JCC Rockland, Hod Hasharon HS honor slain Munich 11

As part of the build-up to hosting the JCC Maccabi Games in 2012, JCC Rockland will announce that it is dedicating the games to the Munich 11.

By JERUSALEM POST SPORTS STAFF
As part of the build-up to hosting the JCC Maccabi Games in 2012, JCC Rockland will announce that it is dedicating the games to the Munich 11 in honor of the members of the Israeli delegation murdered by Palestinian terrorists during the 1972 Munich Olympics.
The JCC Maccabi Games, an annual Olympic-style sports event for teens, always includes a tribute to the Israeli athletes.
The announcement will occur at a press conference held simultaneously in New York and Israel on Sunday. The event will be simulcast.
David Kirschtel, JCC Rockland’s CEO, will be joined at Kfar Maccabiah in Israel by the families of the Munich 11 including Ankie Spitzer, the widow of Andrei Spitzer, one of the slain Israelis.
“In the US, when you think of the Munich massacre in 1972, I think most of the country, and especially kids, don’t know about the particulars,” remarked Kirschtel to The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday in Israel.
“I came up with idea of cards look at it as educational tool to teach people about what happened. I think the cards will be an especially effective vehicle to get the message across.”
Kirschtel is also proud of the kick-off of Change4Change, a hunger relief project that will have students in Rockland County, New York, and Mosenson High School in Hod Hasharon collect 11 million coins – one million in memory of each of the athletes.
“The fact that we are undertaking this initiative in conjunction with an Israeli high school makes it that much more special,” exclaimed Kirschtel.
Active International, a corporate trading company located in Pearl River, New York, and Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern are sponsoring the project.
In addition, JCC Rockland will launch the website, www.munich11.org (also www.munich11.co.il) to educate people about the events of September 5, 1972.
Spitzer, along with the surviving families has lobbied the International Olympic Committee unsuccessfully for the past 38 years for a moment of silence during the Olympic Games in memory of the Munich 11.
It is hoped that the website will help raise awareness and help persuade the Olympics to recognize the 40th anniversary of the tragedy at the 2012 Olympics in London, two weeks prior to the opening of the JCC Maccabi Games in Rockland County.
“The spirit of the Olympics is about brotherhood, athletics and humanity, regardless of countries getting along. For this type of tragedy to have taken place on this stage is especially sad,” Kirschtel reflected.
“I would love to see people use this joint-project to lobby for a moment of silence in honor of the slain Munich athletes at the London Olympics in 2012.”