Maccabi karate team visits Woodsburgh

Posted

Dr. Alex Sternberg and his wife, Ilyse, opened their Woodsburgh home to the U.S. Karate team on May 28 that will be competing in the world Maccabiah Games in July. Sternberg was behind making karate a part of the games in 1977. In contrast, karate will make its Olympic debut in three years.

The athletes trained on Friday, Sunday and Monday at six-hour sessions. Later on May 28, Sternberg and Sensei Caren Lesser and coaches, senseis Avi Azoulay and David Munden welcomed the team members. The squad was chosen last November through regional competition. The team consists of boys and girls born between 2002 and 1999 and the “open’ squad of those 18 and over.

The Maccabiah Games are held once every four years and has seen more than a few Olympic champions emerge, including Mark Spitz, Mitch Gaylord, Ally Raisman and Lenny Krayzelburg.

Volunteering their time and expertise training the team, are two world renown U.S. champions, Sensei Billy Finegan, an 11-time national champ and a University Games champion, and Sensei Dov Sternberg, a 12-time national titlist, a seven-time Maccabiah Games gold medalist and a Pan-Am Games silver medalist.

Congresswoman Kathleen Rice, a Democrat from Garden City who represents the Five Towns, attended the reception. She recently won a 5K race in Washington D.C., earning her the sobriquet “the fastest woman in Congress.” Rice spoke to the athletes and wished them luck.