Preserving the Flame; 40 Years is Enough!

Posted by Donna Schmidt on May 1, 2012 in Politics | 0 comments

20,000 from all corners of the world urge the IOC to Honor the Memory of the Munich 11 with one minute of silence at the London Olympic Games.

WEST NYACK, NY – JCC Rockland’s petition on change.org is reaching staggering numbers. Momentum is building by the minute, with new organizations partnering by the hour. Initiated on April 13th, the petition has 20,000 signatures, in less than 19 days. https://www.change.org/petitions/jacques-rogge-minute-of-silence-at-the-2012-london-olympics

At the 1972 Games in Munich, 11 Olympians from the Israeli delegation were kidnapped and murdered in the Olympic Village by terrorists. For 40 years Ankie Spitzer (widow of fencing Coach Andrei Spitzer) and the rest of the families have beseeched the IOC to grant a minute of silence.  The IOC has repeatedly refused. JCC Rockland joined with Spitzer and the other families and spearheaded this petition which asks for a minute of silence at this year’s London Olympics and at every Game thereafter.

“It is amazing to witness the worldwide support we have achieved, there are signatures from dozens of countries and all over the United States, said David Kirschtel, CEO, JCC Rockland. “Our Maccabi Games this summer are in honor of the memory of these men.”

“My husband and the other athletes went to the Olympics in peace, friendship and sportsmanship and should be given the honor they deserve,” said Ankie Spitzer. “One minute of silence will clearly say to the world that what happened in 1972 can never happen again. The Olympic Doctrine: “To build a peaceful and better world which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play” is more powerful than politics.

Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said, “We must remain vigilant against acts of hate and intolerance that stand in contrast to the ideals of the International Olympics.”

Dr. Leszek J. Sibilski, A former member of the Polish National Olympic cycling team, and Adjunct Associate Professor of Sociology at Catholic University of America, suggested a petition to his students in his “Sociology of Sports” class about the same time as the JCC launched their petition. The student letter to Jacques Rogge (President of the IOC)  began “As students who did not live through the Munich massacre, one may question our knowledge about the tragedy, and why it is important to us. We lived through the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. We mourn these civilians……we are the September 11th generation…..we do understand and believe passionately that a minute of silence to honor these men is the right thing to do period.”

Go to www.jccrockland.org or to our website www.munich11.org to learn more about how the JCC Rockland in New York took up the fight to remedy this injustice with the support and gratitude of the families of the Munich 11 and learn the history of a day we should never forget.

English Literature Major and Journalism Minor, Donna Schmidt’s first job was writing for the Enterprise Newspaper in Westchester County, New York. She has always been fascinated by the written word and the smell of newsprint. Both her father and grandfather were printers. She grew up around ink, creativity and fabulous food. After working at the Marriott Marquis in Manhattan as a Tour and Travel Manager, she worked at several ad agencies building her account management skills. Later while a young Mother, she worked for several nursery schools and part time at her husband’s publishing company while raising two children. She is currently the President/Owner of a small publishing company, Donnin Publishing; she has been a contributor to a variety of local publications and blogs. Contact Donna.