Karen James, 1972 Olympian, a witness to history

PROVIDENCE – On a chilly Tuesday night, more than 300 donors gathered at the Biltmore Hotel to help kick off the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island’s 2014 Annual Campaign (see companion story on page 1). After a delicious pre-reception, Pacesetter Co-Chair Ralph Posner welcomed and thanked the generous people in the room.

He spoke about the importance of their giving, citing some stunning numbers and encouraging the audience to think about all the Rhode Islanders who are less fortunate. Ron Markoff, co-chair of the Pacesetter division for eight years, took over the podium to recite a poem he wrote for the occasion. In it, he assured everyone that they’ve been forgiven during Yom Kippur and now should invest in another year of good health by donating to the Alliance. “Remember that you are a Jew and, unfortunately, we are so few. What a difference your gift will make to all the needy people for goodness sake.”

Jeffrey Savit, president and CEO of the Alliance, reflected how “fortunate our community is to have you all as our major stakeholders and investors. Your support enables us, with our partner agencies, to do so many great things for those in need right here in Rhode Island, in Israel, and abroad.”

Sharon Gaines, the new chair of the Alliance, welcomed Karen James, the guest of the Sept. 17 special presentation, during which James shared her experience as witness to the terrorist attack on the Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.

James, who looks as if she could still swim competitively, began her story with her childhood. Even though she grew up in a mixed household, she attended Hebrew school and followed all the Jewish holidays and traditions. Yet, when asked about a Bat Mitzvah, she said she refused to have one because she was so focused on competitive swimming.

She jumped at the chance to participate in the 1965 Maccabiah Games in Israel. While there, she traveled to the Dead Sea and to Jerusalem; the city, still divided then, resonated with tension. For more than ten years, James worked toward becoming a member of Canada’s Olympic swim team. Having reached her goal for the 1972 Games, she was “walking on air.” The motto was “faster, higher, stronger, with emphasis on peaceful competition.” Little did she know that her happiest day was about to be cut short by horrific events.

Following a hockey game, James was heading back to the Athletes’ Village with some friends. Because they were tired and because it was 3 a.m., they decided to climb a chain-link fence to avoid a longer walk to the gate. Scaling the fence along with them were some men, who didn’t look threatening to her. These men, she learned later, turned out to be part of the Palestine Liberation Organization faction.

Because there was so little security, they were able to infiltrate the village, killing two Israelis immediately and holding nine others hostage. Confined in the Canadian Medical Building for the rest of the day, James witnessed the negotiations with the Palestinian leader, whose weapons she could see clearly. Along with nine others, she crammed into a shower stall to see the blindfolded Israelis led onto a bus that was to take them to the airport. Afterward, she heard that they were safe. Of course, that was not true – all nine perished after a grenade was thrown into their helicopter.

Finding out what really happened, James decided not to stay for the closing ceremony. She was appalled that the victims’ names were never mentioned and was not satisfied with the statement of the International Olympic Committee’s president, Avery Brundage, who said, “The Games must go on.” Seeing nations raise their flags in victory while the Israelis carried their dead in coffins was not something she wanted to be a part of. James put her experience at the Olympics aside, not allowing herself to think of the incident until 22 years later, during a conversation with another athlete, who shared the memory.

Ten years ago, she started to take steps to reclaim her heritage. While chairing swimming events for the Maccabiah Games, James was inspired to tell her story to the 10,000 people who attended the opening ceremonies. When she was done, many embraced her, bringing her to tears. This positive experience led to her reconnection with her Jewish roots. James participated in an Israeli memorial day for the fallen and took on other community philanthropic endeavors.

Three years ago, she was offered the honor of carrying the Olympic torch at the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. Attending an exhibit at the Vancouver Holocaust Education Center, James was shocked to see a still from ‘’Olympia,’’ Leni Riefenstahl’s film of the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Learning that Hitler had started torch relay races in 1936 with the intention of demonstrating that classical Greece was an Aryan forerunner and to convey the growing influence of the Third Reich, James faced a dilemma – after all, she was to be a torch bearer and would see the film on the bus ride to her spot.

She contacted the office for the torch bearers and asked that the video not be used. Becoming an advocate, James attended a media event, where she spoke about the wrongness of “Olympia’s” inclusion. After the segment was featured on the news, the offending video was removed. It was important for James to speak out: “I didn’t stay quiet. No one else had said anything.”

Unfortunately, speaking out doesn’t always work. Before the 2012 London Summer Olympics, more than 100,000 people signed a petition asking the International Olympic Committee to honor the 11 Israelis with a minute of silence; the Committee refused to remember the tragedy. In fact, the surviving perpetrators were never put on trial. In her mind, justice was never done and James feels obligated to repeat her story, a transforming experience for her, as well as for her listeners. James says, “It has given my life immense rewards and purpose. I departed from my heritage, religion, and people, but I chose to come back.” She encourages all of us to “live the values of chesed, tzedakah, and tikkun olam.”

Irina Missiuro (IMissiuro@gmail.com), a freelance writer and editor, is a Providence resident.