DRIVE! Newsletter
History of the JCC Maccabi Games
The JCC Maccabi Games has been offering a life-shaping experience to Jewish teenagers aged 13-16 years old for 25 years. Since their inception in 1982, the JCC Maccabi Games has grown from a small pilot project with 300 athletes in one host community to an Olympic-style sporting competition held each summer in multiple sites throughout North America.
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. At this Jewish Olympic-style event, each athlete has the chance to participate in one of 14 sporting competitions. Each athlete wins by creating memories that will last a lifetime.
The combined Games are the largest organized sports program for Jewish teenagers in the world. Each summer over 6,000 Jewish teens participate in the Games. Over 100,000 teens have benefited from the JCC Maccabi Games since 1982. The energy and excitement make it a unique and unforgettable experience for every participant, from athletes to volunteers, from coaches to host families.
The Games are co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Center Association of North America, Maccabi World Union, Maccabi Canada, and Maccabi USA/Sports for Israel.
In August 2008, The Metropolitan Detroit Jewish Community Center will host the JCC Maccabi Games for the fourth time. The past years were 1984, 1990 and 1998.
