office to as-sist with the administration. So the whole effort was undertaken by a group of volunteers. It was a huge effort that not only Maccabi SA can be proud of but the entire Community from which

we got massive support

COMMENT ON SA JEWISH SPORTWe have areas where we domi-nate on the world stage such as Cricket, Junior Rugby, Cycling and Lawn Bowls. We are competitive in Swimming, Golf, Senior Rugby and Vets Marathon. SA came overall 5th in the medal Table – a great achievement. The 19th Maccabiah was notable by a massive increase in standards coming from the Israeli Teams. This is across the board. Whereas the Americans used to dominate in events like Ath-letics and Swimming, Israeli Teams and com-petitors are fitter and better organized. We need to take these lessons going forward and begin our preparations for the 20th Maccabiah much earlier if we are to maintain our competiveness and improve.

In the Israeli summer of 2013 the 19th Maccabi games took place with some 9000 Jewish athletes of all sport representations converging on the holy land.

Four years of arduous preparation finally saw the event come alive as the July 8th opening ceremony began in Jerusalem’s Teddy stadium.

A two week long celebration of sporting passion, national pride and Jewish unity characterised the games. For many a memorable and life-changing event.

Soul Sport caught up with officials and athletes from the South African delegation who shared with us their experience of the 2013 Maccabiah.

Photos with thanks to Ronen Cohen


HIGHLIGHT MOMENTThere were a few1.Opening Ceremony which coincided with Madiba’s birthday. Had a big Banner which got a huge amount of attention from the crowd and media2.Kevin Evans winning Gold in the Road Race – I think our best athletic achievement3.Our Junior Rugby Team dominating the Inaugural Junior Event

COMMITMENT AND ZIONISMI would think that the Leadership are all com-

mitted Zionists and with our passion for sport (especially amongst our Youth) the Maccabi Movement is a fantastic outlet and opportu-nity for us to get involved. The SA Jewish community are overwhelm-ingly Zionist believing in the centrality of the State of Israel and so we have an enthusias-tic and committed constituency. The opportunity that we give for sports-men and woman to go to Israel is taken up enthusiastically and the Brand is now firmly reestablished and respected in our Com-munity.

By Jeanne Futeran

Chairperson & former President Maccabi World union

1981 and my first Maccabiah as a golfer. What a wonderful experience itwas for me a 40 year old mother of three! So it is easy for me to imagine how a teenager would feel going to his or her first Maccabiah. And once you have been you want to go again and again. It is not just about playingyour favourite sport but also meeting and competing against sportsmen and women from all over the world. What other organiza-tion gives its people such an opportunity?

And to add to all that you have the opportuni-ty to visit that wonderful country, our second home, Israel, and enjoy all it has to offer.

Over the 9 times I have attended the Macca-biah as a sportswoman, in various positions of management and finally as MWU’s Presi-dent, I have watched in awe as it has grown bigger and better. That little country Israel doing it every 4 years without specially built stadiums and sports amenities.

The 2013 Macca-biah was the first time I did not have to work. I could travel around and watch and enjoy watching our wonderful team.Nearly 400 athletes, the biggest team ever from South Africa! Sitting on the stand at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem was the big mo-ment for me. I no longer had to worry about making speeches. It was someone else’s job now. I could just enjoy it all. The big moment came when our team marched in behind a huge balloon in the South African Flag col-ours and there in front was the banner with Madiba’s face smiling at us all. What a great moment that was!

For the first time there was a Hub at the Win-gate Sports Centre for the juniors to gather at each day before and after there sports com-mitments.


By Natan Mendelsohn

Under 18 Soccer

I went to Israel with high expectations of a really amazing experience, and that’s exactly what it was. We got to experience Israel and at the same time played soccer against people from all over the world. The oppor-tunity for soccer lovers to play competitively almost every second day was like a dream come true. Most players were extremely friendly and happy to socialise after the games. We got to play against the likes of England, Ger-many and Spain. The opening ceremony welcomed us to the experience and walking around that field gave a sense of excitement to all participants. It really lived up to every expectation. There were several parties that we attended and got to meet people playing all kinds of sports from many different countries. The whole tournament was very well organised and we had a lot of freedom when we were not training or playing matches. Our hands on manager did a good job and it was really fun to go with him. Expectations of having the time of our lives were exceeded.

This was a great success with lots of activi-ties available and I know the juniors had the best time ever. Another new innovation was the inclusion of what we termed “lost Jewish Communities of the world.” One of our executive members was sent out to find Jewish communities that had never at-tended a Maccabiah and as a result there 77 countries at the Opening Ceremony. Countries like Cuba, Mauritius and Zimba-bwe and many new countries from Eastern Europe even with only one or two members, marched into the stadium. Usually we have about 60 countries attending.9000 (including the Israeli team) athletes, managers, coaches were in Israel to enjoy the Maccabiah. The biggest turnout ever. Sadly there was one problem and that was

the high cost of participation. This matter needs to looked into and discussed at length to see if we can keep costs down orour wonderful Maccabiah will eventually only be available to the rich.

If I could have my way every young Jewish sportsman or woman would get an opportu-nity to visit Israel and attend a Maccabiah. Statistics show that many who make Aliyah have at some stage attended a Maccabiah. Others like Mark Spitz, have gone on to be-come world champions in their sports. It isan opportunity not to be missed. So I sug-gest to those who want this wonderful ex-perience to start saving now. You wont be sorry! You will have the best time and will never forget it.



By Desmond Hyman

Vice Chairman of Maccabi South AfricaHead of South African Delegation

Two months after team South Africa’s return form the 19th Maccabiah games, I have come to realise that many sportspersons and members of our Jewish community do not appreciate the amount of time and ef-fort that was required to put our South African team for Israel together. All the convenors, managers and coaches responsible for preparing our delegation for the games, as well as a small team of dedicated volunteers who juggled their personal lives and work with organiza-tion for the games, deserve the sincerest appreciation. But, I cannot deny that the ungracious attitudes with which we were often greeted, evoked doubt about whether our efforts were being wasted. However, while I stood in Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem, our undivided Jewish capital, with thousands of Zionistic Jews from around the world for the opening ceremony, I gained a profound perspective. The hard work and logistical difficulties we experienced leading up to games, were for-gotten; every minute of community service I contributed to the Maccabiah movement was invaluable. One can neither match nor forget the special memories of representing South African Jewry in our homeland. This was the highlight of my Maccabiah experience.I had a mixed and eye-opening experience at this 19th Maccabiah Games. I attended match-es and official functions, visited the juniors in Netanya and met with other countries’ delega-tions - almost all of which agree that travelling in Israel is not only time consuming but also tiring for athletes (some-thing that must be considered when sportsmen are required to per-form at an international standard). Subsequent to my experience, I acknowledge that we are faced with many challenges going forward, the most significant being to implore our Junior and Senior sportsmen to strive for higher honours in sports at a club, university, provincial and even national level. All this is necessary should we intend to be gold-medal contenders at the next Maccabiah. Thus, our selection model will be more extensive and demanding. We are setting a higher qualification standard than ever before. We, as Maccabi South Africa aim to be a sustainable community sporting organisation that helps develop Jewish sport performance as well as cultivate an attitude of exemplary sportsmanship. We challenge all Jewish sportspersons in South Africa to support our aspirations for Maccabi South Africa as we approach the 2017 20th Maccabiah Games.

Left: Gabriella Hyman Center:Desmond Hyman Right:Nathalie Hyman

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By Kevin Evans

Gold in cycling Road RaceSilver in time trial

Being part of the Macca-biah Games was definitely a highlight for me, and besides the results achieved at the games, the friends I made, and experience I had in Israel was very special. South Af-rica had a big team, but it was really the small group of cyclists who I got to spend time with and had the most fantastic times with.Make no mistake though, when it was time to race, it was completely focussed and disciplined, and the results were great that our cyclists achieved.

Obviously the biggest highlight for me was winning the gold medal in the mens road race, held over 110km in the Golan Heights. To achieve this I had to beat a former u/23 World Champion from the Ukraine, and a

strong squad from Israel. This was after the same Ukrainian had won gold in the Time Tri-al (a separate race held against the clock) a few days before, and I took the silver medal. I had to race clever, and with only one other

South African in the race, we had to make the most of smart tactics,

and race off the Ukrainian, counting on him to want to win the race as much as we did.

It couldn’t have worked out better, as we competed

around a 10km circuit which we had to complete ten times, I had

plenty of support from team mates and there families standing roadside.It was also special as I had my father there who was helping the team, and all the guys in the team had already completed their respective races well, and were awaiting me at the finish.

The few days after our races were spent exploring the magical city of Jerusalem, and this was as great for me as winning the race.

By Shireen Sapiro

Gold & 2 silver in Paralympic swimming

The 2013 Maccabiah Games was one of the best experiences of my life. I feel so lucky that I was given the opportunity to be a part of the biggest Jewish sporting event in the world. Be-ing able to unite in the beauty of sport as Jews is an indescribable feeling. The highlight of Maccabiah for me was when I got to stand on the podium as a gold medalist and Maccabiah Champion. It’s always a privilege to represent your country. I always feel most proud when I get to stand on a podium wearing green and gold. The competition was tough. The Israeli team had so many talented swimmers so I knew I would have to swim hard if I wanted to come home with some medals. We had such an amazing team where we all supported each other. This always makes it easier when the pressure is on to perform.

