Day Eight: Indoor Sport, Closing Ceremony and Attractivity!

Maccabi Junior Carnival reached its conclusion for 2016 with a frenetic last day filled with sport and festivities. We began bright and early as participants headed to their indoor sports, which comprised of rock climbing, basketball, futsal, volleyball and ten pin bowling.

Whilst a number of sports have been played in a purely social capacity throughout the week, this was certainly not the case at boys futsal. Amongst some unbelievable showings of individual skill on the pitch, there were also some wonderful team efforts. The Victorian side that were crowned champions in the year 8/9 category did so through teamwork and co-operation rather than individual brilliance.

More highlights came as a handpicked all-star team of participants faced off against a side comprising of the best footballers in the ranks of both youth leaders and management. In a closely fought match the leaders managed to defeat the participants with the score line at full-time reading 4-1.

Following a hearty lunch, participants returned to their various sports. The futsal arena now welcomed the year 6 and 7’s which saw a New South Wales side overcome a hard-fighting group of Victorians to claim the title.  

At the conclusion of sport came the formal aspect of the afternoon as carnival participants, leadership and important Maccabi figures gathered at All Sorts Alexandria for the official Carnival closing ceremony. Speeches from Carnival manager Justin Shelton, NSW team leader Joel Weiner, President of Maccabi Australia Barry Smorgon OAM and an intimidating haka from team NZ ensured Carnival was finished in style. Awards were handed out to a participant or two from each state before representatives from team WA promoted Maccabi Junior Carnival 2017 which is to be held in Perth.

Carnival had officially come to an end but the final social event of the schedule still remained. Attractivity, a new arcade-style facility located in Alexandria, welcomed Carnival with open arms and allowed unlimited use of their extensive premises. Laser tag, bowling, arcade games, dodgem cars, a ropes course and a 4D rollercoaster style game kept participants entertained all evening long.

As parents arrived to collect their children, it slowly became clear to participants that Carnival was over and the waterworks began. It was great to see how much the friendships developed on Carnival meant to these kids – hopefully they will last a lifetime.

Participants had a wide variety of perspectives on the week that was – the following is a selection of just a few:

"Carni was great. The parties were my favourite part. It was great being able to make new friends and share some awesome experiences with them." - Ben Becker (NSW)

"It was amazing. My highlight was white night. The entertainment was cool and being able to meet new people was really fun. We think we have made some friendships that will last a lifetime" - Lorri Gunn & Chloe Pamamull (VIC)

"It was amazing. My highlight was soccer. I enjoyed it being competitive and the functions were really good as well. On community day I went to friendship circle and it was great having that feeling of helping someone who really needs it. It felt good." - Nicholas Descy (QLD)

"It was really fun having people from all different states down in Sydney and being able to show them our lifestyle. Having been to Carni last year it’s been awesome seeing all the people I formed friendships with last year and also making strong new relationships." - Sabrina Staub (NSW)

"I only met my 3 billets on carnival and we have quickly become one big family. I’m sure we’ll stay friends for years to come " - Felix Moses (NSW)

This carnival we welcomed two all abilities members to our team of youth leaders, both named Michael. They proved excellent assets to the team – Mikey Sarif shared his thoughts on his experiences leading on Carnival.

"I’ve loved Carnival and I love looking after these kids. It’s been really challenging but also very rewarding. I’ve always wanted to do this but I never got a chance to do it as a kid - it’s kind of like a dream come true."

It’s been a fantastic week for everyone involved in Maccabi Junior Carnival 2016 and a huge thank you must go the way of Carnival manager Justin Shelton and his organising committee. We hope everyone enjoyed their time on Carni and will be back to join us next year in Perth!

Thanks for reading!

By Jake Rosengarten

Day Seven: Outdoor Sport + Foam Party

Following the excitement of the previous day, the participants of Maccabi Junior Carnival returned to the pitches of David Phillips Sporting Complex and Roland Park to resume their outdoor sporting commitments. As they did on the previous outdoor sports day, participants had the chance to play any of the following sports: football, touch football, ultimate Frisbee, tee ball, netball, tennis and AFL nines.

The sport was fiercely contested as participants finally enjoyed ideal weather for taking to the pitch. Finals were played out on the field as those playing competitively strived for satisfaction and glory! Overall, it was a fairly uneventful day of sport aside from an injury or two!

