UPDATED 25th June 2022
Links to Family Trees:    Goldberg    Gordon/Glasser  Hershovitz/Levy   Matz   Nochimovitz/Nickel    Schank

The important job of a bridge tournament director (TD) is acting as the judge but is also responsible, among other duties, for the orderly progress of the game, and usually for arranging and preparing a tournament.
As the judge the TD is responsible for maintaining order and for giving rulings following irregularities during play. Some of these rulings are simple but, especially at a Championship, they can be very difficult and necessitate discussions with other TDs and even other players. These rulings can affect the winners of the Competitions. Players are not always happy with TD rulings but they have an option to appeal.  In the European Bridge League (EBL) the appeal is heard by a 'reviewer' whose decision is final. I share the reviewer job with two other persons and for the European Championships which took place in Madeira I was the reviewer. Amazingly, there were no appeals - I cannot remember another Championship where there were no appeals. The main reason for this is the quality and high standard pf the TDs (pictured above) at this event.
The TDs are trained and chosen by a TD Committee of which I was Chairman. (At Madeira I decided to relinquish this post but remain in an advisory position).
My first international role as a TD was in 1980 but I took a 17 year break because of work duties. In 1997 I went on a training course and resumed my activities as an international TD. I worked my way through the ranks and eventually was appointed head of the TD training courses which are held every year. The 15 TDs above (+ 1 absent) are all graduates of these courses. Two of them were my mentors, and 2 trained with me. I trained another two and trained and certified ten of them. The next course will be in Warsaw in September and that will be my last as organizer although I will still be involved in the preparation of the course.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my years as a TD and as a trainer of TDs. Apart from bridge, the two F's (friends and food ) have been amazing. We have visited many countries and there is a special relationship between TDs and the differences in country, culture, food  and religion are unimportant.  I have made friends from all over the world and we are always delighted to see each other again. I maintain contact and friendships with many of them even when we are not at competitions. 

• We returned early this morning from the European Bridge Championships in Madeira. We still need to organize and choose the many pictures we took and next week we will write and add pictures about our visit there.
• The Championships were well organized and the venue excellent. 30 countries participated in 4 categories: Open, Women, Seniors and Mixed. The Israel Women's team was the youngest team there and won the Bronze Medal for 3rd place.  The first 8 teams in each category qualify for the next World Championships in 2023 in Morocco. Only two countries qualified in all four categories, Poland (who won 2 gold medals) and Israel. A fine performance!
  
• Limor Levy, Vered and Aviv Ron and we are all back in Israel following trips overseas. The family's overseas representative now is granddaughter Lotem Segoli is taking part in an international Robotics Competition in USA. The competition starts today and we all wish Lotem and her team good luck. Pictures here.
  
• Skipper daughter Vered went sailing with daughter Danielle and her friend Oz. See pictures.
  

• Happy Birthday this week to:  Joel Thiele (25), Melissa Marcus (25), Sheila Ezra (26),  Donna Leibowitz (26), Ethan Schochat (26),  Jacob Gordon (26), Alon Spector (27), David Neiman (27),  Levi Tzukernik (28), Daphne Lewis (28), Eyal Shavit (28),  Vered Levy-Ron (28), Rivka Klein  (29),  Bernice Spector (30), Vanessa Tarazza (30),   July:  Rebecca Mynarski (1), Roderick McCrimmon (1), Selwyn Bolel (2)

• Happy  Anniversary  this week to:  Aviva and Arie Schochat (22),  Dina and Jonathan Levy (23), Tarryn and Stephen Marcus (23),  Talya and Ian Klotnick (24)  July:  Lital and Dvir Kasorla (1)

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