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.

Day Two: Kickoff around the grounds!

Play Ball…

Wednesday kicked off the sporting aspect of this year’s Carnival, as a wide range of sports were undertaken at various venues by enthusiastic participants. Sports featured on day one included: basketball, barefoot bowls, soccer, netball, touch football, table tennis, golf, futsal, volleyball, tennis and dodgeball.

I conducted a short post-match interview with a few footballers following their time on the pitch. “It was a pretty tight game,” Simon, a member of Victorian team Bravo, said of his team’s exploits. “The Bravo boys ran their hearts out and that’s all that matters at the end of the day.”

Due to lack of numbers the Queensland football boys took the field in a composite team with some NSW participants; Queenslander Jacob, who incidentally turned 16 today (Happy Birthday Jacob), said “it was great playing soccer with the NSW boys. There’s a bit of rivalry between our states but Carnival is all about making friends and that’s what we did out there today.”

Next, I ventured to the touch football fields where I asked NSW’s Joey why he picked the touch over other options. He responded poignantly, “I picked touch because I wanted a sport which was nice and social and is not too much effort, also it was nice to meet new people.”

Joey’s response gives a great insight into the multitude of reasons why participants come on Carni; some look for friendships, others sport, but at the end of the day, each and every one finds what they are looking for regardless of skill level, age or anything else.

Sporting results will be brought to you as Carnival progresses, especially when the event is gripped by finals fever later in the week.

Murmurs of the Crowd: Elite talent at Carni:

Whilst Carnival aims to accommodate sportspeople of all levels, there are a few outstanding participants who are at the summit of a particular sport outside the realms of carnival.

A chat with: NSW Footballers Ari Alster, Reece Berelowitz, Jake Lees and Jake Besser - each has represented NSW on the football pitch.

Jake Rosengarten (Carnival Journalist): Whilst you play elite sport outside of the Jewish community, what does it mean to you to represent your state at Carni?

NSW Boys: It’s a good experience to meet Jews from other states and make friends. Playing with people of different skill levels is a refreshing change of pace, it’s also nice to know that you’re playing alongside people of the same religion.

Jake: How is Carni different to the sport you usually play?

NSW Boys: [Carni] isn’t as intense, and it’s an opportunity to chill out and enjoy sport without the added pressure of reaching the highest level. You’re much freer to do what you want really.

Jake: What are you looking forward to most on the Carnival agenda?

NSW Boys: Making new Jewish friends from other states, we’re excited for the week to come and are looking forward to embracing the social events Carnival has on offer.

All Abilities at Junior Carnival (By Lauren Mandel):

The Opening Ceremony was the first formal event of the carnival, whereby all Carnival kids were officially welcomed from far and wide. 

Our All Abilities volunteers played a crucial role in the night’s proceedings, arriving early to be briefed with the other volunteers and then assisting with setting up the venue. We then worked with other volunteers to greet the families and VIPs as they arrived and ushered them to their allocated seats.

Following our hard work, we enjoyed our front row seats where we sat and watched the Opening Ceremony. 

A key highlight of the evening, was when we got a private meeting with Sam Bramham, talented Paralympic gold medallist and former Big Brother housemate. He kindly agreed to take photos with us and answered some of our questions. 

A special thanks to Cara Fitt and Jason Blumenthal for inviting us to support you in this challenging role. We look forward to working with you again on the final night of Carnival, at the closing ceremony. 

Volunteers with emcee Sam Bramham (photo care of Lauren Mandel)

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 One: A running start

The Eagles have landed…from NSW and QLD:

As the teams from New South Wales and Queensland arrived in ‘sunny’ Melbourne on Tuesday morning, Melbourne airport was overrun by Carnival participants and management. Some NSW flights featured as many as 40 kids! Youth leader Jesse Lenn summed it up best – “it was a little chaotic… kids moving around a lot, but we got here safely in the end which is all that matters… right?!”

After multiple sprints around the airport and almost achieving first name basis with those running the security checkpoint, management eventually wrestled control of the situation, ensuring in the swiftest way possible that all kids were accounted for.

Next, the participants were shuttled via coach to Caulfield Shule, wherein they were officially registered for the Carnival and billets were finally able to meet their host families after weeks of preliminary interaction.

The team from QLD make their long-awaited arrival to Melbourne.

An Opening Ceremony to be proud of:

The social calendar kicked off with a bang on Tuesday night with an opening ceremony that most Olympic committees could only dream of! Thanks to the work of co-organisers Jason Blumenthal and Cara Fitt, the ceremony went off without a hitch.

The night was emceed by the prodigiously talented Paralympic gold medallist and former Big Brother housemate Sam Bramham, who ensured it was grand opening to a grand event.

Shortly before taking the stage, Bramham shared with us a few words: “Sport is great. You win it’s great, you lose it’s experiential. There is so much to learn from it and it is great to be a part of such a great, strong and proud community, the Jewish community and I can’t wait to get this started and running.”

Another man who was super excited to see this event get off the ground was Justin Lipson, the Carnival manager, whose phone rings more often than Tony Abbott’s! Lipson called Carnival “16 months of culmination all coming together”.

He went on to say, “It’s going to be an exciting week, and a great event, the kids are all looking forward to it and so are we from a management perspective.”

The ceremony featured a number of speeches from various dignitaries including Maccabi Australia’s Barry Smorgon OAM, Maccabi Victoria’s Joe Dorfman, Victoria’s Attorney General Martin Pakula, as well as Carnival Rabbi, Rabbi Reuvi.

The Rabbi imparted some wise words upon the crowd – “the energy is unbelievable, this week the kids come together through sport to unite Jewish teens all over the continent. And by doing so, you ensure Jewish continuity.”

