Schiller Family Maccabi Tradition Spans Three Generations, Three Sports, 30 Years

Competing in the Maccabiah Games is a Schiller family tradition. With the December 2011 Pan American Maccabiah Games in Sao Paolo, Brazil, this tradition has now covered 30 years, three generations and three sports.

Dr. Sheldon Schiller, z”l, qualified to compete for the first time in 1981, when he played squash for the USA Masters Team (45+) in the Maccabiah Games in Israel. Dr. Schiller also played in on the team in 1985 and 1989.

Robby Schiller, son of Sheldon and Denise Schiller, first qualified for the U.S. Open Squash Team in the Pan American Maccabi Games in 1987 when they played in Caracas, Venezuela. He made the team again in 1991 and played in Montevideo, Uruguay. Robby’s team won gold medals both years.

“My big breakthrough was in 1993,” Robby said, “when I qualified as the then ‘oldest’ member of the U.S. Open Squash Team for the 1993 Maccabiah Games in Israel.”

Fast-forward to 2011, and both Robby and his son, Jonah, now 16, both qualified for the Pan American Maccabi Games in Sao Paulo. No longer playing squash, Robby competed on the U.S. Open Golf Team. Jonah made the U.S. Junior Soccer Team.
“The icing on the cake were the medals,” Robby reported. “The U.S. Junior Soccer team upset Argentina in the semifinals in penalty kicks to qualify to play Brazil for the gold medal.” The team brought home the silver medal.

In addition, the U.S. Men’s Golf team won a gold medal and Robby brought home the individual bronze medal.

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