New South Wales participant Aaron Klimt dubbed it “the best

sports day so far!”

­­­­­­Our social event for the night was the always popular and ever-present foam party! Held at Rose Bay Secondary College, the foam party is a seemingly ever-present staple of the Carnival schedule. DJ Les Cohen got the crowd going with some top tunes as the foam party filled up with kids aching to be covered from head to toe in froth.

Perhaps, however, the real highlight of the night came as Les passed the decks over to Life on Earth – carnival participants aged just 14! The trio, comprised of New South Wales’ Riley Kovkin, Ryan Mayer and Jordan Lakofski, took over with aplomb and dropped tunes which brought the dancefloor back to life towards the end of the party. It was a wonderful sight to see.

The party was a big success as participants enjoyed the company of their friends whilst getting wet with foam and dancing the night away.

Tomorrow brings another edition of the indoor sporting options as well as our closing ceremony held at the exciting new arcade-style facility Attractivity. Tomorrow is the LAST day of Carni – make the most of it!

Thanks for reading.

By Jake Rosengarten

Day Six: Raw Challenge + Lila Lavan (White Night)

Every Maccabi Junior Carnival has its own landmark event. Last year in Melbourne it was the Neon Run, but this time around Sydney’s Raw Challenge was the event everyone was looking forward to. A five kilometre course strewn with obstacles left, right and centre awaited at St Ives Showground as participants were bussed to the premises.

Somewhat unfortunately, Mother Nature failed to produce rain just when we needed it and as such mud was at a premium. Nevertheless, challenging obstacles saw participants climb, crawl, jump and run through all manner of challenging course features. Most popular perhaps was the slip and slide, in which participants had the opportunity to run and slide along a slippery surface – of course, getting dirty and foamy in the process.

Many ran the course a number of times before switching to objective number one… getting as muddy as humanly possible! NSW’s trio of Ella Hiles, Hannah Kavin and Jade Mezei were certainly of the philosophy that muddier is better.

“It was muddy and it was great. The muddier we got the more we went around the course and the better it was.”

Carnival Manager Justin Shelton’s prayer to the rain gods was to no avail but the head honcho believed that the event was still an unmitigated success.

“The course was great. The venue was great. We were hoping for more rain to get more mud happening but I believe the participants enjoyed the course nonetheless. It was good to see the kids running around and getting some exercise out in the fresh air.”

The recurring theme of a longing for a muddier and wetter day continued as Queensland’s Eli Mitchell gave me his thoughts on the Challenge.

“The Raw Challenge was good fun. I really enjoyed the slip and slide and the bubble machine. Maybe next time add more mud.”

The day was capped off with a variety of novelty races as youth leaders and management alike competed against participants. Watching Maccabi NSW president Danny Hochberg running the obstacle course dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and rainbow afro wig was certainly a sight that had to be seen to be believed!

After an awesome day at the Raw Challenge, the bar had been set and it was up to our Israel themed Lila Lavan (White Night) to live up to the lofty expectations of participants. It certainly did not disappoint, as DJ Jesse Bloch returned to the decks to keep the party going all night long - or at least until our designated 10:30 pick up time…

Snacks were on offer to compliment the wicked beats being dropped by our very own JB, as a drumming performance from ‘The Rhythm Village’ drew interactivity from the crowd. Situated in a warehouse-type building with Israeli flags donning the walls, white party 2k16 will go down as quite possibly the best social event of the entire Carnival social program.

Team VIC’s Angel Cohen was a big fan of the atmosphere at White Night. “Last night at white night was really fun and the music was really good and I had a great time.”

Lexi Levy agreed with her fellow Melbournian stating that she believed we “need more parties like white night!”

It was a long albeit exciting day at #MaccabiCarni, hopefully participants will get lots of sleep and will arrive on Monday raring for our final day of outdoor sport. Check back tomorrow for an update on sport and Monday night’s foam party!

Thanks for reading!

By Jake Rosengarten

Day Five: Shabbat + Show Night!

