A member of the 1972 Israeli Olympic team will speak about the act of terrorism that claimed the lives of 11 Israeli athletes and coaches at the Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany.
Dan Alon will speak at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 19 at the Marlboro Middle School, Route 520, Marlboro. The event is open to the public. Chabad of Western Monmouth County will present the event, which is being sponsored in part by Sandra and Michael Weitz.
According to a press release, Alon was a member of the Israeli Olympic fencing team. His fencing career began when he was 12 and reached its peak at age 27 when he competed in the Olympics.
Alon will share his journey, the security concerns that were raised prior to the Olympic Games, the attack and the process of returning to normal life.
According to a press release, Alon recalls marching into the Olympic stadium in Munich, saying, “I was in heaven. It was the most beautiful day of my life.”
But Alon’s world was shattered five days later on Sept. 5 when eight Palestinian terrorists invaded the building where he and his 15 fellow athletes and coaches were living. Eleven were murdered in cold blood. Television viewers around the world watched as the events of that day unfolded, according to the press release.
Forty years after the Olympics, Alon was able to share the story of his escape and his journey of tolerance in “Munich Memoir,” a book he wrote in 2012.
Individuals of all ages, including sports teams, are invited to attend Alon’s presentation in Marlboro.
There will be a meet and greet with Alon at 6:30 p.m. Doors will open at 7 p.m. and the program will begin at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices are as follows: corporate sponsors, $500; VIP seats, $72 per person, includes the “meet and greet” and front row seats; adult admission, $15 in advance, $20 after Jan. 17; and teens and students, $7.
For more information, call 732-972- 3687 or visit the website www.chabadwmc.org/Munich72.