Left:Shireen SapiroRight:Samantha de Leve


B

uild

ing Bridges

South Africa was recently visited by the Co-Existence Girls’ Soccer Team from Israel - 4 Jewish Israeli and 4 Arab Israeli girls all aged between 16 and 18 - proved beyond a doubt that participation in sports is definitely the best way to encourage interaction among people of different faiths, colours and creeds.

Arranged by the Israel Center (in Johannesburg) and the Peres Centre for Peace (in Israel – the brainchild of Israeli President Shimon Peres), the visit encompassed a variety of activities for the girls, enabling them to see some of South Africa, to meet and extend a hand of friendship to young South African female soccer players, to show off their soccer skills, and most of all, to counter the widely-held misconception that there is no com-munication between Israelis and Arab Israelis, and that the country is little more than a conflict zone. Though the Arab and Israeli teens live in villages minutes apart from one another, this program provides one of the more positive and practical opportunities they have to interact. The mo-tivation for bringing them to this country was launched by the Partnership 2Gether Program and the Israel Centre in support of the Twinned Peace Sports Programmes initiative of the Peres Centre for Peace. Promoting bridge building and coexistence through sport has been one of the many excellent ways in which the Peres Cen-tre has sought to break down stereotypes and change attitudes towards the “other” between Jews and Arabs in Israel.

Through Sport

Unity

By Bev Goldman

Above: The Israeli Arab Bridges for Peace group that visited South Africa in 2013Below: A fabulous day of unity with Bridges for Peace and the schools in South Africa


Not only did the team assist with building bridges in Israel they also helped the proc-ess in South Africa. They did this by playing in a soccer tournament featuring schools from many different backgrounds including private schools, township schools and former model C schools. There could only be one winning team but all the girls ended winning with new friend-ships and a new understanding of each other’s culture.

On Monday, the Co-Existence Team had the opportunity of enjoying a practice session with coaching team staff from Supersport United, in-cluding drills on passing and team work. Need-less to say, that was one of the highlights, among many, of their trip.

It was not just the soccer that was a highlight of the trip though. The girls also got to visit the Ni-zamiye Mosque and various Synagogues, see wild African animals, and go to Afrika Tikkun’s nursery school in Alexander Township.

Entranced by the little ones, the girls played and sang nursery rhymes with them; and later

on they were taught and participated in a tra-ditional African dance by and with some of the older children who attend Afrika Tikkun.

With such visit it is easy to see how sport can contribute to a better world not just athletic abil-ity on the field of play.

Bev Goldman is Head of Media Affairs at the SA Zionist Federation and Israel Centre

Enjoying the spoils of victory while making new friendships at a Bridges for Peace event.


2014

Soccer world cup

2014

Soccer world cup

It's always difficult to predict a competition like the World Cup, where the gaps in ability are so marginal and it often boils down to which team has a hot streak at the right time, and of course a good dose of luck along the way.

I would love nothing more than for an African team to reach the semi finals of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil - but beyond Egypt or Ghana I can't really see that happening. That leaves it as a battle between South America and Europe.

From a European perspective Spain and their glittering array of midfield talent are the obvious choices but, as Brazil showed in the Confed Cup, they do have defensive frailties and will need to sort those out as well as add another striker to Torres upfront if they are to retain their World Cup crown.

Germany have shown at Club level, (an all-German Champions League Final) and through the growing status of the Bundesliga, that their significant investment in youth academies and world class infrastructure has paid dividends. They have added flair and tech-nique to their traditional efficient and physical approach and will be strong contenders in Brazil if they can adapt to the South American conditions and environment. While Italy and France are consistent performers at the worlds premier event and may revel playing in the shadows of their more fancied peers from Spain and Germany, my European dark horses are tiny Belgium, who will certainly shock a few teams and if they can avoid injuries and suspensions (they don't have the depth of the big guns) may just reach the semis.

The experts analyse & predict who will shine

STANLEY MATTHEWS

Predictions


Brazil have a formidable record at home and showed in the Confed Cup that they will be a tough nut to crack at the World Cup. But local pressure and ex-pectation can also take its toll and Neymar and co will have a lot more than match related pressure to contend with come June 2014. That leaves the door open for Argentina to upstage Brazil as potential South American Champions. Argentina often flatter to deceive but they do have enough quality individu-als to mount a serious challenge, especially if Messi finally replicates his Barcelona form in an Argentina jersey. The 2 South American dark horses are Columbia and Uruguay (if they qualify which is not certain at time of going to print), both of whom will be familiar with conditions, carry strong local support and have the potential to surprise the more established favorites.

My Final predictions : Champions : BrazilRunners up : Argentina 3rd and 4th playoffs : between Germany, Belgium, Spain and Columbia

Stanley Matthews is the CEO of first division soccer team Supersport United FC. Previously he held the position of CEO of the PSL, the Professional Soccer League of South Africa.

MARTIN COHEN

In my opinion as I'm sure is shared by many pundits, the World cup will go to Brazil.The reasons are a few. Firstly home advantage will be a major factor as was seen in the Confederation cup particu-larly in the final against World number one Spain. They also have a young side and are managed by two of the best, Parreira and Scolari.Their depth of player potential is excellent and their leading man Neymar is starting to peak with Barce-lona. It all bodes well for them and I pick them to win.

My second team and dark horse of the tournament is Uruguay. In fact we may have a repeat of the 1950 final between Brazil and Uruguay again. Uruguay have got good players. The reason I have picked two South American sides is because the 'home' territory of being in South America I believe will play an impor-


tant role in the outcome of the latter qualifying games. Uruguay can be very dangerous and combine a game with both skill and strategy.

The 3rd side that can go all way is Germany. Again a young team with players playing across Europe. The attribute of discipline will be a major factor in playing away from home and where other teams such as Belgium and Spain who are class teams may not have the mental grit in the boiling cauldron of South America to confront the elements and better sides, Germany can. Watch out for them.

My 3 teams then are: Brazil; Uruguay; Ger-many

Martin is CEO of Jacks Paint. He became a household name in SA sports as a footballer through the 1970’s & ‘80’s.

RAYMOND HACK

If one had to correctly pre-dict the Top Three Teams for the World Cup, it would be the equivalent of winning a lottery ticket! As we stand today, one would have to say that Brazil, Germany and for me, Nigeria, would be the Teams that would certainly make the Semi-Final. My reasoning is as follows: 1. If you look at the Technical Staff of Brazil it is unparalleled, and with the combined genius of both Scolari and Perreira, not many teams would able to match them. Over and above that, they have the ultimate “Super Sub” in the Brazil fans who will support them as never before seen in Brazil! 2. Germany have just extended the contract of coach Loeb, who has certainly matured since 2010, and the strength of the individual players in the Bundesliga was evident during the UEFA Cup final between Bayern Munich and Dort-mund. 3. My surprise would have to be Nigeria, in that

their coach Stephen Keishi is a coach who has done it all – similar to Franz Beckenbauer, play one and coach one! The manner in which they won the African Cup of Nations Tournament, and the way in which they are able to come from behind at present – without any European Superstars but just with home-grown play-ers, leads me to believe that they will have the strength in their squad to go the whole way. 4. A lot of people will question why I leave out Spain, but if you look at their existing squad and their ages and then look at the develop-ment, you will note that the U21 Team in the UEFA Tournament and the U20 Team in the FIFA World Cup did not have the same flair as the previous Spanish Team did, as World Cup and UEFA Cup winners. 5. Other countries that could impress include Belgium and France, because individually they have great players playing in the European Leagues. Holland will always be a threat, whilst I believe that Italy will puff and pant as they usually do, not having the depth at this stage. 6. From a South American side, for me I would probably choose Argentina, as I think Uruguay have still not developed enough young talent to see them through a tournament of this magni-tude. 7. As to the eventual winner – as I have said earlier, for me it has to be Brazil because of their home-ground advantage, and the fact that they have played just about every other country in their “Friendlies” – spanning the Americas, Asia, Europe and Africa, and continue to play as a unit as opposed to relying on players such as Naymar, Oscar and William. Will Messi be able to carry Argentina as Maradonna did in the past? I have my doubts because of the strenu-ous standards that Barcelona set for them-selves in all games. Raymond Hack is the Former Chief Executive Officer of the South African Football Associa-tion. He sat on the 2010 FIFA World Cup Board of Directors. Raymond is a legal professional particularly in the sports arena.


Winners1930: Uruguay1934: Italy1938: Italy1950: Uruguay1954: W. Germany1958: Brazil1962: Brazil1966: England1970: Brazil1974: W. Germany1978: Argentina1982: Italy1986: Argentina1990: Germany1994: Brazil1998: France2002: Brazil2006: Italy2010: Spain

Dark DaysThe World Cups of 1942 and 1946 were canceled due to the outbreak of World War II. But this 1938 World Cup group game in Paris sees the German team giving the Nazi salute before their 1-1 tie against Switzerland. The Germans failed to make much progress in a tournament that took place on European soil, thus causing outrage in South America, where Uruguay and Argentina believed it would take place. They didn’t participate, and Italy became the first team to retain the trophy, defeating Hungary 4-2.

Israel at the World CupIsrael qualified for their only ever World

cup in 1970 held in Mexico. Without question, their Group draw was treacher-

ous in the form of a pair of two-time World Cup titlists in Uruguay and Italy as well as

another former beaten Finalist in Sweden.

That said Israel had a very impressive tour-nament. They were ousted in the first round

with two draws and one defeat.

