Challenging year we took in our stride
AS WE approach the New Year and High Holy days, we have caught up with Maccabi GB Chief Executive Ashley Lerner to take a look back at last year and discuss what the next 12 months hold for the organisation.
1) As we approach Rosh Hashanah 5782, how would you sum up the past year for Maccabi GB?
This has definitely been a year like no other, not just for Maccabi GB but for the entire community, the country and society as a whole. We have seen everyone come together to try and make the best out of the most challenging situations. From the early days of lockdown, spent reimagining Maccabi GB – a Sport, Health and Wellbeing charity – to overnight becoming a solely online entity, to restarting our face-to-face provision with the recent opening-up of the country. It has been quite the year!
Our informal education work within has never been so essential and has reached more than 20,000 young people. Our Streetwise programmes on key topics for young people such as healthy relationships in Jewish schools, has never been more in demand. The same for our Stand Up! Education Against Discrimination project, which was the lead Organisation in supporting non-Jewish schools across the country deal with cases of antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate, which arose around the Israel conflict earlier this year. I think it has been a tremendous effort by so many people; as we sit here on Rosh Hashanah, we should be incredibly proud that this community has taken the difficulties in their stride and propelled its offering and infrastructure to ensure we can support one another further.
2) What have been your biggest highlights for the organisation?
There have been several highlights for me. Most recently the return of the Maccabi GB Community Fun Run over the Bank Holiday weekend. Welcoming the community back to an in-person mass-scale event was amazing, it was fantastic to see 76 participating charities and thousands of runners and supporters, raising essential funds for the very same charities that supported all of us during the past year. Whilst this year’s event looked a little different to previous years, we had not lost the community spirit and true festival of fun and positivity that the event has become.
We were also delighted to host the inaugural London Interfaith Fun Run on Monday 30 August, held in partnership with the Faith & Belief Forum and with support of Dangoor Education and Her Majesty’s LordLieutenant of Greater London’s Faith Council. It was a humbling, positive day where hundreds of Londoners from all different faiths came together for an incredible day, raising funds for 36 participating charities. For me it was great to see how the Community Fun Run can inspire the event, which had a great tag line of “for a connected London”.
Earlier this year we led the Yellow Candle Project; 25,000 Yellow Candles were delivered to homes across the country and even across the world! For me it was incredible to see how Yellow Candle has become the epicentre of communal remembrance on Yom HaShoah and seeing social media flooded with Yellow Candles – #Yellowcandle trended first on Twitter – and we were delighted to be part of a ceremony where 250 leading dignitaries and community leaders came together for a joint, online Yellow Candle lighting memorial ceremony.
3) What can we look forward to next year from Maccabi GB?
One big highlight for 2022 is the 21st Maccabiah Games in Israel, which were postponed from this summer. Preparations are ongoing with trials and selections happening now and some squads beginning their training programmes in preparation for the event. We have had a record number of applications and could take the largest-ever Team Maccabi GB delegation to Israel. As you can imagine, we are continuing to monitor the ever-changing landscape of the world, which is not easy to do. Not only will the Games be an incredible experience for those who are participating and travelling with the team to Israel, but through our social media channels we will endeavour to bring the whole Jewish community along for the journey.
We have so much to look forward to; our education department will be returning full time in Jewish and nonJewish Schools from September, and our sports department will restart with a busy calendar of inter-school sports tournaments, which, of course, have not taken place for nearly two years due to Covid-19 guidelines. Later on in the year we will be running the Yellow Candle project on 27 April 2022 and we will, of course, see the return of the Maccabi GB Community Fun Run and the London Interfaith Fun Run, which will build on the success of this year’s event. I am also looking forward to our residential Leadership by Streetwise Programme resuming. The impact this programme has on young people is significant and I am excited for the young teens and their leaders to be able to start their Maccabi GB journey with us.
4) What would be your standout Jewish sporting event or achievement over the past year?
As I have said before it really has been a year like no other, it has been great to see the return of grassroots sports again after lockdown. I know from our affiliates that a lot of them have seen increased numbers of participants signing up for teams and leagues in a variety of sports.
It has also been very inspiring to watch the Olympics and the Paralympic Games and see the triumphs of the Great Britain and Israeli national teams.
It is really important for people young and old to catch the sport bug, and whilst Olympic medals are probably out of the reach for most, being inspired to take up a sport, go for a run, or focus some time on one’s wellbeing is key to happiness and positive physical and mental health.
Our Streetwise programmes have never been more in demand
5) What would be your message to JC readers, to the Maccabi GB family and to all members of the Organisation across the globe as we approach Yom Tov?
I would like to wish everyone a happy and most importantly a healthy New Year. I hope you all have a peaceful and restful Rosh Hashanah with all your family, and we look forward to seeing you all at the next Maccabi GB event.
I would like to also take this opportunity to thank the Maccabi GB staff team, supporters and volunteers for allowing us to continue to engage as we have over the past year and building a platform for the future.