The Building of the Leon Haskin Tennis Club - Turning a Dream into Reality (Part II)

16 April 2024
Author: Philip Sheezel
Contributors: Ian Davis , Russell Jaffe

After undertaking a review of the site and after Joe Aarons spent a great deal of time and effort with Council representatives and. knocking on neighbours’ doors and overcoming a number of local objectors,  we finally were able to secure a lease of the land. We were told that a 9 year x 9 year lease was the best that we could hope for but as long as we abided by our obligations as tenants, Council would not evict us. Having regard to the fact that finding a similar large footprint of land in Caulfield would be extremely difficult and the fact that the Moorabbin/ Bentleigh area was the area where the Jewish population was likely to continue to grow in the future, we decided to take the plunge and to sign up a lease of the land with the Glen Eira Council.

How were we going to pay for this development as well as many of the other activities that MacVic wished to undertake?  MacVic did not have the necessary funds so we decided to set up a Foundation.

With the help of Joey Borensztajn of Arnold Bloch Leibler, solicitors, the Maccabi Victoria Sports Foundation was launched in December 2002 and we began to get our Board and our structure together in early 2003. Ian Davis agreed to come on as Chairman of the Board and he drove the development of the organization. Other founding members included Philip Sheezel, Russell Jaffe, Evie Danos, Michael Naphtali, Nathan Shafir, and Milton Levin. Alan Synman OAM, Michael Same, Ashley Krongold and Michael Herskope, were later additions.

Clive Fredman (of Fredman Malina Architects) drew the initial plans and Milton Levin (a leading builder and keen tennis enthusiast) undertook, (at his own cost and without charging for his time and expertise) the difficult task of building the centre and the courts. Milton was keen to have a surface the same as Flinders (Melbourne) Park and for the first four years players involved with the Australian Open practiced on the courts.  

Alan Synman OAM (a leading and highly respected architect) also contributed his expertise to the project and acted as the project manager and provided design advice and support.

The Foundation then went to the community to raise funds to pay for the construction of the pavilion and eight tennis courts. An appeal was launched at the home of Steven Mandie which featured Pat Cash and had a targeted raising of  $1.5 million. David Mandie AM OBE (who had a long and passionate commitment to Jewish Sport in both Victoria and to Maccabi Australia) made a substantial contribution and the main pavilion was named in his honour. Leon Haskin also made a substantial donation, and the decision was made to name the Centre "The Leon Haskin Tennis Centre", recognising Leon's outstanding and long term commitment to the Tennis Club.

After a huge fundraising effort, $1.5million was raised which was the largest fundraising ever undertaken by Maccabi in Victoria.