Jon Marks
Like most in the Philadelphia contingent, 15-year-old Davin Haley had been to the JCC Maccabi Games before. But considering what’s going on in Israel these days, this one, held in Detroit last week, was different.
“At the opening ceremonies, four survivors from Oct. 7 came and performed a song, which was nice,” said Haley, who took home a gold medal in golf for hitting the ball closest to the pin and a bronze in the 36-hole competition. “America is certainly a lot safer than other countries. But people from other countries were able to come here, so it was great I had the opportunity to meet people from all around the world and see what their lives are like.
The basis of the Maccabi Games really is to make friends and experience Judaism in other places. And make memories.”
Make friends, make memories and bring home medals. The local contingent did all of that in the Motor City, the first stop on the 2024 Maccabi Games card, before a mostly different group headed to Houston this week.
In addition to Haley putting the ball 3½ feet from the cup at Knollwood Country Club, he and teammate Joseph Chachkin won bronzes. The 16-and-under ice hockey team took home a bronze, while the 16-and-under girls’ soccer team won silver.
But Team Philadelphia’s greatest success was in the pool, winning two golds, two silvers and two bronzes.
The kids had an amazing time,” said Barrie Mittica, the Kaiserman JCC’s director of engagement, who headed straight to Houston from Detroit. “In Detroit, we had 43 athletes competing and, in Houston, we’ll have another 58. They’re meeting kids from California, Israel, Alberta (Canada), Mexico, Ukraine and playing with kids they’d never seen before locally. It’s creating bonds across our community.”
Things got underway on July 28 with the opening ceremonies at Little Caesars Arena, the NHL home of the Detroit Red Wings. “That was super-cool, unbelievable to see,” said 16-year-old Jake Weiner, who scored 16 goals in seven games for the silver medal-winning hockey team. “Overall, it was a great learning experience of Jewish culture and fun to be a part of.”
But there’s more to the Maccabi games than what happens on the field.
“On their off day, they’re doing JCC Cares projects and community service,” said Mittica, who was in San Diego for the 2022 games, then Israel and Fort Lauderdale last year. “They all brought food items to donate to a local kosher food pantry, and the girls were working with a local Hadassah group making dolls and selling dolls for kids.”
As for accommodations, they did things differently in Detroit, too. Rather than stay in host family homes as in previous years, approximately a third of the 1,200 athletes competing — including the Philadelphia contingent — stayed in the Maccabi Village.
“All meals were served on site, Mittica explained, noting that everything was kosher.
“It’s no small feat to feed 1,200 teenagers who happen to be athletes,” she said. “That means they’re always hungry.”
You’re wondering who pays for all this?
“Funding JCC Maccabi first and foremost, there are fees associated with participation,” said Alan Scher, the CEO of the Kaiserman JCC. “Those fees do not cover the full cost of the program. “But thanks to the generosity of donors, we’re able to cover the full cost of the event. We heavily subsidize families who can’t afford the cost. Additionally, we don’t turn anyone away. We want everyone to participate.”
Some of those who competed in Detroit will also do so in Houston.
“This one was special and more than I expected,” said 16-year-old Jennifer Fox of Plymouth Meeting, who, after playing defense for the soccer team, is now in Houston playing basketball — where she’s been joined by her 14-year-old basketball-playing brother, Stephen. “The other two years, I kind of kept to myself. This year, I felt I was able to embrace the community more. It was less about the sports and more about the people around me.”
The folks running the JCC Maccabi Games, which will take place next year in Pittsburgh and Tucson, Arizona, couldn’t ask for a better endorsement. By then, though, there will be a fundamental change, with the age range eligibility for participants going from 12-16 to 13-17.
“We’ll be in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh,” Mittica said. “The kids will be staying at the university and playing on campus to experience what college life is like. It takes all year to do the logistics and get our teams ready working with our amazing coaching staff. But we’ll be in both cities as we continue to grow. We hope to have 115-125 next year.”
Jon Marks is a Philadelphia-area freelance writer.