Central Synagogue welcomed Carnival participants with open arms on Friday night as a beautiful service brought in Shabbat. Beautiful singing from the choir and the beautiful interiors of the shule ensured a service which was appreciated by the scores of Carni kids who were on hand to witness it. Tradition saw Saturday designated as a day off from Carnival activities as interstaters were given some time to get to know their billets and the city of Sydney in any way they saw fit.

Following the exit of Shabbat, participants flocked to UNSW’s Science Theatre for the aptly named ‘Show Night.’ Boy, did they see some show! We kicked off with a wonderful set by our very own Zak Fleisher, all the way from Perth, Western Australia. Zak got the crowd going with a covers of ‘Lonely Boy’ by the Black Keys and ‘Do I wanna know’ by the Arctic Monkeys before finishing off with two wonderfully crafted original songs.

The talent boasted by our youth leader ranks was on display shortly thereafter as Zak was joined on stage by NSW’s very own Tayla Cohen and Victoria’ Orren Chabat who burst into an impromptu version of Justin Bieber’s summer anthem ‘Love Yourself.’ Only to be joined by the entire youth leader body as participants in the crowd took the invitation to join them on the stage and bust out some bars to the Biebz. However, it didn’t take long for a Kanye-West-style interruption saw a change of tone as Omi’s Cheerleader, the song of #Carni2015 was belted out by the 500 strong crowd encompassing leadership, management and participants alike in a rare show of unity.

However, the show was just heating up – Stage Hypnotist Bill Wheeler then kicked us into overdrive with a showing of hypnosis which, quite literally, mesmerised participants. Wheeler’s act saw participants and leaders alike put to sleep with the click of fingers as well as dance moves some never knew they possessed and finally impromptu bursts of the chicken dance whenever a certain easily recognisable piece of music was played. Be sure to ask your child all about Bill’s act, and especially if they were involved. Something tells me they’ll all be giving very similar answers…

Bill wowed the crowd for one and a half hours of hypnotic fun, which to some more felt like a quick five minute nap! After a wonderful set and an unbelievable show night, the fun had to come to an end as the clocked clicked past 11. Show Night never fails to amaze and 2016’s edition was no exception to the rule.

Today (Sunday) sees participants engage in our gruelling five kilometre long Raw Challenge course in St Ives which is sure to see some muddy fun for young and old alike! Check back tomorrow for a detailed report of the goings-on at the Challenge!

Thanks for reading.

By Jake Rosengarten

Day Four: Community Day!

Community day is one of the most important staples of the Carnival schedule. It allows 

participants a chance to learn about and become a part of a number of important organisations and institutions in and around the host city who make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves. 2016 saw Carnival participants head to 16 different locations around Sydney to help those in need, learn about their heritage or become educated on other important societal issues and ways we can fix them. Originally 19 wonderful organisations offered to take on participants but unfortunately due to weather activities at Clean up Australia, Save the Children, North West Disability Services and Easy Care Gardening had to be cancelled. A big thank you must also go to Chabad North Shore who offered to take participants at the very last minute!

Community Day organiser Leanne Shelton was over the moon that all her hard work paid off and culminated in a fantastic day of volunteering for all. “While it was a stressful morning of sorting out last minute relocations, all of the reports I’ve heard have been very positive,” Shelton said, “I’d like to thank all the organisations for coming on board and I hope everyone had a memorable experience and will continue to do more volunteering in the future.”

Continue reading down the page for summaries of each individual volunteering experience!

Advantaged Care - Bondi Waters

The 8 Participants who did their volunteering at Bondi Waters Aged Care facility began their experience with a tour around the building before engaging in an inter-generational game of bowling involving both kids and residents. Next, participants sat and ate lunch with residents in the dining room whilst mingling and enjoying each other’s company. Finally, the participants helped residents in their preparations for Australia day.

Resident Pat Kenny had the following to say about Maccabi Carnival’s successful visit to Bondi Waters.

“They have fitted in well and haven’t made any noise. The kids are very well-mannered, something which you don’t see a lot in kids their age these days. I think it’s a lovely concept; years ago there wasn’t anything like this. The residents have really enjoyed having the kids here.”

Animal Welfare League NSW

Participants who volunteered at the Animal Welfare League opened their day by preparing a morning meal for the cats residing there and also had the opportunity to feed it to them whilst brushing and grooming the adorable felines. Following this, participants played with puppies and took a few lucky canines on a walk before engaging in a mini-training session with command and rewards for the dogs.

