Maccabi Games

Be a part of our 2012 Maccabi Games Delegation!
For information, contact Andrew Katz, at
438-6651, ext. 113 or Andrewk@saajcc.org

The JCC Maccabi Games are an international Olympic style sports and social event for teenagers between the ages of 13-16. The Games unite Jewish teens, representing JCCs from all over the country and the world, for a week of competition in team and individual sports, social activities, strengthening of Jewish identity, and cultural programming. Drawing inspiration from the World Maccabiah Games, the premier event for Jewish teen and adult athletes held every four years in Israel, the underlying premise of the Games is that athletics provides successful, useful framework for enriching the Jewish identity of our young people. By providing an opportunity for Jewish teenagers from small and large Jewish communities around the world to get acquainted both on and off the playing field, the Games demonstrate that indeed, Klal Israel, 'All Israel is One.'

Since the Games inception in 1982 as a pilot project of the Memphis JCC, the Maccabi World Union and the U.S. Committee Sports for Israel (now Maccabi USA/Sports for Israel), the Games have exploded into the single largest program for Jewish teens in the world. Through the year of 2002, over 48,000 Jewish teen athletes have participated in the Games which were first hosted by Memphis (1982). The Games are held in multiple cities every summer and run from Sunday through Friday in a given city.

Over the years, Australia, Argentina, Canada, Great Britain, Israel, Mexico, Poland, Russia, and Venezuela have sent delegations to many of the above Games.

The Sidney Albert Albany JCC has been participating in the Games since 2003. In 2005 we combined with the Schenectady JCC and created a joint delegation. We have sent delegations to the following cities:
- 2003 St. Louis, MO 10 Athletes
- 2004 Greater Washington (Rockville, MD) 12 Athletes
- 2005 San Antonio, TX 24 Athletes
- 2006 Stamford, CT 13 Athletes
- 2007 Houston, TX 12 Athletes
- 2008 Detroit, Michigan 14 Athletes
- 2009 Westchester, NY 14 Athletes                                                                                       - 2010 Richmond, VA 17 Athletes  

- 2011 Philadelphia, PA 18 athletes

 - 2012 Rockland, NY

JCC Maccabi Mission Statement:
- Please visit the website at http://www.jccmaccabi.org

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