Israel 0 Uruguay 2Israel 1 Sweden 1

Isrel 0 Italy 0

World Cup - Did you know?

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Together, we call the Lucas Moripe Stadium our home.

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Aiden SmithAge: U13Grade: 7School: King David SandtonSport selected for:SwimmingSoccerCross CountryAthletics

Motivation by school as to the reason for nominating the above student:

Winner of various awards for all the above sports.List of some Sporting achievements:For Swimming: Senior Victor Ludorum at KDS in 2011, 2012 and 2013, For Soccer: Chosen to represent the Area Soccer team at the Gauteng Festival 2013. Cross Country: Won the KDS Cross Country from U8 to U13 in 2013 and Athletics: Senior Victor Ludorum 2012-2013

Jacob MiltzAge: U13Grade 7School: King David SandtonSport Selected for:CricketTennis


Winner of various awards for all the above sports.List of some Sporting achievements:Awarded best Cricketer at KDS in 2010, 2011, 2012, as U10, U11 and U12Tennis:The highest ranked senior player at KDS

Full Name of athlete: Aiden Smith Age: U13 Grade: 7 School: King David Sandton Sport selected for: Swimming Soccer Cross Country Athletics Motivation by school as to the reason for nominating the above student. List of sporting achievements: Swimming: 1. Junior Victor Ludorum at King David Sandton in 2009 and 2010 2. Senior Victor Ludorum at King David Sandton in 2011, 2012 and 2013 3. Central Gauteng Aquatics in 2013 level 3 as U12, in 2013 level 2 as U13 4. Regional Championships 2011 won 1 Silver and 3 Gold 5. Regional Championships 2012 won 2 Silver and 1 Gold Soccer: 1. Best Soccer Player 2011 at King David Sandton U11 2. Chosen to represent the Area Soccer Team at the Gauteng Festival 2013 3. Chosen to represent the District in 2013 Cross Country: 1. Won the King David Sandton Cross Country from U8 to U13 every year. 2. Won the Inter-Jewish Day Schools Cross Country U13 in 2013 Athletics: Junior Victor Ludorum 2011 Senior Victor Ludorum 2012 – 2013

Full Name of athlete: Jacob Miltz Age: U13 Grade: 7 School: King David Sandton Sport selected for: Cricket Tennis Motivation by school as to the reason for nominating the above student. List of sporting achievements: Cricket: 1. Far North Johannesburg Cricket Team U8 2. Chosen to represent the Northern Suburbs Schools League U9, U10, U11, U12 3. Played at the Far North Festival U11, U12, U13 4. Representing the Far North Johannesburg Team at the Gauteng Primary School Festival 2013 5. Represented Gauteng A side at the Indoor Cricket Tournament U10, U11, U12, U13– Awarded best batsman at the tournament U12 6. Represented S.A. in the indoor Cricket World Cup Tournament in 2012 7. Awarded best Cricketer at King David Sandton in 2010, 2011, 2012 as U10, U11, U12 Tennis: 1. A Team Tennis at KD Sandton from U10 – U13 2. Junior Singles and Double Champion in 2012 3. The highest ranked senior player at King David Sandton 4. Senior singles and double champion in 2013

King David Sandton

Soul Sport went out to find some of the athletes that are making a mark in

the area of sporting excellence. Across the breadth of our South African

Jewish day schools we found some promising young achievers that are being recognised

for their dedication and commitment on the field of play. Kol Hakavod!

Youth Junior Sport Nominations


Ethan NatesAge: 12Grade: 6School: Herzlia Constantia Primary Sport selected for: CricketList of some sporting achievements: 2013 WP cricket – U13 B team

Motivation by school as to the reason for nominating the above student.

Ethan has been selected for the U13 WP cricket team this year and will be playing in Worcester in December.He was also selected for the U11 WP In-vitational team that played in Worcester in December 2012.Ethan played in the Junior Maccabbi tour-nament against Gauteng in the June/July holidays where he scored his first century.In April this year he also took part in the U13 Feedem knock-out tournament, in which his Club WPCC was the final winners at Sa-hara Park, Newlands. He was nominated as Fielder of the Tournament by his club.He has won best batsman award at his Club (WPCC) for the past 3 years in U9 mini-crick-et, U10 and U11. Ethan also plays a mean game of Soccer and Table tennis and has been unbeaten this year in table tennis. Ethan was also joint-runner up for the senior Victor Lodorum at our Athletics Sports Day

Paul GluckmanAge: 11Grade: 5School: Herzlia Constantia Primary Sport selected for: Chess List of some sporting achievements: South African Under 10 Champion 2011African Under 10 Champion 2012Western Province Junior Player of the Year 2012 South Africa junior chess 2012 and 2013


Paul Gluckman became South African Under 10 chess cham-pion in 2011, and also won the African Under 10 Championships in 2012. Paul represented South Africa at Under 10 level in the World Youth Chess Championships in Slovenia in 2012, and has again been selected to represent South Africa at Under 12 level in the same tournament later this year in the United Arab Emirates. We are also very proud of Paul’s other sporting interests he takes an active involvement in a number of sports and represents the school in tennis, table tennis and cricket

Adam ZimmermanAge: 12Grade: 6School: Yeshiva CollegeSport selected for: Swimming, Soccer, Cricket, AthleticsList of some sporting achievements:Swimming Victor Ladorum 4 years in a row,Inter Jewish Champion for all strokes.


Adam is an exceptional swimmer with leadership qualities with incredible manners, cares for his team mates

Gidon Fox Age: 12 Grade: 6 School: Yeshiva College Sport selected for: Soccer, Cross Country, Athletics, Cricket

List of some sporting achievements:Athletics Victor Ladorum won 2 years in a row.Inter Jewish Athletics Champion for 400 meters. Gidon recently attended a Tottenham Hotspurs International Player Development Programme and was selected as Player of The Tournament


Gidon is a child that shows leadership, sportsmanship, he is a well-mannered, modest, commited and always concerned about his fellow team mates. Gidon has excelled in soccer, cricket and athletics

Yeshiva College

Herzlia Constantia Primary


Justin SherAge: 18Grade: 12School: King David Victory Park HighSport selected for: Rugby

List of some sporting achievements:Represented the Gauteng Lions Presidential XV that played in the St Johns Rugby Festival. Selected for and captained the Junior u18 Maccabi Games Rugby Team where they won gold.Captained the schools 1st Rugby Team for 2013 after playing in the 1st XV for the past 3 years. He scored the most tries for the team in 2013 and was won the Rugby Player of the Year Award at King David Victory Park


Justin has dedicated his afternoons to the sporting program at KDVP. He was the schools SRC (Student Representative Council.) Justin showed full dedication to the schools sport-ing program over his 5 years at the school. Justin has showed huge leadership and plays an integral role in all the teams and sports he has represented

Hirsch Lyons Boys High

Anna KaplanAge: 17Grade: 11School: King David Victory Park HighSport selected for: Girls Squash and Girls Soccer

List of some sporting achievements:1st Team Girls Squash Captain and PlayerPlayer of the 2013 Girls Squash SeasonUnbeaten in the High School Girls Squash League1st Team Girls Soccer Captain and PlayerPlayer of the 2013 Girls Soccer Season


Anna is a very talented sportswoman who takes per sport seriously but enjoys her time on the sports field and on the court. She has natural tal-ent for ball sports and excels amongst her peers. Anna plays a major role in her sports teams

King David Victory Park High

Jacob TeegerAge: 14 Grade 8Hirsch Lyons Boys HighSport selected for: CricketList of some Sporting Achievements:Primary School Cricketer of Year Inter Jewish Sports Challenge Man of the Match Award


Jacob has always displayed phenomenal cricket skills. He is a master batsman that seems to have so much time to play his shots. He has scored numerous 50's at primary school level. Jacob plays club cricket for Old Ed's Sunday 3rds senior cricket team for the past 3 years, he plays against opponents that are between the ages of 17 and 20 years old and he stamps his authority on every game he plays

Zach FroomAge: 8Grade: 2Hirsch Lyons PrimarySport Selected for: SoccerList of some Sporting Achievements:Scored 14 goals at the recent Inter Jewish Sports Challenge. Champ of the Year for the last 2 years at Balfour Park Soccer.


Zach is an exceptional talent. He has tremendous ability and vision on the soccer field for an 8 year old. He can control a game with great passing and dribbling skills and can shoot with both feet. Zach is very good team player and shows his oppo-nents a lot of respect


Shannon GirnunAge: 17

Grade: 11School: King David High School, Linksfield

Sport selected for: Cricket 1st team Captain

List of some sporting achievements: 1st team cricket since Grade 9, East Area U18 Captain 2013, Wanderers Sunday 1st team player.

Motivation by school as to the reason for nominat-ing the above student.Shannon is a dedicated leader of his cricket team, he is an example of passion and commitment that we take so seriously at King David.

Kayla BernsteinAge: 16Grade: 10School: King David High School, LinksfieldSport selected for: Girls Soccer , Girls U16 Netball

List of some sporting achievements: Kayla was awarded a merit award for outstand-ing role in U16 netball. She did go to Mac-cabiah in 2013 as a member of the Junior Netball team. She was recently awarded half colours for her role in Girls Soccer and was nominated and awarded with the Player of the year award at Sports dinner.


Kayla is a model student, involved in swimming, athletics, soccer and other sports. She is exceptionally courteous and well mannered. She is committed, dedi-cated and very hard working.

