August 2010

The JCC Maccabi Games Begin

The JCC of Mid-Westchester in Scarsdale is participating in the 2010 JCC Maccabi Games® taking 65 athletes to Denver, CO on August 1-6 and ten athletes to Baltimore, MD on August 8-13. This summer, almost four thousand Jewish teens from all over the U.S., Canada, Israel, Mexico, Hungary, and Great Britain will share in the fun of competing and the pride of being part of a world-famous Olympic-style event filled with Jewish content and values. The host communities for the 2010 JCC Maccabi Games are: Denver, CO (August 1-6), Omaha, NE (August 1-6), Richmond, VA (August 1-6) and Baltimore, MD (August 8-13).

The JCC Maccabi Games have been offering a life- and personality-shaping experience to Jewish teenagers since 1982. At this Jewish mini-Olympiad, each athlete has the chance to participate in one of 15 sporting events, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

The JCC MidWestchester Delegation in Baltimore will be competing in table tennis, tennis and softball. The JCC MidWestchester Delegation will be competing in U14 and U16 Boys Basketball, U14 Soccer, Girls Soccer, Track, U14 and U16 Tennis, U14 and U16 Baseball, and golf.

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 stay 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. Past Days of Caring and Sharing activities have included building homes for the poor, holding carnivals for handicapped children, cleaning parks, and packaging food to be given to the hungry. The purpose is to teach tikkun olam by example, so that these young people incorporate these values into their daily lives.

 

 

 

 

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