Harry Maziar Classic Draws Record-Setting Funds

The annual golf tournament for the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA), the Fifth Third Harry Maziar Classic, continues to reach new heights. A tournament that raised $75,000 and hosted several dozen players in its 2009 debut has expanded exponentially in scope, with its most recent edition held at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek on Monday, May 4, bringing in over $640,000 and including more than 300 participants.

In what has become a marquee event on the Atlanta Jewish community calendar, the Harry Maziar Classic, named after the 93-year-old native Atlantan who has been non-stop active in Atlanta’s Jewish Community Center going on 81 years and co-chaired by Joel Libowsky, Brad Oppenheimer, and David Levin lived up to the billing during its 18th anniversary earlier this month. Not only did the golf tournament, held at its fourth different host site, generate record-setting funds that will be earmarked for scholarships to those seeking financial assistance for MJCCA preschool and day camps as well as Camp Barney Medintz, but it also appealed to an entirely new wave of participants with its first-ever Mah-Jongg Open Play Luncheon for non-golfers, which featured prizes and was held in the clubhouse following the awards reception and silent auction. Thanks to the diversification of programs offered, a record-number 302 people signed up for this year’s Harry Maziar Classic.

“The $640,000 raised this year is a direct investment in ensuring that cost is never the reason a child misses out on preschool, day camp, or a summer at Camp Barney Medintz,” shared Jared Powers, CEO of the MJCCA, when speaking to Atlanta Jewish Times last week. “The Harry Maziar Classic has become the financial engine behind that promise, and watching it grow from year to year is a powerful reminder of what this community stands for. We are deeply grateful to every sponsor, player, and volunteer who made this our best year yet.”

There’s a reason that the tournament continues to be named after Maziar every spring. While serving on the boards of Atlanta Jewish organizations throughout his life, Maziar has been a driving force behind the MJCCA, both as president and as co-chair of the Governance Board. He has helped the beloved institution navigate some challenging financial situations and was chiefly responsible for getting the now annual golf tournament off the ground in the early 2000s. This year, three generations of the Maziar family not only participated in the tournament but also served on the planning committee, including Jake, Neal, and Todd Maziar.

“This tournament has always been about community and bringing people together around a shared commitment to making sure every family in Atlanta’s Jewish community can access what the MJCCA has to offer,” said Harry Maziar, whose three children and eight grandchildren have all been very engaged in MJCCA activities, while the same may hold true for his many great-grandchildren. “Seeing it grow to this level, with three generations of our family carrying it forward, is something I am incredibly proud of.”

Every year, the Harry Maziar Classic is held in honor of an Atlantan who’s genuinely invested in the Jewish community and has a network of friends, relatives, and business associates who can serve as sponsors and players. This year, the honor went to Sammy Grant, who grew up attending JCC preschool and AJECOMCE day camps before spending 10 summers at Camp Barney Medintz, as both a camper and staff member. Now as an adult, Grant is an attorney, CPA, CFP, and wealth management professional who currently works at HB Wealth following a merger with his firm, SG Financial Advisors. Amidst his hectic professional life, Grant has stayed dedicated to Jewish Atlanta by serving on the MJCCA Board of Directors, including as Board Chair during the recent pandemic. As a recognition of his unswerving commitment to Judaic culture, Grant, who also finds time to be an Ironman triathlete, received the Abe Schwartz Young Leadership Award along with the great distinction of being featured in this year’s Harry Maziar Classic.

Hopefully, Grant will follow in the footsteps of the many past tournament honorees such as Harry Maziar, Doug Kuniansky, David Kusiel, Eliott Arnovitz, Mark Lichtenstein, Jack Halpern, Ron Brill, Steven Cadranel, and Ken Winkler who have remained thoroughly engaged in different iterations of the fantastic event, whether it be as participants, sponsors, or members of the planning committee.

Though no date for 2027 has been set in stone, planning for the 19th annual Harry Maziar Classic is already in the works. And given the year-over-year improvements in fundraising, sponsorship, and participation, next year’s invitational promises to continue fulfilling its noble mission of providing financial support to individuals and families interested in enjoying all of the wonderful and inclusive year-round community programs that MJCCA offers.