Committee

Committee

Current Committee

 

President
Gary Lasky
Secretary
Marilyn Faiman
Treasurer
Lothar Prager

 

Our History

In 1968 Abe Goulburn and Ludie Adler (NSW) got together to talk about forming a Jewish lawn bowls club. They approached both the RVBA (Royal Victorian Bowls Association) and AJAX. The RVBA would not allow affiliation because of membership restrictions.

However, the governing body AJAX would allow a social association to be formed and encouraged the formation of a lawn bowls club.

 

Armed with this information they sent letters to the various RVBA affiliated clubs where they thought

Jewish members played; asking for their members lists. From those lists they contacted as many Jewish bowlers as they could to form The Ajax Lawn Bowls Club.

In 1969 Abe with Alan Rothman (LM) sought the assistance of Ben Sternfeld (Past President of AJAX) to draft a suitable constitution, so that The Ajax Lawn Bowls Association could be formed. The Club was thus established with members such as Basil Issacs, Peter Slutzkin (LM), Ben Finkelstein (LM), Ralph Samuels, Alan Rothman (LM), Bill Yaffe.

The first President being Abe Goulburn and Alen Eilenberg (LM) as Secretary.

The foundation membership of twelve had grown to over 300 by the early 2000. During Allan Rubenstein’s presidency (1983-86) membership reached 100 for the first time. In early 2007 membership reached 240 members, but has seen a steady decline over the past decade.

Ajax Lawn Bowls Association went through a transformation in 1991 when the members voted to Incorporate, and changed the name to Maccabi Ajax Lawn Bowls Inc.

In 1994, the club celebrate 25 years with a dinner dance at the Townhouse Hotel. At the dinner it was announced that George & Gita Smorgon become the Patrons in Chief & Godel Wroby accept the position of Patron.

The first social game was played in 1969 against the Armadale Bowling Club then located at Northcote Rd. Armadale. Games were also organised against Black Rock Bowling Club, City of St.Kilda, City of Hawthorn, Camberwell, City of Prahran, Oakleigh and many others.

During the club’s popularity there were over fourteen fixtured events per season, including: major sponsored tournaments such as, Solomon Kosher Butchers Inter Synagogue Day where as many as fifteen shules competed. There was the George & Gita Smorgon trophy and events with up to 198 Jewish Bowlers playing for prize money and trophies.

Lawn Bowls became a participating sport for the first time in the 1970 Melbourne Carnival. There were 12 men players per team playing fours, triples, pairs, and singles. The venue was City of Hawthorn Bowling Club, but rain delayed the completion of the competition and eventually it was completed at the Melbourne Bowling Club. The format of the play was devised by Ben Finkelstein (LM) who continued to convene Melbourne Carnivals until 1990.

 

In 1974 the Victorian Open Jewish Men singles Championship was introduced for the first time being won by Ben Finkelstein (LM) with Ben Samuel runner-up.

Some of the other winners since have been Basil Issacs, Lional Rosenfield, Ralph Samuels, Clive Sward, Allan Rubenstein (LM), Nathan Frydman, Keith Rubenstein, Bob Shapiro, Laz Marer, Steve Leivenzon, John Maver, Gary Barnett, and Alan Faigen.

 

It is not clear when the Victorian Jewish Ladies Open Singles started as there are few records. Winners include, Judith Rothman, Hannah Barnett, Norma Young, Min Sadman, Maisie Dudakov, Judith Same, and Jill Diamond.

 

The Victorian Open Men’s pairs competition was introduced in 1992, and a father & son tournament not long after.

Since then, the men’s and ladies’ pairs competition were the most prestigious tournaments until 2010.

 

Marylyn

At the end of the 1988/89 season the committee arranged a weekend away at the Marylyn Guesthouse in Marysville Vic., as they had built an indoor Lawn Bowls complex.

Fifty-two people made up of members and partners (many non-bowlers) attended this trip which proved so popular that it continued for over 13 years and the club then had to initiate a ballot system to accommodate the 120 maximum. The committee at that time established a revue style show on the Saturday night. It became so popular with members who performed & sung.

At the first weekend away at Marylyn it was decided to appoint a Sergeant at Arms who fined the members for their misdemeanors. Also, an auction and raffle were held with the proceeds directed to purchase equipment for designated charities.

In 2001 they celebrated 13 years at Marylyn with a “mock barmitzvah”.

