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88 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE Community Chest Community Boys Win Football Championship in Israel It was late in the game and the Stevie’s Boyz team was down 21-0 in the 2008 Moshiko AFI Holyland Bowl league championship on March 1. Comprised of community boys attending the Yeshivot Mikdash Melech and Lev Aaron in Jerusalem and one of 50 or so teams in the flag football league for American boys learning in Israel, Stevie’s Boyz had been in a similar situation before. One week earlier the team came back with three touchdowns in the final minutes to upset their rivals in the playoffs. But their rivals this week, Big Blue, which won the Holyland Bowl two years ago had nearly complete control of the game up until the last nine minutes of the second half, scoring three touchdowns and a safety. Then, Stevie’s Boyz’ quarterback and captain Alex Mizrahi began to connect with his receivers, including Manny Haber, who also caught the squad’s final touchdown and game-winning extra points in the semifinal against Tov Pizza the previous week. After capping a ferocious 20-0 run by scoring a touchdown with nine seconds left which brought the crowd at Kraft Family Stadium in Jerusalem to its feet, they decided to go for two extra points and the win. Sure enough, Alex Mizrahi connected with Manny Haber once again and the game was all but over. For more pictures and replays visit israelfootball.net Sponsored by Stevie Shalom, of Deal, NJ, community members on the team include, quarterback Alex Mizrahi, receivers Manny Haber, Eddie Levy, David Safdieh, Albert Balahasan, and Daniel Ash, and D-Line and O-Liners Adam Mermelstein, Simchi Sousan, and Dave Mann. Each of these boys has made the once in a lifetime commitment to spend a year of intensive Torah study in Israel (interspersed with the occasional flag football game). The community salutes the efforts of these dedicated future rabbis and lay leaders. The Angel Fund’s Executive Seminar Series What does it take for your business to reach prime – and stay there? On March 17 th at the Haier Building in Midtown, The Angel Fund’s Executive Seminar Series hosted Ian Macdonald, the founder of Corporate Lifecycles, a consulting firm which helps businesses institute positive change. A busi- ness in its prime has what it takes to dominate the market and maintain a position of leadership. Over 100 attendees learned why many organizations fail to reach that level or age quickly once they do. For a company to be successful in the long run, four roles must be performed collectively, and problems will arise when any one of them is missing. These four roles include: understanding who the customer is and what they need, running the company efficiently, embodying an entrepre- neurial spirit, and allowing all employees to have a sense of belonging to a common goal. The goal of The Executive Seminar Series is to extend the reach of The Angel Fund through educational speakers who can help community mem- bers improve their business skills. Last summer, The Executive Seminar Series hosted Jack Kaine, negotiation expert. This coming August 18th, it will host Nigel Rasner, author of The Impact Code, at a location that is to be determined. Aleh Opens New Rehabilitative Children’s Gym in Bnei Brak Exercise is vital to everyone’s health – and even more so for kids with developmental delays. But they also need extra moti- vation to get them to stick to an exercise schedule. For Bnei Brak children, Aleh’s new gym is offering them state-of-the-art bikes and machines along with that motivation and excitement. This past September, Aleh opened a state-of-the-art Rehabilitative Exercise Gym in Bnei Brak for community children with special needs. Equipped with modern exercise bikes and machines designed for children, treadmills, cross trainer steppers and special accessories, the gym is a wonderful, motivating environment for children in need of rehabilitation and exercise. The gym works with children with coordination and balance difficul- ties, orthopedic problems, neurological disabilities, ADHD, organizational difficulties, obesity and negative self-image issues. Unlike other gyms, where people work individually, this gym encour- ages working out together. Although each child has a personal, individually tailored exercise plan, group activity and work in stations are encouraged to raise the level of fun and mutual support and encouragement. The groups alternate between working with machines and equipment and participating in group exercises. The gym groups mix ages and level of function while maintaining an atmosphere that is respectful of the cultural and religious sensitivities of the community. For Aleh, the biggest sign of the gym’s success is the frequency of the children’s return. As their stamina is strengthened, they are empowered both physically and emotionally to develop as full-fledged members of their community. Aleh By The Numbers •650 Disabled Israeli Children •365 Days a Year •24 Hours a Day •4 Residential Facilities •1,750 Outpatient Treatments monthly •700+ Staff Members •400+ Volunteers •30+ Types of boutique items created in workshops (silk, paper-recycling, pottery, wood) •4 Stars on Charity Navigator (highest rating) •1000’s of hugs, smiles, joy and unlimited love given to Aleh’s children!! The Aleh Foundation has received the highest 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent evaluator of charities. Contact Aleh in Israel at: 12 Aharonovitz St., POB 435, Bnei Brak 51103, Tel: 03-617-1888, aleh@aleh.org or in the US at Aleh Foundation, 5317 13th Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11219, Tel: 718-851-4596, shlo- mo@alehfoundation.org