Jewish athletes participate in Olympic-style competition




Maccabi athletes

Maccabi athletes


During the recent national JCC Maccabi Games, which took place during August in Columbus, Boston and Washington, Los Angeles swimmers won 43 total medals, and 150 student athletes from L.A. brought home 118 total medals after competing against more than 40 other delegations from across the nation.


The JCC Maccabi Games is an Olympic-style sporting competition taking place each summer in North America. It’s the largest organized sports program for Jewish teenagers in the world, and teams travel each year from cities across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Australia, Great Britain, Columbia, Costa Rica, Venezuela and the former Soviet Union have sent teams to compete in previous games.


This national competition has featured several world-class Jewish athletes, including Mark Spitz and Lenny Krayzelberg (swimming), Ernie Grunfeld and Danny Schayes (basketball), and Brad Gilbert and Dick Savitt (tennis).


One of Mark Spitz’s 11 Olympic swimming medals is currently on display in the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame at the JCC at Milken, 22622 Vanowen St. in West Hills.


"The best part about competing in the Maccabi Games was meeting players from all over the world," said Calabasas High School basketball player Michelle Targon. "We played against teams from Detroit, Montreal and Philadelphia, and I had the opportunity to room with two members of the Australian basketball team. Competing in this year’s Maccabi Games was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."


"The Maccabi Games are a great way to excite teens about being involved in the community," said Dr. Jerry Bobrow, chair of the Maccabi organizing committee and member of the JCC board of directors. "Our athletes learn about fair play, teamwork and about showing pride in the community they represent."


"The New JCC at Milken is committed to providing a place where all teens feel welcome and at home. One way we’ve been successful doing this is through the JCC Maccabi program," said Tsilah Burman, president of the New JCC at Milken. "Because of this, plans to build year-round Maccabi programming are already underway," she said.


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