Subscribe to Reporters' Notebook
Kickin’ it off in style: Bands, mascots, cheerleaders rock S.F. Maccabi Games’ opening ceremonies11:36 am Monday, August 3, 2009by michael lazarus The 2009 JCC Maccabi Games' opening ceremonies got off to a rocking start Aug. 2, with Israeli scouts providing pre-ceremony entertainment and Israeli hip-hop group Coolooloosh prompting the more than 1,500 athletes in attendance to rush the stage for a celebration-ending dance party. In between, delegations made the entering walk through the Cow Palace, videos celebrating the history and importance of the Maccabi Games played on the two big screens, and Richard Goldman, the honorary chair of the Games, and his granddaughter Jennifer Goldman, a Maccabiah gold-medal winner in tennis, lit the torch. Upwards of 2,000 parents, hosts and spectators packed into the Daly City venue to welcome the athletes to San Francisco. Mascots from the San Jose Earthquakes, (Q) Oakland Athletics (Stomper), San Francisco 49ers (Sourdough Sam) and San Francisco Giants (Lou Seal) entertained the crowd, throwing out T-shirts and taking pictures. CheerSF then came on to greet the athletes during the parade of nations. Roxy Bernstein, the voice of the California Golden Bears and alumnus of the Maccabi Games, introduced the 44 delegations, including cohorts from the United Kingdom, Guatemala, Mexico and Israel. The biggest cheers were saved for the S.F. delegation. "I feel like we're all connected by tradition," said tennis player Aria Berluti, 12, of San Francisco. "Getting to run out and be the last ones was really fun. I even danced a little." The one somber moment of the night was a tribute to the Munich Eleven, the 11 Israeli athletes taken hostage and killed during the 1972 Summer Olympic Games. "It was a very respectful ceremony," said Yuval Zur, who traveled from Israel to watch his grandson, Daniel Zur, play basketball with the Contra Costa delegation. "It was very positive, very impressive and even caused me to get a little emotional." With all the hype surrounding the event, the teenagers couldn’t help but feel like they were part of something important. “It was very Olympic-like,” said Shaun Kleber, a 15-year-old swimmer from Atlanta. There was one athlete who hoped the Olympic comparisons don’t end at the opening ceremonies, though. “I want to bring home Michael Phelps-style medals,” said 16-year-old Michael Weinberg, of Washington D.C. Let the Games begin. Permalink Leave a comment Spread the Word E-mail a friend CommentsBe the first to comment! Leave a Comment
In order to post a comment, you must first log in. |
Search
Archives
Subscribe