2004
JCC Maccabi Games® a Gold Medal Summer
 Last
month, you didn’t have to travel 7,000 miles to Athens
to see an Olympic flame burning. For three weeks in August,
the JCC Maccabi Games®, a much smaller, yet just as inspiring
Olympic-style event was taking place right here in the United
States.
This summer,
5,700 Jewish teens from all over the U.S., Canada, Israel,
Mexico, Great Britain, Poland, Australia, and Venezuela shared
in the fun of competing and the pride of being part of a world-famous
event filled with Jewish content and values. The host communities
for the 2004 JCC Maccabi Games® were:
Austin, Texas ((August 1-6)
Columbus, Ohio and Rockville, Maryland (August 8-13)
Boston, Massachusetts (August 15-20)
The JCC Maccabi
Games can be called the Olympics for Jewish teens, but they
serve a larger purpose than athletic competition. The Games
also promote community involvement, teamwork, and pride in
being Jewish. For example, athletes visiting host communities
stayed with local Jewish families. This "home hospitality"
is vital to the experience, representing the extended Jewish
family and the value of welcoming the stranger. Also, every
set of Games has a volunteer program called Days of Caring
and Sharing, when athletes join with local community organizations
to work on social-action projects. This summer’s Days
of Caring and Sharing activities included collecting and making
Shabbat kits and Jewish calendars for Jewish Family Services,
making Rosh Hashanah cards for Jewish soldiers overseas, and
facilitating a Special Olympics experience for campers with
special needs. The purpose is to teach tikkun olam (repairing
the world) by example, so that these young people incorporate
these values into their daily lives once they return home.
Stamford, Connecticut basketball player Dorothy Abrams was
quoted as saying, "The Games were so much more than I
had expected. I made so many new friends that I know I'll
stay in touch with for a long time. I can't wait to go back
next year."
The Opening Ceremonies
at every set of Games included a memorial to the 11 Israeli
athletes killed by terrorists at the 1972 Olympics in Munich,
Germany. The tribute is even more moving, considering that
recent Games athletes were not alive when the Israeli Olympians
were murdered. This year, Anouk Spitzer, the daughter of Andre
Spitzer, the Israeli fencing coach killed in what can now
be seen to be the start of modern-day terrorism, lit the JCC
Maccabi torch. She was joined by Jim McKay, the ABC anchor
who won an Emmy award for his reporting of the tragic events.
Anouk was quoted as saying, “I was both honored and
moved to learn that the memory of my father and the other
Israeli athletes are kept alive at every JCC Maccabi Games
opening ceremonies. I am touched that people are willing to
do something in their honor. “
Hang-Time began
in 2001 and has become an integral part of the JCC Maccabi
Games. At each Games site, in an area called K'Far Maccabi
or Maccabi Village, Israeli Hang-Time shlichim (delegates
or emissaries) led activities that taught about Israel, and
Israeli and Jewish culture. From trivia games to creative
Jewish arts projects to taking a “tour” of Israel
on an enormous map, athletes and coaches enjoyed Jewish experiences
in a fun, relaxed environment.
Interacting with delegations from around the world, including
Israel, builds a sense of Klal Israel, the unity of the Jewish
community. Israeli sister cities send athletes to participate
alongside their American counterparts. This summer, 110 Israeli
athletes and 22 delegations participated in the JCC Maccabi
Games Sister City program.
Over 80,000 teens
have benefited from the JCC Maccabi Games since 1982. This
summer, over 2,500 generous families provided accommodations
for thousands of athletes. More than 1,000 coaches volunteered
their time and talent to train and guide the participants
throughout the Games, and a total of 16,000 volunteers ensured
that the weeklong event ran smoothly and safely.
The JCC Maccabi
Games would simply not exist without support from The Coca-Cola
Company®. The Coca-Cola Company is the continental sponsor
of the JCC Maccabi Games. The relationship between Coke and
the Jewish Community Center Movement has been a catalyst to
the tremendous growth of the Games. Coca-Cola continues to
support the goals of the Games as well as provide valuable
resources to the Continental Governing Body, the many host
communities, and to the participants themselves. Coca-Cola
is the provider of dollars, substantial product, JCC Maccabi
Games water bottles, and T-shirts. We thank The Coca-Cola
Company for their outstanding support of the JCC Maccabi Games
and the JCC Movement.
####
The JCC Maccabi
Games are a program run by JCC Association. JCC Association
is the leadership network of, and central agency for the Jewish
Community Center Movement, which is comprised of more than
300 JCCs, YM-YWHAs and camps in the U. S. and Canada. JCC
Association offers a wide range of services and resources
to strengthen the capacity of its affiliates to provide educational,
cultural, social, Jewish identity-building, and recreational
programs to enhance the lives of North American Jews of all
ages and backgrounds. Additionally, the movement fosters and
strengthens connections between North American Jews and Israel
as well as with world Jewry. JCC Association is also the U.S.
government accredited agency for serving the religious and
social needs of Jewish military personnel, their families,
and patients in VA hospitals through JWB Jewish Chaplains
Council. JCC Association is the managing partner of the JCC
Maccabi Games, and operates in conjunction with Maccabi World
Union (Israel), Maccabi USA/Sports for Israel, and Maccabi
Canada, which together represent over 1.5 million members
worldwide.
Rachel
Friedman
Marketing Associate
JCC Association
phone: 212-786-5096
fax: 212-481-4174
send an e-mail
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