Galilee Hero, Sword Polisher, Child Polisher

Yaakov Fridman, a 71-year-old fencing coach, built the 'Maccabi Ma'alot' club in Ma'alot-Tarshiha, which has produced 44 medals at World and European Championships and over 100 at the World Cup. This week, two of his students were part of the Israeli team that finished fourth at the World Championships. Fridman, an immigrant from Belarus, founded the club in 1993 in a shelter, worked as a sports teacher for 20 years, and took early retirement to focus on coaching. He describes his method: recruiting children from the streets, emphasizing character, and using ego as a driving force.

Yaakov Fridman (71), a fencing coach, has built a successful fencing club in Ma'alot-Tarshiha called 'Maccabi Ma'alot', which has produced 44 medals at World and European Championships and over 100 medals at the World Cup since 1994. This week, two of his students, Yonatan Cohen and Dov Vilensky, were part of the Israeli team that finished fourth at the World Championships for adults. Fridman, born in Belarus, immigrated to Israel in 1990, worked as a guard and a sports teacher, and founded the club in 1993 in a school shelter. He describes his method: gathering children from schools and the streets, emphasizing character and tactical thinking, and using personal ego as a motivator. The club operates in a small 65-year-old hall, and its success is exceptional relative to the size of the city, which has about 23,000 residents. Fridman retired a decade ago and makes a living from fencing.