Arthritis & Osteoporosis NSW

A Brainstorming session about how to raise awareness for arthritis saw participants come up with various ideas for arts, crafts and games to be undertaken at camps run by host organisation Arthritis and Osteoporosis NSW. The kids then helped with administration tasks such as sorting brochures and opening mail.

Assistance Dogs Australia

Fundraising for assistance dogs Australia in Sydney’s CBD was incredibly successful and culminated in the raising hundreds of dollars for their organisation. The highlight of the day was the opportunity to meet a woman whose nephew was the same age as participants and is a beneficiary of the charity.

B'nai B'rith Courage to Care

Courage to Care put on an amazing program for our Maccabi participants; explaining the power of propaganda and the media and, the importance of standing up against bullying and discrimination. The kids then had the opportunity to listen to a holocaust survivor’s story and then create their own powerful posters on a social issue important to them. Some incredible posters were designed which displayed amazing thoughts from our future generation about important societal concerns.

Chabad North Shore

Volunteers at Chabad North Shore had the opportunity to spend time helping out in their vacation care as well as baking challah amongst other activities.

Friendship Circle NSW

Carnival participants were given the opportunity to spend a morning playing games, sport and bonding with Friendship Circle members. Split into groups of three, all participants were able to forge relationships with their Friendship Circle partners at a one on one level. Carnival participants walked away with a new perspective on people with special needs and a desire to ensure that Maccabi and their respective societies becomes more inclusive.

New South Wales participant Ryan Mayer was glowing about his experience at the Friendship Circle:

“We had a lot of fun and it was really interactive with the kids. I loved the person I was working with; she was super great. It’s an awesome experience to be with these kids and learning how they work and feel because a lot of their emotion comes out. It feels great to give back to the community. I’ve never really felt like this when doing community service; we’re making a real difference to real people which is the best thing someone can do.”

Jewish House

Volunteers at Jewish House helped pack gift bags whilst organising the kitchen and cupboards with a stocktake of all the donated food and supplies Jewish house have received. Proceeding this, participants also helped tidy up the house so it stays in tip top shape for the clients who stay there.

Our Big Kitchen

The 65 Carnival kids who visited Our Big Kitchen in Bondi had the opportunity to bake challah from start to finish as well as making cookies for the homeless.

Our Big Kitchen’s Laya Slavin had only good things to say about the participants who she guided through the baking process.

“Maccabi kids are fantastic and have a real ruach about them. It isn’t just challah dough; they are experiencing a lot more than that. Each child has made 2 challahs today. One will be going to their family or their billet’s family and the other is to give to someone to put a smile on their face. They will also be making cookies for the homeless. The kids have been really well behaved and look to be having a great time.”

Oz Harvest Food Rescue

Kids who spent the day at Maccabi’s Offices with OzHarvest spent their time organising and sorting the donations made by Carnival participants this week. They listened intently to a presentation by a representative of the organisation and ensured the foodstuffs were ready for collection.

Stand Up: Jewish Commitment to a Better World

Icebreakers. Listened to the story of Yarrie Bangura, a Sierra Leonan refugee and basically linked it to Jewish responsibility. Because our grandparents too were persecuted it’s our responsibility. Got some inspiration from posters about freedom and liberty and painted a canvas each about what it meant to stand up for what we believe in. Thinking about what we can do to stand up for everyone.

SummitCare Nursing Home Randwick (Frenchman's Lodge)

Participants who visited SummitCare Nursing Home Randwick spent their day meeting the residents and assisting with other activities.

Sydney Jewish Museum

The Sydney Jewish Museum was the biggest of our volunteer locations in terms of the number of participants taken on. 100 Carnival kids spent Community Day at the SJM learning about their heritage and the history of the Jewish people. Beginning with a guided tour around the museum, the participants also heard lectures from SJM staff as well as being treated to a testimonial from a holocaust survivor.

“It’s nice but also sad to see what happened during the World War Two period and hearing from the survivors,” said Tal Levin of Western Australia, “I think learning about the holocaust enhances our Jewish connection and is really important so we never forget what happened in the past.”

