Last week, while dozens of world-class Jewish athletes were competing in the Paris Summer Olympics, hundreds of Jewish teens convened in Houston for the JCC Maccabi Games, some of whom may be one-day Olympians themselves — perhaps even as early as the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

From Aug. 4 - 9, Houston hosted the JCC Maccabi Games, otherwise known as the largest Jewish youth sporting event in the world, with over 1,200 athletes, between the ages of 12 and 16, competing in an array of team sports (boys baseball, boys and girls basketball, 3v3 boys basketball, boys and girls soccer, girls volleyball and ice hockey) and individual ones (boys and girls dance, golf, swimming, tennis, and table tennis). Across the country, JCCs in different regions have a specified number of athletes allotted to them for the Maccabi Games and they decide which teams they want to send. 

The 2024 Maccabi Games also marked one of the most nationally and globally diverse displays of youth athletics in its history as there were 48 delegations on hand, spanning not only many regions of the United States but also countries such as Israel, Ukraine, Argentina, Canada, Costa Rica, Great Britain and Mexico. From a local perspective, Team Virginia Peninsula, sent a team of four teens with their delegation head Frankie Levy and UJCVP President Steve Marks.  

"I deeply appreciated accompanying our young members to the Games, the largest convener of young Jewish teens in the world," shared Steve Marks.  "It was truly incredible to experience a gathering that promoted community involvement, connection, teamwork, and pride in being Jewish. Our students went as sports players and returned as Jewish athletes."  

The 2024 Games commenced with a moving opening ceremony at Rice’s Tudor Fieldhouse, with over 5,000 spectators in attendance, which included the coaches along with their friends and relatives, chaperones, host families, and volunteers, the procession of athletes from North America, Europe, and the Middle East paraded through for their formal introductions. Certainly, the pomp and circumstance of this year’s opening ceremony could rival that of any NBA or NHL game, even as some of it took on a somber tone.

As part of the opening ceremonies, there was a vigil for the lives lost on October 7 and a remembrance of the 11 Israeli athletes who were taken hostage and later murdered by the Palestinian group Black September in Munich during the 1972 Summer Olympics. As per its tradition stretching back to the inaugural event in 1982, once the competition actually began in earnest, this year’s Maccabi Games facilitated opportunities for participants to engage in Jewish educational seminars and community service projects — a cornerstone of the festivities.

Recognizing the challenging times for the Jewish community, Team Virginia Peninsula underscores the core Midot (Values) of JCC Maccabi, with a particular focus on Amit Yehudit (Jewish Peoplehood). In these trying times, unity and celebration of Jewish life, pride, and community take precedence. The 2024 Maccabi Games provided a secure space for Jewish teens to express their identity as Jews, athletes, and friends.