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.
JCC Association is the leadership network of, and central
agency for the Jewish Community Center Movement, which is
comprised of more than 275 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 only 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.
Rachel
Friedman
Marketing Associate
JCC Association
phone: 212-786-5096
fax: 212-481-4174
send an e-mail
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