Thread Together

Thread Together is an organisation that collects off-season clothing from big clothing brands and donates them to the less fortunate. Participants helped to organise the clothing into sizes and categories so that they were ready for distribution. There were over 140,000 pieces of clothing on site and the organisation is able to help a multitude of charities all over the country by providing them with these clothes.

Together for Humanity

An organisation where there were representatives from 4 different religious beliefs. Amongst the representatives were a Muslim, a Jew, A Christian and an atheist. The participants had the opportunity to ask questions and answer questions around each different stream of faith. Following this, the kids participated in a few different activities which encouraged them to critically think about different global issues and scenarios relating to different cultures and religions.

Wesley Mission

Participants were set the challenge of feeding a homeless person in the best way possible for just $5. The kids learnt a lot about the multitude of reasons why someone may end up homeless and were left with a greater knowledge of the world surrounding homeless men, women and children.

Thanks for reading.

Written by Jake Rosengarten.

Photos by Jess Cohen and Talia Binkin.

The Final Post!

Final Farewell:

All good things come to an end. Unfortunately, Maccabi Junior Carnival is now over for 2015 and thus this will be my final blog post. I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who jumped on board and supported us, whether it be by reading the blog, liking the Facebook, following the Instagram or anything else. Thanks so much!

Sport wrap-up:

As we headed into the finals of each sport the skill as well as the excitement was at an all-time high. In a number of sports a final went right down to the wire with teams overcoming adversity to take out the title. There were some nailbitingly close finishes at MSAC in the basketball finals with Victoria taking out every division other than the year 8-10 boys category.

Soccer and futsal had the spoils shared equally between NSW and Victoria as the athletes tried their best to bring home the gold for their states. Overall, it was a great sporting showing throughout the week as the participants were really impressive in their effort and skill. A full list of the winners can be found below.

                                                                     WINNERS:

Last Socials – Club night + Foam Party:

Carnival’s penultimate social event was club night, held at Alumbra nightclub, featuring some quality DJs and a cameo rap performance by Jewish rapper Adam Freed, better known as Freeds. The kids partied in the life of clubgoers as they danced the night away. The party raged on for hours as participants continued to groove to the music and socialise with each other for the second last time.

The final night of Carni 2015 featured a foam party held at Caulfield Bowls club. There was entertainment aplenty as participants enjoyed partying as a group for the final time, ensuring that their final moments with their interstate and international friends, new and old, were spent partying.

The foam pit was a huge hit with the kids, a constant rotation of participants were in and out of the pit, generally covered head to toe in foam. The smiles on the participant’s faces as they romped around in the foam pit were a joy to witness.

Other entertainment included DJs CJ and Jay Levy, who kept the party going and the dance floor full to great effect. Whilst a picture slideshow of Carnival ran in the background, kids also had the opportunity to create their own flipbook, as well as engage in some virtual sport thanks to Rentertainment.

As the hours passed, the party came to a close and teary farewells came thick and fast as interstate companions parted, some for the first time since the forming of these friendships. It was amazing to see the kids’ outpour of emotion at the ending of Carnival, an indicator that leaders and organisers had done a great job in providing these kids with a week they will never forget!

Final thank you from Organisers:

Finally, on behalf of the Organising Committee for Maccabi Junior Carnival 2015, I would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who attended Carnival, to the parents, volunteers and everyone else who helped make this event run so smoothly! Without you guys Carnival could not be a reality, thanks a bunch! 

That's it from us. Melbourne was a great success. We hope to see you next year in SYDNEY for CARNI 2016! Written by Jake Rosengarten. Photos by Paul Topol and Zack Garkawe.

NEON RUUUUUNNN!

Sunday night’s Neon Run must go down as one of the great successes of Maccabi Junior Carnival 2015! Participants and leaders alike ran (or walked) the 3.1km track around the Sandown Racecourse, stopping on 3 different occasions at DJ sets around the track.

The atmosphere was electric (no pun intended) as the brightly coloured clothing and accessories donned by all shone under the UV lights and under the light of the moon, whilst not a single one of our DJs disappointed. Each and every one delivering a flawless set which got everyone moving and helped establish this event as the new benchmark for partying at Carnival!

“By far the highlight of Carnival so far,” said Carnival manager Justin Lipson. “The culmination of brilliant ideas challenging the status quo of Carnival events, volunteers spent the majority of Sunday preparing for what was an event I’m sure participants will remember for many years to come."

