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Machers Share Their Resolutions for 2022
L OCA L
JARRAD SAFFREN | JE STAFF
JEWISH PHILADELPHIANS:
If you have sinned since Yom
Kippur, this is your second,
secular chance to reset for a
new calendar year.

It’s time to make New Year’s
resolutions for 2022. Jewish
Philadelphia-area machers, or
people who get things done,
were kind enough to share
their promises to themselves
for the upcoming year.

Michael Balaban, president
and CEO, Jewish Federation
of Greater Philadelphia
“An old Jewish story:
Mendel meets David. He says,
‘I haven’t got much time today,
my friend, so tell me, in one
word, how is life?’
“David says, ‘In one word?
Good.’ “Mendel says, ‘Give me a bit
more detail. In two words, how
is life?’
“David replies, ‘In two
words? Not good.’
“When asked for my New
Year’s resolution this year, I
am reminded of this story.

Our world today seems to be
swimming in turmoil. Many
respond by bemoaning and
turning inward. My resolution
is to lean outward more — into violence across our city.

things far greater than myself
“We need to think differ-
— my family, friends, commu- ently than we have before and
nity and prayer.”
use every tool available to us.

This includes utilizing our
Rabbi Eliott N. Perlstein, academic experts to help us
Ohev Shalom of Bucks County evaluate our efforts, deploying
“I intend to venture farther tech surveillance and being
and more frequently out of my smarter than those causing
comfort zone.”
issues, and examining innova-
tive DNA analyses to help solve
Rabbi Binyomin Davis,
crimes and assist prosecutors.”
Aish Chaim
“I resolve to be kinder and Alan Scher, CEO,
more considerate of those I Kaiserman JCC
don’t see eye to eye with.”
“At the JCC, we are begin-
ning a strategic plan in 2022
Sophie Don, senior manager with a series of conversations
of programs, Philadelphia dreaming about our future.

Holocaust Remembrance
“I will, as a result, put on
Foundation the listening ears I remind
“I’m motivated to keep preschoolers to place on
telling the stories of Jewish and their heads when I read the
non-Jewish victims of Nazi stories and look to be as
persecution and current victims present as possible with my
of bigotry and antisemitism.

mind, body and spirit to all
“Personally, I’m hopeful for the new connections, ideas
a healthy and safe 2022! I’d like and wisdom available to
to spend time with my family us across the Philadelphia
and friends, and I’m hoping it Jewish community.”
will feel safe to travel again.”
Ben Waxman, Center City
Allan Domb, Philadelphia City resident and Democratic
Councilmember At-Large
Primary candidate for the
“ We
mu s t
r e m a i n 182nd House District seat
committed to solv ing t he in Pennsylvania’s House of
violence epidemic — there’s Representatives
nothing more important than
“My resolution is that we
reducing and preventing gun must commit in 2022 to taking
and lose 60 pounds.

“For my business and the
Jewish community, my resolu-
tions are to not just grow the
catering and event planning
businesses, but to grow to the
point that we can be philan-
thropic for the following year.

“My other resolution is to
use only compostable products
for the business, as well as
change all my vendors to be
Gabby Kaplan-Mayer, chief as local as possible to support
program officer, Jewish other local businesses.”
Learning Venture
“My intention for 2022 is to Josh
Shapiro, attorney
continue to innovate with all of general of Pennsylvania and
our Jewish Learning Venture Democratic gubernatorial
programming to find ways to candidate
make the Jewish community even
“In 2022, my resolution is to
more inclusive and supportive for spend as much time with my
all families raising Jewish kids, family as I can while continuing
especially those who have felt to do everything in my power
to make Pennsylvanians’
marginalized in any way.

“I hope to also find new lives better.”
ways to support the amazing
colleagues whom I work Polly Edelstein, program
with. Personally, I am excited manager, Tribe 12
“Continue to build and
for a new year full of spiri-
tual growth, discovery, fun deepen meaningful connec-
and creativity.”
tions with our constituents,
past, present and future, as
Daniel Israel, owner of
Tribe 12 looks toward 2022
Deluxe Catering
with optimism and hope.

“Personally, they say never
“My personal one is to have
trust a skinny chef, but my more dinner parties (safely).” l
goal is to eat healthier, climb
100 flights of steps on the jsaffren@jewishexponent.com;
StairMaster four times a week 215-832-0740
care of each other, even people
we don’t know.

“We are at a scary moment
with positive COVID cases
rising dramatically. The only
way through this latest phase
of the virus is for the world
to make a resolution to come
together, trust science and take
the steps necessary to contain
and end the pandemic.”
Jewish Man Discovers Arm Wrestling Passion
L OCA L
JARRAD SAFFREN | JE STAFF
FOR STEVEN ROSENBLUM,
a Jewish resident of Northeast
Philadelphia, arm wrestling is
no mere party trick.