Dani SchwartzAge: 12Grade: 6


Dani is a very active participant in both school and extra curricular sport. He participates in sprints, relays, discus, shotput, javelin, long jump, cricket and soccer at school. He was selected to repre-sent Torah Academy in the Cricket section of the Inter-Jewish Day School Sports’ Challenge and also participated in the Inter Jewish Day School Cross Country. He was awarded the Senior Victor Ludorum trophy at our Interhouse Sports’ Day. He has also participated in Arts and Crafts and Sci-ence Club at school.Outside of school he participates in both squash and volleyball

Torah AcademyLiron CohenAge: 12Grade: 5


Liron is a very active participant in both school and extra curricular sport. She participates in sprints, relays, slingshot, shotput, javelin, long jump and netball at school. She was selected to represent Torah Academy in the netball section of the Inter-Jewish Day School Sports’ Challenge and also participated in the Inter Jewish Day School Cross Country. She was awarded the Senior Victrix Ludorum trophy at our Interhouse Sports’ Day. Outside of School she is a committed dancer and her stage performances are a delight to watch.

King David High - Linksfield

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Considering early attitude of the religion to-wards sport, it is fascinating to see how events have evolved. Jews regarded sport as “Hellen-istic”, performed by the Greeks who were their oppressors. In the early Olympic Games the sportsmen performed in the nude which created an even more negative response from the Rab-bis of the age. But as time has gone on attitudes have changed.

Ironically, Jews first showed their sporting prow-ess as boxers. Daniel Mendoza boxed in England in the 18th century and helped transform the popular English stereotype of a Jew from a weak, defenseless person into someone deserving of respect. He is said to have been the first Jew to talk to the King who was George III.

The same is true in South Africa where many Jewish sportsmen have made a great impact on the destiny of local sport. As was the case in so many countries Jews first started to make their

mark in boxing and, in fact, the only South African Jew to win an Olympic medal is Harry Isaacs, who won bronze in the bantamweight class after win-ning the third place fight against Frank Traynor at the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam.

Once in the school system, Jews started mov-ing into other spheres, mainly soccer, cricket and rugby. In the 1930s Norman Gordon made a name for himself in the world of cricket when selected for the last “timeless test” played at Durban in March 1939. The match was eventually called off after 12 days because England would have missed their boat back home.Gordon became the oldest-ever Test cricketer on 23 March 2011 approximately four months before his 100th birthday, when he surpassed New Zealander Eric Tindill, who died on 1 August 2010. Gordon is now 102 years old and still going strong.

Jewish contribution to South African sport is

endlessBy JACK MILNER

Overview


When you talk about the most famous SA Jew-ish cricketer one name will pop into everyone’s head – Ali Bacher. When he took over from Pe-ter van der Merwe as captain of South Africa for the 1969-70 Test series against Australia he became the country’s youngest captain. He arguably led the strongest team ever to play for the country, with the likes of Barry Richards, Eddie Barlow, Graeme and Peter Pollock, Mike Proctor, Tiger Lance, Dennis Lindsay and more – all South African legends.

However, perhaps his biggest legacy to South African came as an administrator. Bacher may have introduced isolation-busting rebel tours, but when he realised the where the coun-try was headed politically, he supported the moratorium on international participation, led the sport through the unity process and came out the other side as managing director of the United Cricket Board. He was one of the figures who helped acquire the Cricket World Cup for South Africa and ensured it would be a successful event.

Most of us know the saying in South African rugby that no Springbok XV can be success-ful without a Jew in the line-up. Over the years there have been 10 Jewish players, now known as the Jewish Minyan. The first was Morris Zimerman who made his debut on De-cember 5 1931 in an 8-3 victory over Wales.The others were Louis Babrow, Fred Smol-lan, Dr Cecil Moss, who also later coached the national side, Professor Alan Menter, Joseph Kaminer, Syd Nomis, Dr Wilf Rosenberg, Joel Stransky and Okey Geffin, who, despite col-lecting a paltry seven caps, is often considered the finest Jewish player of all time.

During the Second World War, Geffin was cap-tured at Tobruk, but continued to practice his rugby skills. During his incarceration at Stalag XX-A in occupied Poland, he met former Bok Bill Payn, and they organised a “Test” against a New Zealand POW XV.

As Geffin later recalled: “Our gear was dyed underpants and vests, but no boots. We played barefoot.”Known as “The Flying Dentist”, Rosenberg was born in Cape Town, and spent his childhood in Australia where his father, Phillip, was a rabbi in Sydney. Upon his return to South Africa, the young Wilf’s rugby skills improved with every passing year, so much so that in 1955 he was chosen to play for his country for the first time in the second Test against the British & Irish Lions.His father was once asked how he could allow his son to play rugby on Shabbat. Sighing, he replied: “My son was born with a G-d-given tal-ent. Who am I to argue with G-d?”

The Jewish connection with football was mas-sive in South Africa, particularly from after World War II to the 1980s. Morrie Jacobson was selected to play for South African in a tour of Britain in the late 1940s and the then amateur national team managed to hold all-powerful Arsenal to a 2-2 draw. Jacobson was

described in a major newspaper as the best amateur full back to ever tour the British Isles. He later played for a very strong Rangers side alongside one of the world’s best players, Sir Stanley Matthews, and they became the best of friends. Jacobson was also involved in the first paid transfer (R200) as owners like Syd Chaitow-itz tried to take the game in the professional world.

Perhaps the heyday of Jewish football came in the 1970s and 80s as Highlands Park became such a dominant team. Players such as Martin Cohen were making a name for themselves, and like Jacobson, he was in the midst of some ground-breaking moments. He played in a multi-racial team that included the likes of Jomo Sono in a match against Argentina. Re-markably the Apartheid government stepped back and let the match take place.

“Daniel Mendoza boxed in England in the 18th century and helped transform the popular English stereotype of a Jew from a weak,

defenseless person into someone deserving of respect”

Cohen played in the USA alongside one of the most charismatic footballers of all time – George Best. Once the country moved to democracy in 1994 whoever thought we would see a White Jewish soccer player in Bafana Bafana. How-ever, we have Dean Furman who has sud-denly become an important cog in the Bafana wheel.

Many might not realise it but Furman was not the first Jew to play for Bafana. That honour goes to former Pirates and Swallows player Warren Lewis. Lewis earned his first cap for SA in a 2000 Cosafa Cup semifinal against Zimbabwe on 29 July 2000. His only other appearance for the national team came in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Congo in Pointe Noire in September of that year.After a few seasons at Swallows, Lewis be-came Shomrei Shabbat and stopped playing matches on Saturdays. In 2009, Lewis cap-tained the Maccabi over-35 South Africa side at the 2009 Maccabiah.

These are just a few Jewish sportsmen who have left a significant mark on the country. There are many more, such as Jody Scheck-ter who won the Formula 1 World Champion-ship in 1979, tennis player Ilana Kloss who has now been inducted into the Jewish Hall Of Fame, triple Springbok Eda Greenway (nee Cohen), canoeist Shaun Rubenstein and brothers Basil and Anton Marcus, who have won jockeys’ titles both in South Africa and aboard.

The list is endless, but we will leave the oth-ers for another occasion.

Jack Milner is currently the Sports Editor of the SA Jewish Report as well as Managing Editor of Phumelela Gaming and Leisure’s publishing department. He has previously been Sports Editor of the South African Press Association (SAPA) and Deputy Sports Editor of The Citizen.

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“Furman was not the first Jew to play for Bafana”


Barcelona the world-famous soccer team visited Israel in 2013 by invitation of President Shimon Peres. They held clinics with both Israeli and Palestinian chil-dren on a “tour of peace” visit.(Barca players on tour in Israel)(Neymar – Brazilian Barcelona super striker visiting the Kotel)

“I’m delighted to visit Israel. “It will definitely be interesting to be part of this special event - the Maccabiah Games (2013). I feel very close to the Jewish community in Brazil and especially in Rio, and look forward to marching with the Brazilian delegation in the Opening ceremony.”

Zico Brazilian footballing great

The Tunisian tennis federation ordered the country’s top player to withdraw from a match against an Israeli at a tournament in Uzbekistan in protest against Israel.Malek Jaziri had been scheduled to play Israel’s Amir Weintraub recently in the quarterfinals of an ATP Challenger tournament in Tashkent. He withdrew before the match and Weintraub advanced to the semifinals of the lower-tier event.

The Under-21 Israeli national team for the Euro 2013 tournament included six Arab players. ‘Mantra styled’ empty accusation that Israel practices “apartheid”.

Judit Polgár is a Jewish Hungarian chess grandmaster. She is rated by many authoritative commentators as being by far the strongest female chess player in history!In 1991, Polgár achieved the title of Grandmaster at the age of 15 years and 4 months, the youngest person to do so until then.


