I did not make this up

Two Jews and a black man help Phelps fulfill Olympic dream
By Uzi Dann, Haaretz Correspondant
Tags: swimming, Jason Lezak
BEIJING - Thousands of spectators and journalists stood on their feet for minutes and applauded in every language one of the greatest moments in the history of swimming, as they held their heads in disbelief. Some commentators even went as far as saying it was the greatest sporting event of all time. Former Israeli swimmer Yoav Bruk said it was the biggest single sporting event of all time, and he wasn't exaggerating by much. Certainly, it was an instant classic that will be remembered a long time from now. Many of the journalists said it was the biggest Olympic moment since runner Michael Johnson's record at Atlanta, no less. The few Israeli journalists at the Olympics were allocated tickets to be in the pool auditorium to witness the 4X100 freestyle relay final, which always draws great crowds, thanks to Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or and Guy Barnea's good results. Michael Phelps knew that this medal, his second out of the eight he has his sights on, is problematic. Phelps, who is not considered the best 100m swimmer, jumped in first. He seemed a bit fatigued from the 200m semis he participated in a few hours before. Still, even on a bad day he was only a millisecond away from the world record, and when teammate Garrett Weber-Gale - who is Jewish, by the way - jumped in he trailed his Australian opponent by a hair's width.
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Despite the Aussies' great opening to the relay, the encounter was supposed to be fought between France and the U.S., and so it was. Alain Bernard of France, 25, was given an edge of six-tenths of a second by his teammate in the final leg of the relay. Up against him was the U.S. veteran Jason Lezak, age 33. It seemed like the French would claim victory, and that Phelps' mission to win the most medals of any swimmer in one Olympics was over. But then Lezak appeared. An amateur until the age of 20 who had played water polo and baseball, Lezak - a good Jewish boy from California - put on a great show. He disappointed at the Athens Olympics and was considered the person who ruined Phelps drive to break Mark Spitz's record in winning medals at the relay. They called him a loser behind his back, and said he was too old. But Lezak did it his way. In an incredible show of will power and determination, he closed in on his French rival. Perhaps he was driven by the will to humble the arrogant Bernard, who said "we will crush them" before the heat began. Maybe it was the great pool or swimming suits. Whatever it was, he slowly closed the gap and then with the tips of his fingers touched the pool's rim before Bernard. Phelps was the first to understand what had occurred and went wild. "He did something unbelievable," he later said about his teammate. The time they set, 3:08.24, was eight-tenths of a second ahead of the French, and four whole seconds ahead of the world record set on Sunday. Just how historic was this heat? The top five teams beat the world record that was only a day old. In addition, one unofficial world record was set when Lezak set a time of 46.06 seconds in the last 100 meters, but because it was during a relay event it is not considered an individual world record. "It was unbelievable," Lezak said. "I wanted it more than anyone else because of Athens. The French talked a lot before the heat, but we showed our worth in the pool." So in the end it was two Jews, an African American (Cullen Jones) and Michael Phelps who together managed to rein in the French and set a new astonishing world record. A triumphant Lezak yesterday added jokingly: "Maybe we can set a new world record at the next Maccabiah Games."

Jewish Olympians 2008

Are you like me? You cheer for your countrymen and countrywomen at the Olympics, but you cannot help but also cheer for the M.O.T. , no matter what country he or she is competing for? Well to make your life easier here is a list of M.O.T.s who are going to be at the games and their respective countries and events.

GO Team USA.

GO TEAM JEW!

This baseball mezuzah is from Quest... and click the pic below to read about the mezuzah at the Olympic village.

United States

Fencing, Women Sada Jacobson, sabre
Kayaking Rami Zur, 500-meter individual
Swimming, Men Jason Lezak, 100-meter freestyle, relays

Garrett Weber-Gale, 100 freestyle, relays
Ben Wildman-Tobriner, 50 freestyle, relays
Swimming, Women Dara Torres, 50-meter freestyle, relays
Track and Field, Women Deena Kastor, marathon

Israel

Artistic Gymnastics, Men Alex Shatilov, all-around
Canoeing, Men Michael Koganov, K-1 500 and 1000 meters
Fencing, Men Tomer Or, foil
Fencing, Women Dalilah Hatuel, foil Noam Mills, epee
Judo, Men Ariel Ze’evi, 100 kg Gal Yekutiel, 60 kg
Judo, Women Alice Schlezinger, 63 kg
Rhythmic Gymnastics, Individual Ira Risenzon, Neta Rivkin
Rhythmic Gymnastics, Team Kayta Pizatzki, Racheli Vidgorcheck, Maria Savnakov, Alona Dvorinchenko, Veronica Witberg
Sailing, Men Gidi Klinger and Udi Gal, 470 Shahar Tzuberi, windsurfing
Sailing, Women Vered Buskila and Nika Kornitzky, 470

