A 230-strong delegation from Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America attended the dedication of the Marlene E. Post Athletics Center at Hadassah Neurim in January. The state-of-the-art facility includes a running track with the highest quality covering imported from Europe. The high-tech track literally puts an extra spring into the stride of the more than 100 teenage students in the Israel National Youth Center for Athletics at Youth Aliyah’s Hadassah Neurim.

“In sports you think differently,” said Marlene Post, Hadassah International President and Past National President. “You approach life differently. You psych yourself up to move forward, to become a winner.

It is a wonderful way to build up one’s physical and mental abilities.” It is traditional in Hadassah to honor former National Presidents by having them choose a project that will bear their name. During the dedication ceremony itself attended by Jewish Agency Chairman Zeev Bielski and Hadassah President June Walker, Marlene Post herself donned a pair of sneakers and sprinted down the track with a student athlete.

Arkady Sklar, Head of the Athletics Program at Hadassah Neurim said that the new track was a dream come true for the athletes in the program and that it would increase the number of medals being won by the Center’s students. Village Director Nachum Katz said that the new facility consolidates Hadassah Neurim’s status as the most important center in Israel for training teenage athletes.

Students in Hadassah Neurim’s National Athletics program have won dozens of medals over the years in major Israeli and international championships. Sivan Gean, the program’s best known graduate, will represent Israel in the World Athletics Championships in Japan in August. Hadassah Neurim’s National Youth Center for Athletics has about 115 athletes, mainly new immigrants from the Former Soviet Union and Ethiopia and the program is supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston and Hadassah Chapter in Houston.