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Itongadol.- Ex FACCMA´s president, Daniel Belinky, was recently chosen as Maccabi World Union´s vice president for Latin America and, in an interview with the Jewish News Agency – AJN, he explained the challenges he has to overcome during this new stage. "I went from leading an institution with 40 thousand members to participate in a movement that has almost half a million all over the world. The challenge is huge", he said. Tonight FACCMA will have a toast for his designation.
During these last days there you made an important visit to Maccabi World Union, what happen there?
Every year the organization has a world meeting with the delegates of every country. There we talk about different matters, such as last year´s Maccabiah, the next one, general and administrative issues. This year had a special connotation because, unfortunately, there was an election of authorities. The last president, Guiora Esrubilsky, who passed away in December, was going to be chosen to lead the movement during the next four years. This changed the context and the election became something very important. There almost wasn´t going to be elections and everything was resolved in a very good continuity. However this wasn´t a hard fought election because there was a great agreement. The vice president that replaced Guiora during the last five months was chosen to lead, Leo Dan Bensky. He is a Finnish Maccabean with many years of experience in the movement and he will lead the presidency 2014-2018. Besides, there were three more places of the vice presidency to fill and these usually represent organizations from all over the world. Toni Wolfman was chosen for the north hemisphere, Tom Goldman for Australia and I was honored to be chosen for Latin America.
What is your vision of Latin America after Guiora´s activity?
This region in the Diaspora has always had a strength and richness that is envied by the whole world. Guiora´s passing away hits us, but the inertia of the movement in Latin America goes on and, in honor to his memory, it will double and will force us to try even harder because of everything he left.
You are arriving to this place with a very important carrier: you have lead the destiny of FACCMA in Argentina and you are a man that knows the sports maccabean world. How do you feel with this designation?
With joy and a great responsibility. Leading FACCMA has been an honor and it represented a very important challenge. We were able to have an institution with a younger generation than the one I had. We wanted to let the young leaders rule and that happened. The commitment now is not only for Latin America, but for the world. If there is a problem in other part of the world, I have to deal with it. It is a scene where, even though I represent Latin America and my heart is here, I will have to work with many geographical zones.
There are two important moments: one when there was an event in a square in Vienna with the city authorities, where the Nazis ruled, and, the other, the fact that there will be a Maccabiah in Berlin. What´s your opinion about these?
The event in Vienna had a very emotional speech from Guiora, in Austria, where one of the most horrible massacres of the world took place. Besides, what is going to happen in Berlin is very intense. The European Confederation organizes its Maccabiahs and in 2015 the selected country is Germany. Even FACCMA was invited to participate because of its importance in the world. Next year we also have the Panamericans in Chile.
How do you imagine your daily job?
It is a very big challenge because it is a very big organization. I went from leading an institution with 40 thousand members to participate in a movement that has almost half a million all over the world. The challenge is huge. I have to do it step by step. We will move forward as far as possible, without speeding the times, but trying to create different possibilities. The management gives me a lot of adrenaline.
Does your family stand by you?
Totally. My wife Elena is part of this and the Maccabi World Union´s friends are also her friends because she knows them all since 1995, when there were the Panamericans. They have been her friends for 20 years and are present in every meeting.
What is your message to your partners in this region?
I am deeply thankful for the trust they are giving me. Every country that integrates the movement agreed that my postulation for Latin America was the best. I am committed not to let down. After my work in FACCMA they had the possibility to present someone and they chose me.