By Errol Hurwitz

Chess


Jewish players and game theoreticians have long been in-volved in the game of chess and have significantly contributed to the development of chess, which has been described as the “Jewish Na-tional game”. Of the first 13 undis-puted world champions, over 50% were Jewish, including the first two. Both the Modern school of chess espoused by Wilhelm Steinitz and the Hypermodernism influenced by Aron Nimzowitsch were conceived by Jewish players. Professor Arpad Elo who was the inventor of the scientific rating system employed by the FIDE analysed some 476 major tournament players from the nineteenth century onward and of the fifty-one highest ranked players,

approximately one-half were Jewish. One of the strongest ever players was the half Jewish Garry Kasparov, who was world No. 1 from 1985 until his retirement in 2005. The strong-est female chess player in history by far is the Jewish Judit Polgár. There is currently a strong Jewish pres-ence among the world’s best play-ers. Beersheba in Israel is the city with the most chess grandmasters per capita in the world. Israel has also won one silver and one bronze medal at Chess Olympiads.There is a wealth of entertaining but true stories around some of these Jewish world champions:

1. Wilhelm Steinitz (1836 – 1900)Prague, Talmudic scholar, the 1st undisputed world champion, and unbeaten for 25 years in match play, started out his chess career in the carefree attacking style that was common for the time; but in 1873, he revealed to the world his theory of “positional play”, which proved superior to the previous style. Ini-tially, facing tremendous resistance to his innovative ideas, by the early 1890’s, his ideas were widely ac-cepted and the next generation of players acknowledged their debt to him. Unfortunately, poor money management meant that he died in poverty,leaving his widow to survive by running a small shop.

2. Emanuel Lasker PhD (1868 – 1941)Berlin, Mathematician and Philoso-pher, the 2nd world champion for 27 years. In his prime Lasker was one of the most dominant champions, and he is still generally regarded as one of the strongest players ever. Lasker used a “psychological” ap-proach to the game and would often deliberately play inferior moves to confuse opponents. Unlike Bobby Fischer (mentioned below), who endeavoured to play the objectively correct move for every position, Lasker would play a different move, depending on who the opponent was. W. H. K. Pollock commented, “It is no easy matter to reply correctly to Lasker’s bad moves.”Lasker made contributions to the development of other games. He was a first-class contract bridge player and wrote about bridge and other games, including ‘Go’ and his own invention, ‘Lasca’. His books about games presented a problem

“Of the first 13 undisputed world

champions, over 50% were Jewish, including

the first two”

Wilhelm Steinitz

Mikhail Botvinnik

Mikhail Tal

Robert James “Bobby” Fischer

Emanuel Lasker


that is still considered notable in the mathemati-cal analysis of card games. Lasker was also a research mathematician who was known for his contributions to commutative algebra, which included proving the primary of the ideals of polynomial rings. On the other hand, his philo-sophical works and a drama that heco-authored received little attention.

3. Mikhail Botvinnik (1911 – 1995)Soviet Russian grandmaster and three-time World Chess Champion. He was an electrical engineer, one of the few chess masters who achieved distinction in another career while playing top-class competitive chess.Botvinnik was the first world-class player to de-velop within the Soviet Union. This put him un-der some political pressure, but also gave him considerable influence within Soviet chess. He played a major role in the design of the World Chess Championship system after World War II. After his retirement as a player he coached a few select pupils. They included three fu-ture World Champions Anatoly Karpov, Garry Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik.He prepared for tournaments with great deter-mination, his training partners would smoke cigars and blow smoke in his face. There would also be noise generated, so that he would not be distracted when his match or tournament play would be in session.

4. Mikhail Tal (1936 – 1992)Widely regarded as a creative genius and the best attacking player of all time, he played in a

daring, combinatorial style. His play was known above all for improvisation and unpredictability. Every game, he once said, was as inimitable and invaluable as a poem. He was known as “The magician from Riga”. Both The Mammoth Book of the World’s Greatest Chess Games (Burgess, Nunn & Emms 2004) and Modern Chess Brilliancies (Evans 1970) include more games by Tal than any other player. He also holds the records for both the first and second longest unbeaten streaks in competitive chess history. Sadly, poor health was part of his life. Tal was an alcoholic, and a chain smoker.The extent of Tal’s alcoholism was quite aston-ishing. Vlastimil Hort, the top Czech player of the 1960s and 70s, has given a vivid account. Hort played at the Moscow tournament of 1963, with many of the top Russians.When he was due to play Tal, his opponent showed up very late, and drunk. He almost fell asleep at the board.Tal staggered away from the board, and re-turned with shaking hands, and unable to light a cigarette. Hort later found out that Tal had been grabbed by other Russians, and doused with cold water! Tal still managed to draw the game.

5. Robert James “Bobby” Fischer (1943 – 2008)American and the eleventh World Chess Cham-pion. He is considered by many to be the great-est chess player who ever lived.A chess prodigy, at age 13 Fischer won a “bril-liancy” that became known as The Game of the Century. Starting at age 14, he played in eight


United States Championships, winning each by at least a point. At age 15 , he became both the youngest grandmaster and the youngest candidate for the World Championship up to that time.He won the 1963–64 U.S. Championship with 11/11, the only perfect score in the history of the tournament.In the early 1970s he became one of the most dominant play-ers in history—winning the 1970 Interzonal by a record 3 -point margin and winning 20 consecutive games, including two unprecedented 6–0 sweeps in the Candidates Match-es. He became the first official World Chess Federation (FIDE) number-one ranked chess player in July 1971. In 1972, he captured the World Championship from Boris Spassky of the USSR in a matchwidely publicized as a Cold War confrontation. The match, held in Reykjavík, Iceland, attracted more worldwide interest than any chess match before or since.An interesting story told of Fischer is that when he was in Iceland, he had phoned a friend, who was not home and so the wife had answered the phone. Since she did not speak English, and since he did not speak Icelandic, he hung up the phone after numerous attempts at communicating. Later when he met his friend, he was able to

repeat verbatim what the friend’s wife had said, so that their entire conversation could be re-peated!Fischer was 64 years old when he died. The

same age as is the number of squares on the chess board.

I will end off with a beautiful idea that the Lubavitcher Rebbe mentioned, when Samuel (Shmuel) Reshevsky, a chess world great, visited him at

his congregation in Crown Heights, New York. The Rebbe had asked Reshevsky to try to influence Bobby

Fischer about his Jewish roots. (Fischer had been estranged from his Jewish roots and in fact had become some-what anti-semitic).The Rebbe then taught the follow-

ing idea to the crowd that was gathered in the synagogue: The Rooks, Bishops

and Knights are like the angels that are powerful, more so than the

pawns, which are likened to the Jews; but if the pawns can ad-vance one step at a time, taking care not to be blocked in their mission, then they will eventually

become a queen, which is married to the King (G-d), etc…

Errol Hurwitz is CFO of Avacare Health group. He has played provincial Chess and has stud-ied the game and it’s personalties for over 3 decades.


Jewish HistoryA marathon of

endurance& Renewel

Inspiration

The incredible challenge of life is never-ending. In so many ways it reflects the topsy turvy, roller coaster of an epic sports encoun-ter. Watch an El Classico game or a grand slam final between Nadal and Djokovic, a pendulum swinging 5 day test match or an SA vs All Blacks duel and you'll know what I mean.

Being pitted against forces that at times match and even threaten to overwhelm you, one of the most important qualities and characteris-tics to summon is the talent to 'bounce back' when you've gone under, to rejuvenate and re-emerge. In a word it is the ability to 'renew'.

The change room, pit stop, or 'time-out' offers the opportunity to pause, reflect and mentally refocus and to thus rediscover who we are, what the moment means and why we are here.

The sporting analogy is strikingly apt in it's equivalence to the story of Jewish history. As you breath, blink and exist while reading this article, it may not occur to you that as a Jew, from all practical standpoints you should not be here. Sometime during the epic encounter of history, this people should have bowed out, thrown in the towel, left the ring and gone into the spectator stands or just lay down and let

By Soul Workout

- A blog quote by Karen Cox


the referee count to 10 and be acknowledge for a good fight was put up over many centu-ries and millenia.

But then again ask any truly great athlete and he or she will tell you that challenge is but the opportunity to arise and to transcend.

So if we had to identify one of the Jewish peo-ples most vital characteristic and learn from it, it is the capacity for renewal, for renaissance. Here is a brief look at:

The renewal phenomenon that is characteris-tic of Israel can be clearly demonstrated in the four epochs that broadly outline their journey over the last 2500 years. Let us trace these landmark periods and uncover the process to renewal that reveals the survival of the people of Israel.

When Babylonian forces led our people in chains from a Jerusalem that lay in ashes to a foreign land to be adopted into a culture of lavish material opulence and aggressive and brutal governance how did they respond?

They sang “By the rivers of Babylon there we wept as we remembered Zion.” But then the Jew began a discovery of his ability to estab-lish a life within a foreign and alien environ-ment. It was here under some of the most noted leaders and prophets that communities were established and flourished. Yeshivot, academies, schools, Jewish life in every respect began to take root. An enormous amount of literature was advanced and a can-onizing of books of Torah.

So successfully did this people confront their exile that when it came time to return to Israel many remained in the now thriving and vibrant Jewish life of Babylonia.

Continued faith and resolve was rewarded as

the pathway was opened for the exiled Jews to return to establish the new commonwealth and second temple in Jerusalem under the leadership of the prophet Ezrah.

When the Assyrians and Persians attempted a seduction and moral corruption on a national level followed by the eventual threaten of an-nihilation and genocide of the Jewish people the response was no less.

The Talmud based on a verse in the book of Esther says that the wave of resurgence of the Jewish spirit and their commitment to their divine mission was even greater at that critical moment of near despair than it had even been at their glorious crescendo of spiritual attain-ment at Mount Sinai and the divine revelation that inspired them then.