NSW pumped to be apart of a massive Opening Ceremony.

The formal part of the ceremony was rounded out by beautiful renditions of the Advance Australia Fair and Hatikva by Victorian participant Jemma Cher, as well as God Defend New Zealand and a haka from the New Zealand team, which needed to be seen to be believed.

Finally, the torch was lit, the oath recited and formalities concluded. Parents were sent packing whilst VIPs headed to an allocated space to consume canapés and mingle, leaving the participants to party as hard as they desired to the beats of Future Music Festival DJ Jay Levy.

The vibe was electric as the kids got into what must go down as the best opening party of any Carnival ever. Further entertainment was provided by Déjà vu DJs, including fire twirlers that definitely captured the attentions of the participants.

Vic girls sharing a laugh as Carnival 2015 kicked off.

Overall, the night can only be described as a huge success, a beautiful note to begin a Carnival which is sure to live up to the heightened standard set for it from the outset.

Murmurs from the Crowd:

A chat with: NSW Youth Leader Hannah Vasin

Jake Rosengarten (Carnival Journalist): Obviously, as a youth leader, you are an integral part of the Carnival, so why did you jump on board?

Hannah: I did it as a kid, I came to Carni; I had a great time and want to give back. I want to make the experience for the kids as good as it can be, when I went it was amazing, so what I want to do is improve it and make it even better and give back to the community, that was the main part for me.

Jake: What aspects of the Carnival are you excited for most?

Hannah: Social events are always the most fun, obviously. The sports events are; you know, chilled, the social events are better every year and it is exciting to see what they have this year.

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

One more sleep!

In a matter of 24 hours, an opening ceremony of gigantic proportions will kick off Maccabi Junior Carnival for another year. After hours and hours of meetings, phone calls, Whatsapps and countless other forms of communication, the organising committee, under the guidance of Justin Lipson, can safely say that the carnival which they have nurtured as their own for a matter of months is ready to be birthed.

Having been privy to the calendar of events, I can safely say that this is primed to be one of the best carnivals ever run and Justin and his team can be commended for their hours of volunteer work.

Emulating the iconic Olympic Games, Carnival 2015 will too begin with a grand opening ceremony, featuring each and every one of its participants and officials. In addition to this, Carnival shares core values with the Olympic movement, in having its participants practice: respect, excellence (giving ones all) and friendship.

Our opening ceremony, whilst featuring slightly less nationalities, will feature a similar level of unbelievable talent! We have recruited the best our community has to offer, with a star-studded line-up featuring Paralympic gold medallist and Big Brother contestant Sam Bramham, Future Music Festival DJ Jay Levy as well as the amazingly unique talents of the LED Brothers.

DJ Jay Levy was recently announced to play Future Music Festival as well as #Carni2015!

#CARNI2015…?

Another exciting edition to the opening ceremony festivities will be Club Mac – a social hub which provides the opportunity for participants' posts tagged using #carni2015 on social media to be displayed on a big screen for all to see. Ensure that this hashtag is affixed to all of your posts throughout the event if you want to make an appearance at the most exclusive club this summer – Club Mac!

Hot off the Plane!

Today saw the first arrivals of visiting teams for Carnival! The trailblazers were the team from W.A, whose initial members touched down at around 2:30pm  this afternoon. But they were not alone for long, as the rest of their team quickly joined them - arriving at the same time as our International visitors, the Kiwi team, later that afternoon. Not to be left out, the teams from New South Wales and Queensland will join them tomorrow, no doubt to be welcomed by the sporadic weather conditions that only Melbourne can offer.

Welcome one and all

Finally, the team at Carni, as well as myself would like to welcome those arriving upon our shores to participate and hope that all enjoy their time at what is sure to be one of the best carnivals of all time!

WELCOME TO MACCABI JUNIOR CARNIVAL 2015!

On January 13th, around 500 enthusiastic participants will descend upon Melbourne, ready to participate in the 33rd installment of Maccabi Australia Junior Carnival. This year is primed to be yet  another successful edition of Australia’s largest event for Jewish youth.  

At the helm of the Carnival management team, as it returns to Victoria for the first time since 2011, is Justin Lipson, who believes his organising committee has planned what will be the best Carnival to date.  

Represented at this year’s Carnival will be hosts Victoria alongside NSW, QLD, WA and our cousins from across the Tasman, New Zealand. 

This Site…. 

This website can be viewed for more in-depth information about goings-on at the event, and will be updated daily to feature blog posts and photos detailing the happenings of day-to-day life at Carnival.  

Our goal is to allow participants’ friends and family, as well as the wider community, a window into the event in order to keep up with the hectic calendar of social and sporting events in which participants will be engaging.  

It’s a great site to keep an eye on if you wish to get an idea of what your children are actually up to in Melbourne, especially if they refuse to tell you anything like only teenagers know how! 

In addition to following the blog…. 

Be sure to like, follow, share and get heavily involved in our social media profiles. On Facebook – like Maccabi Junior Carnival 2015. On Instagram – follow @carnival2015! 

In line with the rise of social media – in particular Facebook, Instagram and Twitter –the Carnival team has figured out a way for all to be in touch with the events taking place in Melbourne!  

The hashtag #carni2015 will be used to keep track of all posts relating to Carnival. Participants will also be able to use the #carni2015 when they take photos on or off the sports field, and their photos could make it up on to a big screen for all to see at our Club Mac.  

Please encourage your children to use the hashtag in any Facebook or Instagram post they publish during the event.  

Carnival 2015 is primed to be the best ever, be sure to keep in touch with it via the channels suggested above! 

Thanks for Reading, 

Jake Rosengarten 

Carnival Journalist