Several years ago, it became
his main hobby. Then it turned
into his side hustle, as he
hosted tournaments all over
the Philadelphia area. And now,
it’s about to transform into
his business.

Rosenblum, who works a
winter job as a foreman for a
4 DECEMBER 30, 2021
snow plow company, is going to
add arm wrestling to a combat
school in the Franklin Mills
Mall this January. The Philly
resident will have sweat equity
in the business, meaning he will
work for his percentage.

“I think it’s a great way to
bring a community together,”
he said.

Rosenblum, 47, seems like
he’s out of central casting for an
arm wrestling enthusiast.

At Northeast High School,
he was a four-sport athlete in
football, baseball, basketball
and wrestling, winning a Public
League wrestling champi-
onship. He also did judo,
Golden Gloves boxing and
even kickboxing.

Then, as an adult, Rosenblum
owned gyms for 15 years before
the COVID-19 pandemic forced
him out of business.

But it was at one of his gyms
that he discovered his new
niche passion.

A member named Sue Fisher
asked Rosenblum if she could
bring in her arm wrestling
table. She told him she was a
professional arm wrestler.

Rosenblum chuckled.

JEWISH EXPONENT
“It’s not really a sport,”
he said, “no offense, defense,
running, throwing.”
But as time went on, it was
Fisher who got the last laugh.

Rosenblum was fascinated
that Fisher, a middle-aged
woman with toned, but not
huge muscles, could win battles
of strength like this.

“It’s more than just power,”
he said. “It’s skill. It’s technique.

It’s training your arm.”
Around the same time,
Rosenblum’s son Brecken, then
11, told his father that he beat
his aunt in arm wrestling. Yet
again, the Jewish man laughed.

“I said, ‘You can’t beat an
adult,’” he recalled.

But yet again, as time went
on, it was the arm wrestler who
got the last laugh.

Rosenblum challenged his
son to beat his mother, and he
did. Then the father pushed his
son to defeat his grandfather,
and he did.

“My father, a stronger older
gentleman who works out,”
Rosenblum said. “My son beat
my father with little to no effort.”
That was when Rosenblum
decided to try this niche sport
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ON-SITE Steven Rosenblum, right, and Brecken Rosenblum, left, compete at an
arm wrestling tournament.

Courtesy of Steven Rosenblum
himself. He sat down against
his son and beat him handily.

He was hooked.

Th e Philly resident started
the Philadelphia Arm Wrestling
Team, a group of fi ve guys
who got together to, well, arm
wrestle. He also began hosting
tournaments at places like the
Final Score Sports Bar & Grill
in Bensalem and Daydreams
Gentlemen’s Club in Philly.

Rosenblum has hosted 24
tournaments since 2019 for
beginners, amateurs and pros.

He has won four himself, and he
describes himself as a low-level
pro who can beat 90 percent of
the population.

The tournaments, which
started early on Saturdays and
went all day, were fun but not
very profi table, according to the
host. So recently, he pivoted.

Rosenblum loves arm
wrestling. He also has a sense
that it’s gaining popularity.

But he believes it can get
even bigger with more formal
training facilities.

As Rosenblum put it, he’s
building a school.

“I can’t wait to fi nish the
gym so I can start teaching
classes and really promote the
sport,” he said.

Rosenblum loves the sport
because, contrary to its reputa-
tion as a test of raw strength, it
actually has a way of leveling the
playing fi eld. Someone like Fisher,
a regular-sized woman, or his
11-year-old son can beat people
who are bigger and/or stronger.

A school will help smaller
and weaker kids train to beat
bigger and stronger kids,
according to the teacher.

“It shows kids that it’s
not only size or strength,”
Rosenblum said. “A weaker kid
can easily beat somebody a lot
stronger if their tendons are
stronger and they’ve been doing
the sport for a while.”
Like other combat sports,
both today and in the past,
arm wrestling can also be a
way to channel kids’ energy,
according to the gym entre-
preneur. Rosenblum hopes to
one day start a youth league
through the Philadelphia Parks
& Recreation Center.

He said arm wrestling
“would do great in the
inner city.”
“Kids will grow,” he added.

“Th ey’ll see it’s not a one-day
thing; it’s a long-term sport.

You have to put the time in.”
Rosenblum has seen this
process play out with his
own son. Th e two practice
when they get together and
attend tournaments.

John Hancock Demon-
stration Elementary School
actually banned arm wrestling
because Brecken was beating
everybody, according to
his father.

“When he picked up arm
wrestling, he liked to prove to
somebody that he was stronger
than them without beating
them up,” Rosenblum said. ●
jsaff ren@jewishexponent.com;
215-832-0740 Thursday, January 6, 2022
11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

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