A bumper crowd of almost 300 people was in attendance at the Leon Haskin Tennis Centre in Bentleigh East as Maccabi Tennis Club (MTC) celebrated 100 years of community tennis on Sunday. A warm and sunny day greeted all attendees, befitting for the occasion. An exhibition match was played between six-time Club Champion and former Federal Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, and 2023 Club Champion, James Oklander. The tennis courts were a hive of activity and pop-up pickleball courts also created a buzz. There was a carnival atmosphere as past players reconnected and reminisced, while families revelled in the festivities. A centenary plaque was generously presented by Tennis Victoria to mark this milestone.
Josh Frydenberg serves. Courtesy: AJN/Peter Haskin
Speeches were given by Nick Staikos MP (the local Member for Bentleigh), David Southwick MP (the Member for Caulfield), Dean Mohr (Co-President of Maccabi Victoria), Ryan Behr (MTC President), Eva de Jong-Duldig (Life Member and former tennis professional) and Clive Fredman (Life Member). Glen Eira Councillors Sam Parasol OAM (Maccabi Hall of Fame member and inducted as a Maccabi Legend) and Anne-Marie Cade (Mayor) were also present.
Jim Lekkas (Tennis Victoria) presents the centenary plaque to Ryan Behr (MTC President) and Adam Needleman (MTC Pennant Secretary and Master of Ceremonies). Courtesy: AJN/Peter Haskin
In opening the event, Master of Ceremonies Adam Needleman expressed solidarity with our family and friends in Israel and noted that the event was originally supposed to be held in October 2023 but had to be postponed at short notice.
Given the situation locally and in Israel, co-organiser Marcus Frajman said that it was important for the Jewish community to come together and was “proud of the strong response from past and current members, as well as the wider Jewish community, in celebrating our centenary as the oldest continuous Jewish sports club in the Maccabi Australia organisation”.
MTC President Behr expressed hope that this milestone would “inspire the next generation of players to join and contribute their unique talents to the rich tapestry of our club's history”.
The event was planned by the MTC Events Subcommittee comprising Geoff Rosenberger, Marcus Frajman, Natalee Nahoom and Saul Muscatel.
MTC appreciates the support provided by other Committee members, players and members of the local community. The MTC Committee also wishes to acknowledge the generous contributions and support made by the following organisations:
- Tennis equipment (Prelli Tennis, Collingwood)
- Tennis lessons (Trademark Tennis and Asaf Nagar, Maccabi Tennis Club Head Coach)
- Movie tickets (Classic Cinemas, Elsternwick)
- Booklet design (Daniel Goodrich Design)
- Pickleball equipment (Pickleball HQ and Dave Lurie, Beaumaris)
- Kosher sausages (Continental Kosher Butchers, Malvern)
- First aid (Chevra Hatzolah)
In the past 18 months, Maccabi Tennis Club has upgraded to LED lights and installed the Tennis Australia Book A Court system, enabling casual court hire at the click of a button and improving the playing experience with brighter lights for night-time play. The Maccabi Tennis Club Committee plan to invest in court resurfacing and additional lighting in the coming years.
If you are interested in playing tennis and joining Maccabi Tennis Club, please email tennis.VIC@maccabi.com.au.