In response to the terrorist attack on Mumbai and its Chabad Center, three Los Angeles businesmen have put up $125,000 to enable a Jewish cricket team from India to participate in the 18th Maccabiah Games in Israel.
“This is our answer to the murderous rampage aginst Indian and Israeli citizens,” said Steve Soboroff, founder of the Committee of 18 to support and publicize the 18th Maccabiah, opening July 13, 2009.
In addition to the cricket team, consisting mainly of 18-year old players, Indian athletes will also compete in badminton and table tennis.
The Committee consists of 18 Los Angeles leaders in the entertainment, media, marketing and business fields.
Beny Alagem, Larry Green and Martin Moskowitz, three members of the Committee, immediately agreed to underwrite the $125,000 donation, Soboroff said.
Without this gift, the 25 competitors from India would not have been able to participate in the Maccabiah, according to Eyal Tiberger, director general of the World Maccabiah Games.
Tiberger expects some 10,000 athletes from 60 countries to take part in the 10-day event.
For the first time, tens of millions of American television viewers will be able to watch the Maccabiah through JLTV (Jewish Life Television), which will feed its coverage to Comcast, Time-Warner and Direct TV
— Tom Tugend, Contributing Editor
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