When ancient Greece infiltrated Israel with their Hellenist ideology they reached deep into the hearts and minds of the people of the pure faith determined to contaminate and impure the holy and divine dimension Judaism held sacred. Together with the threat of spiritual erosion they introduced a forceful submission to their world view and a nation was heading for historical extinction.


At the crucial hour perhaps the most glowing chapter of Jewish heroism was written as the pure oil of Chanukah was re-ignited and the defiant Maccabee spirit led the charge to re-establish Jewish control over Israel and reclaim Jewish life.

The Roman devastation of Israel in the year 70 AD was the harshest of all. Consequently it led to the dispersion and decentralization of the Jewish people. It brought wandering and with it a saga of continued persecution that would last centuries and indeed millennia.

The results proved immortal. Not only did the people of Israel not buckle under a pandemic of atrocities perpetrated by virtually every culture and religion culminating in the horrors of the holocaust of 1939-1945 but the results proved startling and unprecedented.

The richest most vast compendium of scholar-ship was developed at this time. The Mishnah and the Talmud. A poetry in intellect, a music of genius. A body of knowledge so dynamic and all encompassing that for every age and generation thereafter and yet still, it holds the most advanced minds of men in rapture, awe and respect.At this time too, medieval and middle age com-mentators composed shelves and libraries filled with works of the noblest and finest scholarly content. Contributions were advanced in every field of secular knowledge in their myriads.

And then perhaps the most extra-ordinary inexplicable feat of all, the establishment of the modern state of Israel, by a war-torn blood drenched remnant of holocaust survivors. A baron desert was made to bloom and this all the while as prickly and insidious thorns in-flicted ongoing and relentless war and terrorism against the fledgling nation.

So where to now? What lies ahead?

Just as history past is mirrored by the 'renewal' paradigm, Judaism teaches that the wind-down to history will similarly proceed through this same model. To be sure we are fast transition-ing to the era of ultimate renewal. The dawn of the long promised redemption has already begun to show itself with so many signs and wonders in our age coming to fruition.

How do we respond to the changing landscape of life? In these final rounds when we are weary and tired, challenged and at times overwhelmed what is our response to be?

If the central theme that is guiding the Jew-ish people and the world to its destiny, is that of renewal, then it is this that we must actively initiate and drive toward. Renewal in thought, speech and action. Renewal in our commitment and dedication. Renewal in perspective and at-titude.

A new age is dawning and we must prepare to embrace it's transition, for at that time we are promised “and I will give you a new heart and a new spirit will I put within you”.

Soul Workout is a Jewish outreach organisa-tion that advances educational, interactive and event activations within the local & international Jewish community.


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"So Great Is The Study Of Torah That It Is Considered Equal To All The Mitzvot Combined"

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In Body In SoulIn Body In Soul

Jerusalem Marathon


The Jerusalem Marathon By Rabbi Ramon Widmonte

Half an hour ago, I walked through the avenues of the leafy suburb of Gush Etzion, past pomegranates swaying lazily in the wind, the breeze sighing in the pine trees. It is Shab-bat Eve and there are three hours till candle lighting. The streets and air and people exude a sense of quiet confidence and normality – that this is what Jews do in the pre-Shabbat bubble of holy time. To me, it is the normality, the ordinariness, which is most awe-inspiring at this time.

The Torah deals exactly with that question – what is normal for Jews? After thousands of years of exile and dispersion, how are we to remember our default setting?

‘And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you will reflect among all the nation (to where Hashem your G-d has driven you), and you will return to Hashem your G-d…’ Devarim 30What amazes me about these verses is that


they describe the Jewish people returning. In order to return, one has to have been there be-fore, one has to know the way, one has to have a working model. G-d’s assurances here to the Jewish people seem the most incredible thing of all. After all the curses we’ve endured (and read about in Parshat Ki Tavo), after expulsions and holocausts and libels, after BDS and anti-Semitism and the worst in humanity, we will ac-tually still be normal people who retain a sense of our original Jewish life and one day we will reclaim that and live it.For me, this is the essence of my experience of the Jerusalem Marathon group which we, Mizrachi, took this year. The vision for the mar-athon was to create a fusion of the physical and spiritual – that is normal Jewish life in Israel.As we ran through the streets, we were running through thousands of years of Jewish hopes and fears, tears and laughter – and we had that privilege. We did what Moses our Teacher never merited to do. And it was normal! It was strong. It was passionate.Mizrachi is an acronym for Mercaz Ruchani – meaning, ‘spiritual centre’. The philosophy is that the balance between the seemingly op-posing parts of life is what brings true strength and stability for most people. Thus we attempt to fuse the physical and spiritual in many ways: we serve in the IDF and learn in Yeshivah (the classic Hesder program) and our Marathon was

such an experience too. Part of the vision was to honour Mizrachi SA’s 80th year by taking 80 people to Israel for the Marathon.We felt that Yerushalayim was the perfect place to put into place our vision – we connected to the physical heart of the Jewish world during the run and then we spent the Shabbat learning and growing spiritually. We learned from Rabbi David Aaron and spent amazing time davening at the Kotel and having uplifting Shabbat meals.

Another aspect of the program was the inclu-sion of Lone Soldiers. We felt it imperative to express our support for the many young men and women, born in South Africa, who have gone to live in Israel (many of them graduates of Bnei Akiva, our affiliated youth movement) and who are ‘Lone Soldiers’ – without any family or support structure in Israel. We invited every Lone Soldier of South African extraction to join us for Shabbat.

For 2014, we were approached by ORT SA and the SAZF who wanted to join our 2014 Jerusa-lem mission. We created a joint Unity Marathon project which aims to get as many people to

“The vision for the marathon was to create a fusion of the physical and spiritual

– that is normal Jewish life in Israel”


Jerusalem to learn, run and unite. It’s some-thing about which we’re really excited. We have over 60 people signed up to join us. Each participant is paying their own costs and rais-ing money for various charities in the process.

With running legend Bruce Fordyce joining the team in Israel, this is an experience of a life time. To find out more or make a donation You can email us on [email protected] or go to our website, http://www.ortjet.org.za/unity/ for more details.Indeed we have returned. We have forged a

life of strength and mercy – as innocent Syr-ians to the north are choked by chemical at-tacks, the survivors seek and find Israel’s help. We have forged a life of physical and spiritual, of wealth and generosity, of heritage and inno-vation. Inherently Jewish, ordinary life.It is nothing short of a miracle and I invite you all to join us in 2014 to feel it yourselves.

Rabbi Ramon Widmonte learned at Yeshivat Har Etzion and holds a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science. He serves as a Rabbi in the Glenhazel Mizrachi community.

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Left to Right: Nicci Raz (ORT SA), Bruce Fordyce, Ben Swartz( SAZF), Rabbi Ramon Widmonte (Mizrachi), Greg Kinross


By Rabbi Jonathan Fox


If you wanted advice about exercise, you probably would not call up your local Rabbi. After all, what do physical exercise and spirituality have in common? The answer, as we will discover, is ‘quite a lot’.The Rambam (Maimonides 1135-1204) who was arguably the greatest Talmudic scholar ever, makes the following incredible remark about the importance of exercise:“As long as one exercises and exerts himself greatly,…he will not suffer sickness and he will grow in strength.”

In recent times, medical science has repeatedly supported the assertion

of the Rambam. The American Centre for Disease Control states that “regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health” and goes on to list numerous benefits of exercise. These include significantly reduced risk of heart disease and cancer as well as improvement to one’s physical strength, mood and mental well-being.

We may ask why the Rambam needed to tell us how important exercise is to the body. Surely the Rambam, as a Rabbi, should limit his advice to the religious and spiritual realms.

The Rambam himself answers this question by stating the following:

Maintaining a healthy and sound body is among the ways of G-d - for one cannot understand or have any

knowledge of the Creator, if he is ill - therefore, he must avoid that which harms the body and accustom himself to that which is healthy and helps the body become stronger.

A healthy body and mind enables a person to fulfill his spiritual potential

and mission. One needs to be strong and healthy to raise a family, to contribute to society, to build meaningful relationships and to perform many other Mitzvos.

The very first law in the Shulchan Aruch (the Code of Jewish Law) instructs us to arise in the morning like a lion in order to serve

Hashem. In these immortal words lies one the fundamental ideas of Judaism – the body is a G-d-given

gift that enables a person to serve it’s Maker. The great sage Hillel considered taking care of his body as a great Mitzvah as the body is the home and vehicle of the holy soul.

The Tanach is replete with stories of how great people used their physical strength, vigour and speed in the performance of Mitzvos and in their service of G-d.Naftali, who was one of the sons of our patriarch Yaakov, was known for his tremendous speed. When he saw that Joseph was alive, he ran to tell his father the good news. (That means he ran all the

Rambam


way to Israel from Egypt - over 600 kilometres - approximately 6 comrades marathons in distance). His is an example of someone who used his physical prowess to perform the mitzvah of honouring his father by delivering an important message with alacrity.

Shimshon (Samson) was a mighty Jew who had dedicated his life to protecting the Jews from the Philistines. When he was finally captured by the Philistines, they chained him to the pillars of their temple and gathered to celebrate his capture. With great strength, Shimshon famously broke the pillars and died together with multitudes of Philistines. Both during his life and at his death, he used his great physical strength to save the Jewish people.

There are numerous other side-benefits of exercise that can be spiritually beneficial. Husbands and wives can spend quality time together while taking a brisk walk. One can build friendships and learn how to deal with success and failure through team exercises. There are many people who take part in marathons and the like in order to raise money for charity.

