Chicago athletes step up to the plate at the JCC Maccabi Games
Fourteen Chicago-area teen athletes got the opportunity of a lifetime to compete at the 41st JCC Maccabi Games® in Israel, co-hosted by JCC Association of North America and Maccabi World Union.
During the four days of athletic events, the Chicagoans met many inspiring peers, like the boys’ soccer team that included teens from Morocco, Ukraine, Greater Washington, and Indiana who couldn’t communicate because they spoke four different languages–but still managed to win a gold medal.
Each competition was covered by JCC Maccabi Games Star Reporters, teens from the U.S. and Hungary who spent the week learning how to professionally cover live sports on social media.
Overall, 74 delegations of more than 1,000 Jewish teens representing 10 countries on four continents (North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia) participated in the Maccabi Games. For the first time, teens from Morocco–an Abraham Accords country whose athletes participated thanks to JCC Association’s partnership with BBYO–were able to join in.
Doing good while playing well was a key part of the Games for both athletes and organizers. The largest ever delegation of “J-Team” athletes ensured that any Jewish teen from across the U.S. could participate in JCC Maccabi regardless of finances–and during the event, the athletes volunteered at Beit HaLochem, an organization that cares for disabled Israeli veterans wounded in the line of duty.
Once the games were over, the fun didn’t end–as nearly all the teens spent two weeks traveling around Israel as part of JCC Maccabi’s post-Games journey with customized, transformative educational experiences.
“As part of our broader Israel engagement strategy,” said Samantha Cohen, Senior Vice President of JCC Association. “We designed learning opportunities that show Israel’s vibrancy, successes, and challenges, and connect young Jewish athletes to engaging content that speaks to their love of sports.”