Participants’ and youth leaders’ thoughts echoed that of the man who put together the stunning event. “I’ve been a leader a youth leader on two Carnivals and the Neon Run was by far the best social event I’ve ever been to,” said NSW youth leader Yoni Hochberg.

Whilst the only gripe Victorian youth leader Luis Goldbaum could conjure was that it was “more like a neon walk!” Valentina of NZ said that “There was always something to do. It wasn’t just another party, it had an aim.”

The final station of the event was a huge party in which participants let loose surrounded by neon colours and amazing music. Such a party, the likes of which has never been seen in Carnival history. The overarching success of the event thanks largely to the help of a huge group of volunteers, has ensured a place for the neon run or a similar event to be maintained on the Carnival schedule!

Stay tuned each day of Carnival 2015 to catch up on all the highlights from on the scene. Written by Jake Rosengarten. Photos by Paul Topol and Zack Garkawe.

Day 5: Pool Party and Community Day!

Fun in the Pool!

At the stroke of 9:30, as the Sabbath took its leave, the participants of Carnival 2015 made their way to Glen Eira Sports and Aquatic Centre (GESAC) to attend one hell of a pool party! GESAC was soon abuzz with excitement as kids donned their cozzies to swim in any one of the multiple pools on offer.

The outdoor pool did not prove the most popular as temperatures plummeted, whereas indoor there was a plethora of different options. The waterslides were the hot ticket item as participants lined up for huge lengths of time to ride. Zahra from WA commented that “the waterslides were fun but the line was super long,” whilst Matt from NSW was just thankful that “the water was warm.”

The party lasted two hours, with our DJ providing some tunes that got everyone into party mode throughout the night. A great time was had by all; the only issue voiced by some was that the party did not last long enough! It was a great evening and again lived up to the high standards set by previous socials! Tamar of WA called it “the best party yet!”

Community Day:

In recent years, Community Day has become a staple of the Carnival calendar, as participants are sent out into the wider community to volunteer in some capacity. There were a wide range of different volunteering options undertaken this year…

Jewish Care

A large number of Carnival youth headed to Jewish Care for their volunteer work, wherein they were separated into different groups, learning about various aspects of the organisation whose headquarters they spent their day in. They were taught about the practical runnings of Jewish Care and its place in the community, as well as spending time with residents. They were taught interactively, through an array of icebreakers which endeavoured to impart information upon them in an enjoyable fashion. A number of young volunteers from the community also helped out in teaching the kids about Jewish Care.

Citywide - Black Rock

Out at Black Rock, a number of participants helped Citywide, a conservation group, in weeding and cleaning up the area. They spent the day doing so before heading back to the city where they were collected. “It’s a great thing,” said NSW’s Matthew of his volunteering experience, “it’s a nice break from sport and it feels good to give back to the community.”

Challah for Hunger

Some participants were based at Central Synagogue and volunteered helping make ‘Challah for Hunger’, which they baked and then ventured out to sell. They managed to raise a significant sum of money for this unbelievable organisation, which donates the funds it raises to various Jewish charities. The kids seemed to enjoy both the process of making the challah as well as the distribution. “It made me feel like eating… also it’s nice to be able to give back to the community,” said Tayla of NSW, who volunteered with Challah for Hunger.

CoastCare - Altona

Some carnival participants made a slightly longer trek to put their gardening skills to good use in the baron wasteland that is Altona. Assisting with the conservation of plants; participants watered and rendered growing trees in the desolate land, doing their bit for the environment. The work done by our Carnival youth will play a key role in ensuring that plant life in this rural area continues to thrive, their efforts will essentially ensure the survival of these precious trees.

As the temperature gauge turned up in Altona as did the hunger of the participants and soon enough lunchtime rolled around much to the pleasure of the kids. Following lunch, they completed their volunteer work, indulged in a well-earned stroll along the beach and headed back to familiar territory, where they were picked up.