To date Maccabi Ajax Lawn Bowls Inc. has donated in excess of $68,000. Some of the items include; Special wheelchairs & a ride on roller for Haifa Bowling Club to assist disabled bowlers. Special wheel chairs & kitchen equipment for Montefiore Homes. Special furniture to assist disabled young adults. Electronic educational equipment for students with learning disabilities. Oxygen equipment for Hatzolah. Yearly contributions to Ballarat Synagogue maintenance fund. Jewish Care, U.J.E.B & Melbourne Hebrew Ladies Benevolent Society receive donations each year. In 2007 the club hosted for the first time Jewish Care All Abilities afternoon & this has become an annual event.

In 1996, the men’s World Bowls was held in Adelaide & the Israeli team was brought to Melbourne to have warm-up trials against Jewish players from Australia. The Israeli team were very successful winning a number of gold, silver & bronze medals at the World Bowls.

 

Life Members

Ben Finkelstein

Allan Rothman (Dec.)

Alen Eilenberg (Dec.)

Peter Slutzkin (Dec.)

Allan Rubenstein (Dec.)

Joe Aarons OAM/AM

Gary Hartmann

Maurie Ashkenazy (Dec.)

Pat Cashmore  (First female LM)

Marilyn Faiman

Lothar Prager

Keith Faiman

Les Newman

 

Australian Honors

2003 – Ben Sternfeld OAM

2006 – Geoff Sussman OAM, Joe Aarons OAM

2007 – Joel Solomon OAM

2019 – Joe Aarons AM

Presidents

1969 – 1974      Abe Goulburn

1974 – 1977   Alen Eilenberg (LM)

1977 – 1980   Peter Slutzkin (LM)

1980 – 1983    Alan Rothman (LM)

1983 – 1986    Allan Rubenstein (LM)

1986 – 1989   Keith Rubenstein

1989 -1990    Leon Diamond

1990 – 1992      Judith Rothman (First Lady President)

1992- 1995    Joe Aarons (LM) ·

1995 – 1998   Maurie Ashkenazy (LM)

1998 – 2001   Pat Cashmore (LM)

2001-2003     Gary Hartmann (LM)

2003 – 2006    Syd Shenker

2006 – 2008    Joe Aarons (LM)

2008 – 2009     Marilyn Faiman (LM)

2009 – 2010    Stan Woolf

2010- 2013    Keith Faiman (LM)

2013 – 2017   Brian Rosenberg

2017 – Present   Gary Lasky

 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

2001- Legacy Pairs won by David Sebbag & Alan Faigan

They beat 140 competing clubs to win a major Open Bowls Tournament the first by MALB.

MAI Sportswoman of the Year 1998/1999/2002        Denese Brick –

One of our most decorated female Jewish lawn bowlers.  Member of Victorian Test Side, Represent Australia in emerging players team.

Winners of the Maccabi Vic. Volunteer Awards:

Marilyn Faiman            Helen Weiss                 Sue Aarons                  Nathan Simon

Longest Standing:

1996 – 2022                Secretary Marilyn Faiman

2006 – 2022                Treasurer Lothar Prager

 

2002 Maccabi Victoria Team of the Century

Men:
Alan Faigen Ben Finkelstein Don Finkelstein
Nathan Frydman Steve Leivenzon John Maver
George Rottell Allan Rubenstein Keith Rubenstein
Steven Rubenstein Ralph Samuel David Sebbag
Ladies:
Hannah Barnett Denese Brick Jill Diamond
Maisie Dudakov Ethel Finkelstein Erna Goldburn
Pam Morley Fay Rubenstein Ruth Rubenstein
Minnie Sadman Josie Ulman Eva Yelen

 

Maccabi Victoria Hall of Fame Members:

2006 – Ben Milgrom, Tess Green, Barney Peters, Denese Brick, Phil Kleid,

Leon Diamond, Sol Spitalnic OAM, Ben Sternfeld OAM, Barry Wicks,

Bernie Gold OAM, John Maver.

2006- Maurie Ashkenazy, Jill Diamond.

2011 -Joe Aarons OAM

2016 -Mark Klapish, Gail Nadelman

 

Inter-Synagogue Day

In 1993 Geoff Rose and Alec Miller approached the club to take over the running of the Inter Synagogue tournament that they had been organizing. The club accepted the Challenge and after discussions with our Patron (Godel Wroby) the Solomon Kosher Butchers Inter Synagogue Annual tournament was established. The initial game was played at the Auburn Heights Bowling Club with the three greens filled with players. Solomons’ provided the lunch which Mr Wroby cooked himself.

(Because of the uneven numbers of teams representing each synagogue we sought the expertise of a Professor of mathematics to give us a formular to establish the winners.)

In 2014 the sponsorship changed to Justice Alan Goldberg “In Memory of Jenny Goldberg”.

 

Winners:

2014                Chabad                        2015                Blake Street

2016                South Caulfield            2017                Chabad Malvern

2018                South Caulfield            2019                St Kilda Hebrew Congregation