We can therefore say that maintaining one’s physical health is clearly a most important means towards performing Mitzvos.

However, one should not be so focused on the means that one loses sight of his true goals. The ‘lion’s share’ of a Jew’s activities must certainly be in the spiritual arena – Torah study, acts of kindness and character refinement – while the body is maintained as a holy vessel, which is essential for his pursuit of spirituality.

Deep down I think we all know the importance of exercise but we sometimes make convenient excuses to avoid exercising as it does take effort. It is advisable to choose those exercises that you enjoy and that give you satisfaction. It is also recommended to speak to an expert who can plan an exercise schedule that is manageable, sustainableand suited to the individual.As Nike says, “Go for it”

Rabbi Jonathan Fox is the resident Rabbi at the Chevrah Kadisha & Sandringham Gardens. He is a keen sports physical health enthusiast.

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At the time of writing, the South African crick-et team is gearing up to play Pakistan. It will be an away series, but it will not be played in Pakistan but instead in the United Arab Emirates. In fact, nearly five years have elapsed since the Paki-stan national cricket side has been able to play at home. Why this is so is that on 3 March 2009, Islamist militants launched a lethal attack on a bus conveying the visiting Sri Lankan team to the sta-dium to play in the test match then in progress. Six Sri Lankan team members were injured and eight others – six policemen and two civilians – were killed. It was the first direct attack on a national sports team since the massacre of Israeli athletes by Palestinian militants at the 1972 Mu

nich Olympics. Pakistan has suffered innumerable attacks by Islamists in recent years, but this one, in depriving the population as a whole of watching their cricketing heroes in action on home soil, has arguably done more harm to the Pakistani people than any other. Terrorist attacks under any circumstances are hor-rific, but one could point to an extra dimension of wickedness to targeting athletes representing their countries. International sport, after all, is one of those activities that more than most serve to build bridges between the nations of the world – bridges of respect, friendship and ultimately of sharing in the sheer joy of what human beings regardless of background are able to accomplish on the sports

Munich ‘72

The Israeli Olympic team, many of whom had suffered directly at the hands of the Nazis during the Holocaust marked their arrival at the Munich Olympics with a visit to the Dachau concentration camp.


field. Of all international sports events, the Olympic Games have epitomised these values. The heroes and heroines who have achieved greatness in their respective fields of endeavour over the decades have come to be embraced and admired by the entire world, regardless of whether they are from the USA, Russia, or China. Their achievements have transcended national or ideological boundaries while bringing honour to their respective countries. This is why the cold-blooded murder of eleven Israeli athletes at the 1972 games went beyond being just another terrorist atrocity. More Israe-

lis had died in previous individual attacks and more were destined to die in future one (the horrendous Ma’alot massacre just two years later resulted in more than twice as many fatali-ties). However, the symbolism of a sports team representing the Jewish State being targeted at an event aimed at bringing the nations of the world together enormously enhanced the trauma of the occasion. That it had taken place in the very country that a mere quarter of a century before had perpetrated the Holocaust served to accentuate all the more cruelly the reality of continuing Jewish vulnerability.

In the South African press at least, the atrocity elicited the strongest outrage. The Rand Daily Mail, for example, commented, “This is surely the ultimate in terrorist fanaticism; an act of ag-gression against civilisation itself. If this terror is to cease, then there must be common action against all who embark on a course of political violence. They must be treated as international outlaws”. I have chosen to quote from this newspaper as it was at the time acknowledged as being the most outspoken voice against the Apartheid policy yet, as the above shows, re-garded terrorism with unequivocal repugnance. How would the Mail & Guardian, the Rand

Daily Mail’s direct descendant, describe such an event today? From what we have seen in its reportage of Palestinian terror attacks post-2000, one has to assume that its condemnation would be a great deal more qualified. The un-palatable reality is that attitudes towards Israel within the liberal-leftist camp have very much changed for the worse since 1972. Today, when terror attacks against Israeli Jews are reported at all in this quarter, it invariably lacks any real edge of moral indignation and instead seeks to explore reasons why in their ‘despair’, some Palestinians feel driven to act in such a way.

“Int’l sport, after all, is one of those activities that more than most serve to build bridges between the nations of the world”

Image of a kidnapper looking over the balcony of the Israeli team quarters at Building 31 of the Munich Olympic Village, possibly the most widely recognizable and iconic photo of the event

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Further evidence of how reluctant the interna-tional community as a whole remains to take a stand against anti-Jewish terrorism (at least when the perpetrators are Arab and/or Mus-lim) emerged very publicly in 2012, the fortieth anniversary of the Munich Massacre. This was the year when London was hosting the games, and an approach was made to the International Olympic Committee to allow for a minute’s si-lence to be observed at the opening ceremony in memory of the Israeli victims. This the IOC refused, despite an international campaign in support of it. IOC President Jacques Rogge was quoted as saying that such a demonstra-tion would be “inappropriate”. Prior to this, the IOC had refused to establish a permanent memorial, saying (according to the BBC) that to introduce a specific reference to the victims

could "alienate other members of the Olympic community".Indeed, within a few days of the massacre, there were already signs that the IOC was shying away from giving offence to the Arab nations. At the memorial service, it was notice-able that IOC President Avery Brundage made no direct reference to the murdered athletes. During the service, the Olympic Flag was flown at half-mast, along with the flags of most of the other competing nations. According to Wikipe-dia at least, “When ten Arab countries objected to their flags being lowered to honor murdered Israelis; their flags were restored to the tops of their flagpoles almost immediately”.

Since the Munich atrocity, there have been no further politically motivated attacks at Olympic events. Better security precautions no doubt has played a role, but it also might be that at least some of those who sponsor terrorism have recognised that targeting sports events is ultimately counter-productive given how strong a popular backlash this elicits. Even so, the trauma of those days in early September 1972 has continued to cast a dark pall on the Jewish psyche. What has contributed to the persist-ence of this unease has undoubtedly been the cynical manner in which the IOC has opted to regard Jewish sensitivities as expendable rath-er than risk alienating the many enemies of the Jewish State. As with all responses to the evils of modern-day terrorism, however, the most effective response has to be for those who are targeted to demonstrate that they refuse to be intimidated by such acts but will continue to live their lives as normal. At the same time, in light of the realities of how terrorists recognise no boundaries when it comes to inflicting harm against their chosen targets, the most profes-sional and advanced security precautions need as a matter of course to be adopted when it comes to organising any major international sports tournament.

David Saks is the Associate Director at the SAJBD. He has been editor of the Board’s journal Jewish Affairs since 1999. He holds an M.A. in History from Rhodes University

David Berger (weightlifter)Ze'ev Friedman (weightlifter)Yossef Gutfreund (wrestling referee)Eliezer Halfin (wrestler)Yossef Romano (weightlifter)Amitzur Shapira (track coach)Kehat Shorr (shooting coach)Mark Slavin (wrestler)Andre Spitzer (fencing coach)Yakov Springer (weightlifting judge)Moshe Weinberg (wrestling coach)


When I got married a number of years back, I boarded the baal teshuva train, find-ing myself on the return journey to observ-ant Judaism. And now that my children are at school, and I have found I have a ‘sem-blance’ of free time again, I have embarked on another return journey… this time the return to physical health and fitness.

But this time round, the journey has new challenges.

In my youth, in 1980-something BSS (be-fore skirts and sheitels), I played every sport under the sun. Nothing could stop me from spending all afternoon, every afternoon, on the sports field. Now, however, I am some-what older, slightly more knowledgeable, and am attempting to achieve a respectable level of fitness while maintaining a respectable level of tzniut. And neither goal is easy!

Maimonides (Rambam), the great Torah scholar and physician of the 12th century, wrote: "Maintaining a healthy body is among the ways of serving G-d, since it is impossi-ble for one who is not healthy to understand or know anything of the Creator. Therefore, one must distance oneself from things which harm the body, and accustom oneself to the things which strengthen and make one healthy."

Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein says the benefits of exercise for all are vast. “It is an important mitzvah to be healthy, and physi-cal health is dependant on exercise.” Medical evidence has proven that you can’t be health

without regular exercise, says Rabbi Gold-stein. “Especially for children and teenagers. They live in a world with so many screens and electronic devices,” which leads to a sedentary lifestyle. “Good old-fashioned sport is such a balancing force for young people. Not only for the physical health it brings, but also for the emotional health it brings.”

Women lead very active lifestyles in our community, and exercise gives women en-ergy. “Most mitzvahs involve physical activity, and the great mitzvah of raising and looking after our families is physically intensive,” say Rabbi Goldstein. Exercise keeps the body stronger and healthier, enabling women to perform these mitzvahs with more energy. “We all daven for physical vigour,” in order to better perform mitzvot, the Chief Rabbi says. Without this energy, we’d struggle.

Rabbi Goldstein says it depends on the circumstances whether or not women can take part in sport of a competitive nature. “For women, there is the extra challenge of maintaining the highest levels of tzniut… they need to achieve the goals of health while fit-ting into the norms of halacha.”

“We need to make this available to our

girls and women; it’s such an important

outlet for them”

By Heidi Hurwitz


Rabbi Dr Asher Meir, in his column, The Jew-ish Ethicist, says sport can also be an impor-tant source from which to draw inspiration. “I have heard many sermons in which Rabbis, both community Rabbis and leading Torah educators, use sports as a model for rigorous devotion to self-improvement within an ethical (sportsmanlike) framework.”