C-Care

Yeshiva was the location of another community program activity. C-Care, an organisation which director Shlomo Nathanson explained essentially performs the function of feeding Jews living below the poverty line in isolated areas. The organisation endeavours to have volunteers often visit the same clients, thus forging a relationship between the two and offering those in need some valuable support. The participants worked hard in the kitchen, slicing and dicing roast vegetables, potatoes, carrots, cabbages and fruit salad, whilst others slaved away to bake some biscuits. The volunteers did a marvellous job and the food which they prepared will go towards feeding someone living below the poverty line.

Emmy Monash

Some volunteers headed to Emmy Monash, where they participated in a number of enjoyable activities, games and conversations with the residents of the home. During the initial phases of their time there, participants were paired up with a resident and were asked numerous questions aimed to facilitate them getting to know one another. Next, some residents told tales of their own sporting endeavours. One of whom was an ex-Leeds United footballer and another the featherweight boxing champion of Poland! Finally, Israeli dancing was participated in by both residents and participants alike. “It was nice seeing the inter-generational interaction and the level of respect the participants displayed for the residents,” commented NSW youth leader Tali Binkin.

For some it was a relatively new experience but for Victorian participant Monique Lustig, Emmy Monash was nothing new at all. Lustig spends 2 hours of her time ever Sunday morning volunteering with residents with dementia. She commented that is was “nice to spend time with different residents and to see other people at Carnival also volunteering at Emmy Monash!”

Stay tuned each day of Carnival 2015 to catch up on all the highlights from on the scene. Written by Jake Rosengarten. Photos by Paul Topol and Zack Garkawe.

Day 4: Biathlon + Shabbas!

Biathlon:

What better way to spend a Friday morning than participating in the inaugural Carnival biathlon! 26 brave participants arrived at Bialik School at the laughable hour of 7AM to put their bodies to the test with a 200m swim and a gruelling 2km run.

The year 6 and 7 girls kicked us off as they braved the challenging conditions, diving into the task… literally. The swimming abilities of all impressed and with a swift changeover into the running leg, the participants brought it home with some extremely impressive times.

Halli Klinger of team VIC claimed 1^st place in a hard-fought race, just pipping Ella Freeman to the line. There were impressive swimmers and runners on show in all categories; with the year 6 and 7 boys' winner Jared Elbourne from NSW managed to clock the overall fastest time of the day with a lightning quick showing.

I caught up with Jared just after the race: “I found the biathlon really fun and it gave me a great feeling, I compete in triathlons with Maccabi on Sunday mornings so that really helped me today.”

Coming in second to Elbourne was Felix Moses. In the older age groups, the stakes were high as some competitive participants endeavoured to clock better and better times. In the girls’ year 8 to 10 category, Ella Herman took out the victory with Brody Katz pushing her all the way to the line. Whilst QLD’s very own Jacob Trieger defeated Brendan Cohen by the narrowest of margins in the boys' event.

Overall, the amount of talent displayed was impressive, with management exceedingly pleased with the effort, commitment and skill on show. The success of the event has paved the way for a continuation of the biathlon in the sporting schedule!

Good Shabbas!

Following the usual morning session, Friday’s sport came to a grinding halt as Shabbat preparation kicked into full swing. Friday night saw two shule services attended by Carnival members; one conducted at the orthodox Caulfield Synagogue and the other a reform alternative hosted by Temple Beth Israel.

Following two beautiful services participants were offered the option to attend a Carnival Shabbat dinner also held at the Caulfield Shule. It was an intimate evening which provided an opportunity to reflect upon the week at Carnival and for the appropriate thank-yous to be doled out.

Following Shabbat, participants were sent on their way, afforded Saturday to relax, socialise and do whatever else they desired. They returned to official Carni events on Saturday night with the pool party held at GESAC.

Stay tuned each day of Carnival 2015 to catch up on all the highlights from on the scene. Written by Jake Rosengarten. Photos by Paul Topol.

Day Three: Into the swing of things...

Horribly Fun!

Wednesday night’s social event, the Athlete’s Choice Party, was a horror-themed bonanza headlined by the moves of Australia’s Got Talent Semi-finalists The Superhoodz as well as featuring Melbourne’s very own Yoav Fisher on the DJ decks. 

Participants were treated to screamingly brilliant decorations featuring coffins, mummies and even a guillotine to name a few, and the costumes on show didn’t fail to impress either as face paint and dress-ups seemed the order of the day.

