By LAUREN KRAMER, Pacific Correspondent (CJN)
VANCOUVER ? The Vancouver Jewish community welcomed Team Israel to the Olympics last Thursday night with an event that attracted some 800 people to Temple Sholom.
Israel's Olympians, from left, Mikhail Renzhin, Alexandra and Roman Zaretsky. [Lauren Kramer photo]
Sponsored by the Vancouver Chapter of Magen David Adom, the event, titled The Frozen Chosen, began with a tribute to the memory of the 11 Israeli Olympic athletes and coaches who were murdered
during the 1972 Munich Olympics.
"This Olympics there has been a pledge: never again, and not on our soil," said Rabbi Philip Bregman of Temple Sholom.
One of the attendees at the event was Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway Stockwell Day, who spoke of his respect and affection for Israel.
"Israel made a huge contribution to the recovery effort in Haiti, and after the tsunami," he said. "Israel has learned and continues to learn the hard way how to deal with tragedy, and instead of
recoiling, it shares its knowledge with others. Whatever Israelis put their mind to, it doesn't take long before they excel."
Another speaker at the podium was Winnipeg native David Greaves, who holds citizenship in Canada and Israel and became a member of Israel's national bobsled team a few years ago.
He spoke of his terror at riding in the rear seat of the bobsled, and his pride at representing Israel on the team.
"You will carry the Magen David, a nation will watch and Jews all over the world will be rooting for you," he told the three Israeli athletes comprising Team Israel at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
"We may be a small nation, but we are the greatest nation in the world."
Asked how it feels to have Jews all over the world rooting for their success, Roman Zaretsky, who will figure skate with his sister Alexandra, told the crowd: "You've got our attention right now.
This is amazing!"
He was joined by downhill skier Mikail Renzhin, two coaches and Israel's chef de mission Boris Chait.
"Knowing the history of Munich, we can say we're here to stay as a country and as a team," Chait said. "It's important to win, but it's more important to be ambassadors to the world. We are a
small team, but we're going to be fighting for the top spots."
