SPECIAL EVENTS

The Jewish Community Center presents the Ronnie Arrow Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Induction, Sunday, June 14 • 2:00 p.m., at  the Jewish Community Center.  The small ball brings two athletes to the Ronnie Arrow Jewish Sports Hall of Fame as inductees of the Class of 2009.

Perry Schwartzberg, (at left above) using the little ball, has achieved championships in Table Tennis beginning as a pre-teen at the age of 12 when he held the Texas State Junior Singles Championship. Marc Auerbach (on right, above) will also be inducted into the prestigious Ronnie Arrow Hall of Fame as a Racquetball Champion on both the National and State level since 1973.

Schwartzberg, who began just "hitting the ping pong ball at the JCC," found the game of table tennis was just for him at an early age. Before a cheering crowd at the Houston Astrohall in 1975, the youngster won the US Open Under 15 singles and Doubles Championship. From that beginning, he continued "stepping into the ball" and winning one title after another. The youngster was picked by the US Table Tennis Association to travel to Japan for a five-week training session in 1975 following his Astrohall wins. From 1976 to 1990, the UT graduate won top Table Tennis awards including: three times Texas State Champion; 1982 National Intercollegiate Champion while at UT; 1983 Sports Festival (later re-named Olympic Festival) Gold Medal in Team Event; 1983 member of the U.S. Pan-Am Team; 1984 named National Men's Amateur Athlete of the year; and 1990 winner of the Over 30 Singles U.S. Closed Championship.

In the community, the new Hall of Famer was instrumental in the success of the Table Tennis Transplant Games, which the Houston Table Tennis Association conducted for many years, and Schwartzberg assisted the HTTA in the JCC Senior Olympics Table Tennis events at Chancellors.

Auerbach's winning accomplishments in racquetball started with being the Georgia State Champion in 1973. His most significant accomplishments on the court include, 1st place in the 1976 New Orleans Open, two 2nd place finishes in the 1983 US National Doubles championship, 1st place in the 1984 Ektelon National Mixed Doubles championship, winner of seven Texas State Doubles Championships, and the 2000 National Masters Doubles champion.

Aside from his wins on the racquetball court, Auerbach showed leadership in the American Professional Racquetball Organization. As Board of Director for many years, he helped in developing the criteria for certifying racquetball teaching professionals. The new Hall of Famer served on the Board of the Texas Amateur Racquetball Association and was the editor of its quarterly newsletter. In 1982, Auerbach helped author the book, "Playing and Winning Racquetball". In 2000, he received the Joe Sobek Award for outstanding contributions to the sport of racquetball, presented by USA Racquetball. Selected by the national governing body of the sport, Auerbach served as Team Leader for the US National Racquetball team for the 1999 Pan American Games. In his role as Team Leader, he has travelled to Cali, Colombia and Cochabamba, Bolivia in 1996 and in 2002.

The racquetball champion has been active in the community as Tournament Director for the Bob Allen/Bob Boudreaux Racquetball Classic in 1977 benefitting Special Olympics as well as the Crohn's and Colitis fund raising tournament in 1978. He also worked with Harold Wiesenthal's Golf Tournament benefiting Memorial Park and the Mitzvah day program at Temple Emanu El.

"What two fine athletes we have as members of the Class of 2009 that will be honored on Sunday, June 14. We look forward to seeing the community come out for the Induction Ceremony as we honor these new members of the Ronnie Arrow Sports Hall of Fame and recognize the other members of the Hall of Fame," stated Bob Hill, Hall of Fame Chair.

The Induction Program will begin at 2:00 p.m., and the ceremony will be followed by a reception in honor of Schwartzberg and Auerbach. Memorabilia will be on display showing the many awards and honors acquired during the career of the two honorees. Sponsored by the Jewish Community Center and the Jewish Herald-Voice, the program is free and open to the public.