Nufar Eledman, laser radial

Ma’ayan Davidovich, windsurfing
Shooting Doron Egozi, 50-meter rifle 3, 10-meter air rifle

Gil Simkovich, 50-meter rifle 3, 50-meter rifle prone

Guy Starik, 50-meter rifle prone
Swimming, Men Itay Chama, 200-meter breaststroke

Gal Nevo, 200 and 400 individual medley

Guy Barnea, 100 breaststroke

Tom Be’eri, 100 and 200 breaststroke

Allon Mandel, 100 and 200 butterfly

Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or, 200 freestyle
Swimming, Women Anya Gostamelsky, 50 and 100 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 100 butterfly
Synchronized Swimming Anastasia Gloushkov and Ina Yoffe, duet
Taekwondo Bat-El Getterer, 57 kg
Tennis, Men Andy Ram and Yoni Erlich, doubles
Tennis, Women Shahar Peer, singles Tzipora Obziler, doubles with Peer
Track and Field, Men Alex Averbukh, pole vault

Niki Palli, long jump

Haile Satayin, marathon

Itai Magidi, 3000-meter steeplechase

Argentina

Hockey, Women Gisele Kanevsky
Judo, Women Daniela Krakower
Swimming, Men Damian Blaum
Table Tennis Pablo Tabachnik
Weightlifting, Women Nora Koppel
Table Tennis David Zalcberg

Austria

SwimmingBaseball Adam Stern
Wrestling David Zilberman, 96 kg Ari Taub, 120

Tennis, Men Nicolas Massu

Great Britain

Rowing Josh West

Chanukah may be over, but I still am glad I am Jewish

When you can't find a picture that "matches" your theme... think pomegranate.

Why I am happy to be Jewish
1. Christmas is one day, same day every year, December 25. Jews also love December 25th. It's another paid day off work. We go to movies and out for Chinese food and Israeli dancing. Chanukah is 8 days.
It starts the evening of the 24th of Kislev, whenever that falls. No one is ever sure. Jews never know until a non-Jewish friend asks when Chanukah starts, forcing us to consult a calendar so we don't look like idiots. We all have the same calendar, provided free with a donation from the World Jewish Congress, the kosher butcher, or the local Sinai Memorial Chapel (especially in Florida) or other Jewish funeral home.
2. Christmas is a major holiday. Chanukah is a minor holiday with the same theme as most Jewish holidays. They tried to kill us, we survived, let's eat.
3. Christians get wonderful presents such as jewelry, perfume, stereos... Jews get practical presents such as underwear, socks, or the collected works of the Rambam, which looks impressive on the bookshelf.
4. There is only one way to spell Christmas. No one can decide how to spell Chanukah, Chanukkah, Chanukka, Channukah, Hanukah, Hannukah, etc.
5. Christmas is a time of great pressure for husbands and boyfriends. Their partners expect special gifts. Jewish men are relieved of that burden. No one expects a diamond ring on Chanukah.
6. Christmas brings enormous electric bills. Candles are used for Chanukah. Not only are we spared enormous electric bills, but we get to feel good about not contributing to the energy crisis.
7. Christmas carols are beautiful...Silent Night, Come All Ye Faithful.... Chanukah songs are about dreidels made from clay or having a party and dancing the hora. Of course, we are secretly pleased that many of the beautiful carols were composed and written by our tribal brethren. And don't Barbara Streisand and Neil Diamond sing them beautifully?
8. A home preparing for Christmas smells wonderful. The sweet smell of cookies and cakes baking. Happy people are gathered around in festive moods. A home preparing for Chanukah smells of oil, potatoes, and onions. The home, as always, is full of loud people all talking at once.
9. Christian women have fun baking Christmas cookies. Jewish women burn their eyes and cut their hands grating potatoes and onions for latkas on Chanukah. Another reminder of our suffering through the ages.
10. Parents deliver to their children during Christmas. Jewish parents have no qualms about withholding a gift on any of the eight nights.
11. The players in the Christmas story have easy to pronounce names such as Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. The players in the Chanukah story are Antiochus, Judah Maccabee, and Matta whatever. No one can spell them or pronounce them.. On the plus side, we can tell our friends anything and they believe we are wonderfully versed in our history.
12. Many Christians believe in the virgin birth. Jews think,"Yossela, Bubela, snap out of it. Your woman is pregnant, you didn't sleep with her, and now you want to blame G-d? Here's the number of my shrink".
13. In recent years, Christmas has become more and more commercialized. The same holds true for Chanukah, even though it is a minor holiday. It makes sense. How could we market a major holiday such as Yom Kippur? Forget about celebrating. Think observing. Come to synagogue, starve yourself for 27 hours, become one with your dehydrated soul, beat your chest, confess your sins, a guaranteed good time for you and your family. Tickets a mere $200 per person. Better stick with Chanukah (original source unknown).