“The decorations were really good, the youth leaders did a really good job of getting involved and we were given a lot of freedom to do whatever we wanted.” These were the wise words passed onto me in reference to the party by WA boys Dean, Justin, Dylan and Jason, who clearly enjoyed their night of horror.

The DJ kept the crowds excited and with pump-up expert Joel Grunstein on the mic, there was never a dull moment on the dance floor. 

The athlete’s choice party continued the already clear theme of great social events put together by this year’s organising committee, and the social calendar is yet to show any signs of slowing down as we head into a jam-packed weekend!

Murmurs of the Crowd

A chat with: Victorian Assistant Manager Karen Herman

Jake Rosengarten (Carnival Journalist): Did you ever go on Carni when you were a kid?

Karen: Yes; I went on my first Carni in Melbourne when I was 12 or 13.

Jake: Is there anything you specifically remember from your time at Carni?

Karen: I specifically remember my billet. She was from NSW, the same age as me and we hit it off instantly, forming a tight friendship. Today, she is one of my dearest friends, even though we’ve both lived and travelled all over the world. These days we have house and car share arrangements so that we can visit each other’s home cities and often meet halfway so our families can get together.

Jake: Do you have any words of wisdom for this year’s Carni kids?

Karen: Always be open to meeting new people and having new experiences.

Match of the Day (by Joel Grunstein)

Girls Year 6/7 Soccer: NSW 3-1 VIC

NSW Football Contingent Echo NSW 2 impressed the other states by winning their opening match 3-1. 

Sarah Sharwood tested Victorian goalkeeper Lexi Kotzman with a close range shot in the opening minutes - not long after opening the scoring with a scorcher from the outside the 6 yard box. 

Dominating the first half, Milla Kern put another goal past Kotzman to make it 2-0 just before the halftime mark. Kern’s playing style has been compared to the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic by football professionals like Delta NSW coaches Talia Binkin and Jessie Goldberg. 

Victoria posed a threat in the second half, but NSW captain Sienna Meyer made sure her defence made goal keeper Sabrina Staub's job easy. 

Meyer earned her woman of the match award through not only her defensive effort but her attacking threat too, hitting the post in the 12th minute. 

Although she redeemed herself in the dying minutes of the game, putting a 3rd past Kotzman. 

After a great effort, the fatigued NSW defence conceded in the last minute.

Sport, Sport and more Sport!

The sporting aspect of Carnival is well and truly underway with a huge array of sports going ahead uninterrupted, a big thanks is due to the Melbourne weather which has decided to be kind this week and make up its mind for once! 

Seeing the kids putting their all into their sporting efforts has been amazing to watch and parents should be proud of the way their kids have been participating.

“Volleyball was really fun. I tapped the ball like twice… and my nails didn’t even break!” NZ sisters Ariella and Valentina told me, “Everyone’s been really nice here, we love Carni!

All Abilities Update (By Lauren Mandel)

Today the All Abilities volunteers team continued to show great commitment and enthusiasm. The whole team of ten all arrived right on time, at 11am on the dot, with big smiles on their faces.

They all expressed how much they had been enjoying the opportunity to volunteer and today was no exception. We started off the day with a morning brief and team meeting. 

The crew then divided into smaller teams and were responsible for setting up the lunches and ensuring everything was neat, tidy and in its place. 

At 12pm, the hungry Junior Carnival mob came inside from their respective sports and before we knew it, a long line had developed. Everyone waited patiently as our volunteers (Tess, Veronica, Dina, Danni, Jarrod and Lozz) served up the lunches with big smiles on their faces.

We had Josh working at the food store, selling lots of snacks to the kids. Robbie was helpful, by greeting the kids as they arrived, reading out the menu to them and ushering them to the designated serving areas. 

Bar helped to serve out food to the kids with dietary requirements and/or allergies. He did a fantastic job sorting through the boxes of food. The team then sat and enjoyed a well-deserved break and enjoyed eating the delicious catered lunch. 

Our group finished off by cleaning the tables and ensuring the area was left nice and clean. It was another fantastic day and we thank you all for your incredible support and assistance.

Stay tuned each day of Carnival 2015 to catch up on all the highlights from on the scene. Written by Jake Rosengarten. Photos by Paul Topol, Zack Garkawe and Maddie Brygel.