The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle from Milwaukee, Wisconsin • Page 12

Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle July 24, 1992 Page 12 All Israeli athletes Munich recalls 11 slain Israelis ace unique hurdles man- Israeli Society and a Florida group, Shalom International It is an opportunity to talk about the past crazincss and present craziness in Germany and to work on it," said Robert Kunst, co-chair of the American organization, referring to recent attacks by neo-Nazis on immigrants in Germany. The second memorial, sponsored by the City of Munich, will take place Sept 4 at a commemorative marker in the Olympic Village near the dormitory building where the Israeli athletes were housed ntNnrYMtJtwkfcWk Two memorial services for the 11 Israelis killed during the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich are being held there this summer. A joint commemoration for the slain Olympians and for Holocaust victims took place during the recent G-7 economic summit meeting of Western leaders in the Bavarian capital The memorial, which included a nine-mile march from the Olympic Stadium to the Dachau concentration camp, was sponsored by the Munich-based Ger The date is one day before the 20th anniversary of the Israelis' murder by Palestinian terrorists. This year, Sept 5 falls on Saturday, precluding Jewish participation. Munich's mayor, officials from local and national Jewish groups, and Israel's ambassador to Germany likely will take part in the ceremony.

Munich holds a similar memorial every year because the 1972 hostage-taking and killings "were an enormous shock for the city," said Florian Sattler, a municipal spokesman. ticipation because of die additional personnel needed to guard Israelis, he said. Israel's revamped Olympic effort grew out of the country's Yitzchak Ben-Melech: Let athletes adjust. poor showing at the Summer Judo champ has best medal hope Iht Nnr Ywfc jtwkh Wk Netanya, Israel Why have Israelis finished as also-rans in past Olympics? There are many reasons, says Yitzchak Ben-Melech, head of the competitive sports department at the Wingate Institute for Physical Education and Sport here: The scarcity of proper training facilities and full-time coaches. The expense of sending athletes abroad for training and competition.

Meager stipends for full-time training. The lack of competitive sports at the high school and collegiate level. The effect of three-year military service on prime training years. The small number of potential athletes from a population of about four million. Rogel Nahum, 25, Israel's triple-jump champion for three years, complained that Israel has no similarly talented competitors.

He was 21st in the world last year. He added that one legacy of the 1972 murder of 1 1 Israeli athletes creates another difficulty for Israeli athletes who wish to compete in Europe: fear of further terrorist attacks. The organizers of some track meets have discouraged his par championships, capped by a gold medal in the French Open this year have made her a minor celebrity in her homeland. She was named Israeli sportsperson of the year in 1991 and has garnered several commercial endorsements. Strangers stop her on the street to wish her success or offer advice.

Some give blessings. Reporters call for interviews every week, but she has stopped speaking to the Israeli media. "I need my head to be clear of distractions," she said. "Of course it's pressure," said Arad, who competes in the Tb New Tact JwfcfcWk Netanya, Israel Yael Arad's surname means bronze in Hebrew, but she hopes it will mean gold in Barcelona. The 25 -year-old Israeli native, a national judo champion at 10 and a world-class competitor at 16, is the nation's leading contender to win a medal at the Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona.

She has taken a year off from her studies at Tel Aviv University to train full-time at the Wingate Institute here. A string of successful tournaments third-place finishes in the 1991 European and world under-61 kilogram (about 134 pounds) division. She is tall, fully tanned and heavily muscled. Arad says she took up the sport at age 8 "because my brothers used to do judo." One of her brothers manages her athletic career. As a medal-winning teenager, she lobbied Israel sports authorities to support the country's fledgling judo program.

Arad's pre-Olympic regimen has included a training camp in Austria and competition in Europe and Japan. Each day for six hours she spars, lifts weights, jogs and sprints. Arad says she will return to school after the Olympics for a degree as a nutritionist or Hi NOBODY BEATS MIDAS Mufflers Shocks Brakes UlllfJiXJ Struts Exhaust Systems Springs Computerized Alignment Services 6044 N. Port Washington Rd. 963-0858 8005 W.

Brown Deer Rd. 355-6234 1456 South 108th St (Highway 100) 257-1590 2009 Uoreland, Waukesha 544-5201 12530 W. Capitol Dr. 781-0138 4654 S. 76th St 282-5520 "A FIRST RATE, i Dick Short Short Term Long Term SUSPENSEFUL, FUNNY AND TOUCHING FILM." Paul Kresh, THE JEWISH WEEK "MR.

UMTS PICTURE CELEBRATES JEWISH LIFE IN SPLENDID Recuperative Care tMr, provide the bridge between hospital and Olympics in jlos Angeles in 1984, Ben-Melech said. His department, which grooms elite athletes, is co-sponsored by Israel's Sports Federation, Olympic Committee, and the Ministry of Education and Culture. The immigrants from the former Soviet bloc, while attracting public interest, will have less effect on the medals standing, Ben-Melech said. Most newcomer athletes excel in individual sports such as wrestling or weightlifting, but few standout players in team sports basketball or soccer have arrived. And while talented, the foreign-born athletes are not world-class competitors, Ben-Melech said.

Some immigrate past their peak athletic years; most need time to adjust to Israeli society and training methods. 1st medal? (From Page 1) is a preparation center for several national teams and the Olympic squad, and for visiting athletes. The institute offers Hebrew-language training to the immigrants, some of whom have been in Israel little more than a year. Ben-Melech's department has developed a comprehensive program to improve the performances of Olympic-caliber athletes. "More hours, more intensity, more coaches," as he put it He said administrative changes including new education for trainers and physical therapists play a major role in improving Israel's Olympic prospects.

Athletes cooperate Some of the newly arrived athletes have displaced native-bom Israelis as national champions in certain sports, particularly track and field events. Yet there is no apparent animosity. Vadim Babikin, a javelin thrower from Kharkov, said he has received pointers from Israeli athletes whose position he threatens. "They help. They explain," he noted.

Many of the Soviet-born athletes say they have long hoped to be on an Israeli Olympic team. "I thought about this for years," said Igor Avrunin, 34, a discus thrower from Kovno. "I wanted to represent Israel, my nation, and not Russia." Alexander Davidovich, 24, a Greco-Roman wrestler from Kharkov, wears a large ring that features a gold-plated Jewish star. He said he would be a likely choice this year for an Olympic team from the former Soviet Union. "I did not want to be a sportsman in Russia," said Davidovich, who arrived a year ago.

He said he looks forward to meeting his one-time Soviet teammates and competitors in Barcelona. "It's a big honor to represent Israel," he said. home, focusing on rehabilitating patients to regain their independence. Professional staff of licensed nurses and therapists. Ideal for those recovering from fractures, strokes and other illnesses.

Warm Jewish atmosphere. Fine kosher food. Medicare and Title 19 approved. DETAIL" Ilene Rosenzwelg, THE FORWARD VI i Milwaukee Jewish Convalescent Center 5151 W. Silver Spring Drive 464.2300 Respite Care Day Care Loving Care GOOD AS GOLD I 9 I -Ht- i At Incredible Prices lit TV', MID-SUMMER CLEARANCE SALE Fabulous Discontinued Jovolry Mandlbago Clothing NEW ARRIVALS! SPECTACULAR SELECTION OF CHARMS AND HOOPS.

HOU SHOWING! 8585 North Port Washington Rd. 351-0030 (Whit Houm 2 Door South Brrmm Port Shopping CtrJ 0 HOURS: 10-5, SAT. 10-3.