He continues: “I recall once that Rav Aaron Lichtenstein urged us to spend more hours in the Beit Medrash by referring to the example of legendary forward Larry Bird [American former professional basketball player], ‘who is always the first one to arrive at practice and the last one to leave – and not because he needs it!’”

Rabbi Dr Meir concludes: “The best use of our leisure hours is for Torah study and acts of kindness. Even so, a measured interest in sporting events to appreciate and encourage the teamwork, sportsmanship, and efforts at self-improvement of the athletes can be one tool to help inspire us to develop our own bod-ies and spirits.”

Rebbetzin Shelley Perez is a physiothera-pist who firmly believes in the importance of

exercise for women. “I advocate that women should always be exercising, and it’s impor-tant that they choose an exercise they like to do. There are a number of different types of exercise offered for religious women in Johan-nesburg. I think our community is very dynam-ic and we are lucky to have many activities available to us.”

Women are participating in all forms of exer-cise, including general exercise classes, differ-ent styles of dancing and movement classes, walking groups, and the most recently popular 'Boot Camp'. “It seems that specifically in the age group where women are after their child-bearing years and have more time for them-selves, they are looking to take better care of themselves, usually starting off with some sort of exercise.”

Rebbetzin Perez says comfortable clothing is a must. “If it’s in a women-only closed environ-ment, the women should be able to exercise how they most feel comfortable. It depends very much on what the lady is accustomed to wearing.”

Rebbetzin Perez, herself a dancer, attends classes with a number of observant women,

Modesty


who have all found a way to make exercise a part of their lives, without compromising on tzniut.“Exercise is so important. The key is to find some-thing you enjoy, and finding a partner to do it with so that you can motivate each other. It increases the heart rate, picks up your mood and generally makes you feel healthier.

“Often, women feel they don’t have time to devote to themselves, but the message here is that exer-cising is essential to looking after one’s body and is an absolute priority for women, whatever stage of life they are at. It’s made a huge difference to me.” Women who are regularly exercising gener-ally are more energetic, better at their jobs, better wives and bet-ter moms.

Based on research done, Rebbetzin Perez says one should do at least 45 minutes of car-diovascular exercise three times a week. “From a health point of view, this exercises the heart muscle, lowers cholesterol and keeps joints and muscles mobile and strong.” She refers to the Rambam, who specifically explains how and what we should eat, how we should exercise and how much sleep we need, which are all vital aspects to looking after our minds and our bodies. “It’s a mitzvah to look after ourselves."

Rebbetzin Perez agrees that it’s difficult to com-pete in the sporting arena due to reasons of tzniut. Because of certain shows, competitions and sport-ing activities taking place on Shabbos, and due to the mixed audiences, many girls and women can’t go beyond a certain level in their chosen activity. “We need to make this available to our girls and women; it’s such an important outlet for them.

“Goals and achievements are very important to work towards, and in Johannesburg, we do have this to a certain extent, but there needs to be more of a forum for women-only sporting activities, com-

petitions and shows.”

One international sportswoman who appears to have achieved the balance is Naama Shafir, from Hoshaya, Israel. She recently completed a sports scholarship in the USA for Basketball. She is be-lieved to have be the first female Orthodox Jew to earn an NCAA Division I scholarship.

"She is very devout in her religion, as she should be," said her coach, Tricia Cullop about her. "It was very important to her that she found a place where she could still practice her religion and play basket-ball. Until she found that, she wasn't coming."

Shafir’s requests included kosher food to be made available to her; she needed to amend the team uniform and wear a t-shirt under her jersey; and she couldn't take part in practice from Friday evening until motzei Shab-

bos each week.

“She's a great example of someone who is stick-ing to their guns and doing what they believe,” her coach added.

Then there’s the rising star, Estee Ackerman, who, at the tender age of 11, knows what she’s not pre-pared to sacrifice for sport.

The ping pong prodigy from Long Island was disqualified from her final event at the 2012 US National Table Tennis Championships in Las Ve-gas because it fell on Shabbos, and she chose not to play.

“Ping pong is important to me, but my religion of Judaism is also very important to me,” the young-ster said. Her proud father added: “She had a Shabbos-over-sports moment.”

Heidi Hurwitz is a freelance writer and editor.


WIN

WIN


I might have otherwise felt out of place. I stood in the middle of the Lyons River Polo Club – a room lined with the sleeping bags of a disparate group of 16 year olds. They came from Soweto, from Torah Academy, and from Beit Shemesh, Israel. That day they had come from Elandslaagte, twenty kilometres shy of Ladysmith. They had traversed the 150 km on bicycles in relay, over the gruelling old mountain roads through Mooi River and Escort. It was the end of day four on Cycalive and one more day to Durban.The video we watched together that night trig-gered the sharing of personal encounters and feelings, and thoughts that elicited tears from the depths of soul.We watched British champion Derek Redmond bursting forward in the 400m race at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Two hundred meters into the race he tore his hamstring and crumpled to the track. The other athletes whizzed by, his Olympic dreams shattered. We watched him rise and hobble forward in excruciating pain. We felt the power of the moment that he dragged him-self over the finish line to the standing ovation of

65 000 spectators. He had not won the medal, but he had won and inspired the hearts of eve-ryone present in Barcelona, and everyone in the Lyons River Polo Club that night. We spoke about winning and losing, falling and failing, and the invincible human spirit that al-lows us to pick ourselves up and to finish – pos-sibly damaged, but unbroken. We were bonded by universal human vulnerability and frailty, and strength and determination in the face of chal-lenge.I woke the Torah Academy and Beit Shemesh students at 5:00am the next morning. It was Rosh Chodesh and the morning minyan includ-ed the reading of the Torah and the reciting of Musaf. We sang Halel together with Jewish joy. We concluded with the blowing of the Shofar as we packed away our Tefillin. We once again relived the value of the salad over the juice – an analogy which we had shared with all the Cycalive participants numer-ous times.It is in the juice that the different ingredients add the value of their individual tastes, but their original unique identity is lost in the blender. By

By Rabbi Dovid Hazdan


contrast, it is the salad that pools individual resources by preserving individual form and presence.Team CYCALIVE stopped at the Nelson Man-dela capture site outside Howick. We stood united and felt the bonds of common purpose as young South Africans. Our presence and aim must have been way beyond even the dreams of Madiba on that fateful day in 1962 - for him and for our country - when he was arrested at that intersection.Up the mountain passes, young South Africans of different faiths and cultures supported and motivated each other; the heave of sweat, the pain, the gain, the cries of agony and of de-light, and the songs that expressed our collective common objective and goal. Each rider knew the capability and need of the next. We were, by now, a well-oiled ma-chine – determined, motivated and bursting with synchronised energy.And then a Mincha or a Maariv and the acknowledgement and respect of individual grace and space; another discussion about the value of diversity and the acknowledge-ment of differences - the dispelling of ignorance that otherwise fosters fear and prejudice.Sport and exercise as a goal in itself can glo-rify the feat of the physical and can replace meaningful purpose of spirit with self-serving personal indulgence. Society has taught our children to go for gold. They must be the best, the first, the strongest, the fastest. Success is only achieved by making it to the top. Sadly, our world has seen, time and time again, the self-destructing superhero. How the mighty have fallen! World class greatest athletes, who had battled against every adversity and won and who rose to the top, have failed them-selves and their pursuit of meaningful happi-ness. Many have not succeeded to achieve gold in their inner battles to retain integrity, to control anger, to master temptation and to be real winners.At the same time, sport and physical exer-cise have a powerful potency to rally common cause and familial focus. It can allow hearts to beat together. A workout with soul can rally

camaraderie to pick each other up and to help one another to rise even from our crumpled dreams. It is the ripple and rhythm of muscles – honed and pulling together to achieve the hopes and collective dreams of our county and a beautiful tapestry of nationhood. We are presently in the season of Chanukah. It is one of many occasions of heightened awareness of spirituality in the Jewish calendar when we utilise candles. Candles somehow encapsulate a spiritual dimension whether it be in a moment of joy or in a moment of bereave-ment. All physical items in this world can only share of themselves by being diminished in so

doing. You cannot have 100 and give away 10 and still have 100. But in our spiritual dimension, in our soul relationships and

workouts, we are able to give and not feel that we have sacrificed. On the contrary, we feel that we have grown

by giving. A candle can light up another 100 and not be diminished. The flame is as it was. In fact it is enhanced by the new light it has created. The candle of G-d is

the soul of man. When we ac-cess our spiritual dimension and make it dominant – then we give without being dimin-ished. We grow by giving. We think and live beyond ourselves. As our weary cyclists wove through the streets of Durban, we were accompanied by a blue-light escort and the deafening sounds of traffic police sirens. Adrenalin was pumping. South Africans of diverse cultures and backgrounds linked arms as we entered the Moses Mabhide Stadium. Together we sang ‘Heiveinu Shalom Aleichem…….’ and ‘Modi Mori Bokawena…...’ We had completed 650KM and achieved our goal – with and because of each other. Rabbi Shlomo Wainer of Umhlanga pierced the festive spirit with the Elul sounds of the Shofar. A quick Mincha. An alternative prayer circle. The rhythms of a new South Africa. The collective uniqueness that allows us to savour the salad.

Rabbi Dovid Hazdan is the Rabbi of the Great Park synagogue & Dean of the Torah Academy schools.

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