We’re back… Maccabi Junior Carnival kicks off in Sydney!

427 participants aged between 11 and 15 flooded terminal two of Sydney Domestic Airport early on Tuesday morning, accompanied by their 48-strong leadership team, as the 34^th annual Maccabi Junior Carnival kicked off with a ruckus at the baggage carousel. Despite the marshalling of our youth leaders, something which almost anyone in the eastern suburbs could tell you was revealed; Jewish parents have little to no patience. Amongst the chaos of the airport, Carnival manager Justin Shelton quipped, “I’m super excited to get started on what should be a great carnival. It’s amazing to have the kids here from all over the country, as well as from across the ditch in New Zealand.”

Parents and participants alike echoed supreme leader Shelton’s statement, “This is our first carnival and we’ve heard only good things. We have two billets, one from Victoria and the other from Western Australia and we’re looking forward to a week of fun!” remarked Andrew and Noah Klein. However, Carnival’s youngest participants were looking for a little bit extra… “Do we get any benefits?!” was the question young New South Welshmen Gabriel Sperber and Jordan Harrity had for me before I shrugged my shoulders and died a little inside upon hearing they were born in 2004.

Gabriel is Carnival’s outright youngest member at 11 years, 3 months and 29 days and he says he’s up for the challenge. “It’s challenging being the youngest here and could be a bit awkward with a billet who is a bit older than me… but I’m ready to take on the challenge!”

It’s NSW Team Manager Joel Weiner’s second year in the job and he’s more excited than anyone for a home Carnival. “Everyone here in NSW is thrilled to jump straight into it and are hoping that all the planning pays off. We aim to make it the best experience for each and every one of the kids who have made the trip down to Sydney.”

After settling into their homes for the week, participants made their way to Hensley Field where the first sporting event of the Carnival program took place in the form of an athletics carnival. Events included runs of 100, 200 and 800 metres as well as field events long jump and high jump – each broken into two age categories per gender. There were some outstanding performances in our events, including a remarkable feat from NSW’s Jake Sperber who managed to jump a distance of 5.37 metres in the long jump. For those of you unfamiliar with long jump, that’s a pretty darn big jump… the full winners list will be published at the bottom of this post.

NSW competitors Jay Hirchowitz and Felix Moses were big fans of the place of athletics at Carnival, “I think this is a great initiative and one which should be compulsory to compete in. Those that came today had good fun and a great experience – one which I think everyone would benefit from.” Their fellow blue Daniel King added to their thoughts, “It’s a real good way to get to know who the good athletes are. Through Carni I know people I wouldn’t normally know and can make friendships I wouldn’t normally make.”

The Western Australian contingent had the longest journey of any team to arrive at Carnival and it certainly took it out of some of their members. Nalani Gleeson and Nelly Shufrin opted not to compete but still made the effort to support their friends at the long jump. “We had fun today cheering our friends on and making sure they tried their best,” the pair stated.

Sharne Schloss-Waters and Layne Thompson with the Jocelyn Kann memorial flame as named after their grandmother.

The VIPs: Justin Shelton, Rabbi Mendel Kastel, Tom York OAM, Tom Goldman OAM, Danny Hochberg, Representative of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Representative of Waverley Mayor Sally Betts. (L to R) Photo: Jess Cohen.

At the completion of the sporting aspect of Carni’s opening day came the formal element where we officially ushered in the start of the 11^th Junior Carnival held on the shores of Sydney. Emcee Joel Grunstein ran the show as speeches from Justin, Maccabi NSW President Danny Hochberg and Carnival patron Tom Goldman were preceded by a welcome to country performed by Sydney Roosters players Connor Watson and Latrell Mitchell. The national anthems of Australia and Israel were performed by Doron Chester. Many spoke of the importance of Carnival as it was emphasised that over 17,500 Jewish young people have now participated in Australia’s largest Jewish youth event since its inception in 1982. Finally, the Jocelyn Kann Memorial Flame was lit as Maccabi Junior Carnival was officially opened much to the delight of the crowd.

After a long day, participants were then picked up from the venue as they ventured home to prepare for the hectic schedule they are to endure over the next week.

Tune in daily for your latest fix of Maccabi Junior Carnival News!

Thanks for reading.

By Jake Rosengarten

Long Jump:

Boys – Jake Sperber (5.37m)

Girls – Marley Kuran (3.83m)

100m:

6/7 Girls – Ashley Zukowski (15.6 sec)

8/9 Girls – Jessica Rich (15.7 sec)

6/7 Boys – Matt Nurick (13.5 sec)

8/9 Boys – Gregg Allen (13.2 sec)

800m:

6/7 Girls – Gabi Goodridge (2:57.3)

6/7 Boys – Nathan Spielman (2:50.1)

8/9 Boys – Sammy Guttmann (2:30.3)

Welcome to Maccabi Junior Carnival 2016!

As Maccabi Junior Carnival gets underway for 2016, this blog will act as your window into the goings-on down in Sydney. 

Each post will feature recaps of both sporting and social activities, as well as various other weird, wacky and wonderful stories to arise from the ranks of Australia's largest Jewish youth event.

Our daily updates will ensure that you don't miss even a single minute of the jam-packed schedule undertaken by participants at #maccabicarni.

So keep us bookmarked and be sure to drop in each and every day for your Carni fix! 

Also, be sure to like us on Facebook (@MaccabiJuniorCarnival) and don't hesitate to like and share our posts!

Thanks for reading,

Maccabi Junior Carnival 2016

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.