CATALINA FOOTHILLS, Ariz. (KGUN) — On Sunday July 27, the Tucson Jewish Community Center in the Foothills will kick off the Maccabi Games, a week-long sporting event that brings teens from around the globe together for a celebration of sports and culture.
In just a week, the Tucson J will welcome about 900 Jewish teens from various countries, including Moldova and Ukraine, ready to compete in sports like basketball, tennis, swimming, and more.
It’s all about connection, as competitors get to meet others who share similar backgrounds and experiences.
Aden Greenberg, 15, is one of those young athletes gearing up for competition. He’ll be hitting the court for three-on-three basketball, and he can’t wait.
“It’s like playing with people you can understand,” Aden explains. “We’ve been through the same things, and it creates a deeper bond. It's not just friendship; it’s about shared religion and ethnicity.”
The Maccabi Games are more than just a series of sports tournaments. They’re a chance for players from North America, Israel, Moldova, and Ukraine to come together, compete, and win medals.
The games are always hosted at a JCC in North America. The Tucson J previously hosted the games back in 2000 and has been preparing to do so again for the past five years.
Todd Rockoff, the Tucson JCC President and CEO, said he was excited for the event and proud they got chosen.
“In spite of the dry heat, they’ll get to experience the real warmth of our community,” he said. “The Tucson J is really proud to be the host and to represent our community in the myriad of communities that have had this honor of hosting before. Our hope is that when they start making vacation choices about where they can go, they will say hey, Tucson was a really beautiful place and we’d love to come back.”
Davis Hubbell, the Tucson J’s Director of Teen Engagement, worked with other delegations from different countries and their coaches, as well as recruited the athletes. Athletes from the Tucson J have gone to games in other parts of the U.S. before.
"We're taking it all in and super excited about the games. It’s amazing to see the effort that goes into making this happen,” Hubbell said.
Inclusivity is also a key focus of this year’s games. The JCC will offer JCC Maccabi Access for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, continuing their commitment to providing wonderful programs for everyone. Over 20 will compete while four are from Tucson.
“The J here in Tucson is really committed to inclusion and we have a lot of really wonderful programs,” Rockoff said.
Looking ahead, Rockoff hopes to host the games again in the future.
The Maccabi Games run from July 27 to August 1. The Tucson JCC is also teaming up with the nonprofits Youth On Their Own and Ben’s Bells for some meaningful service projects during the event.
“In Tucson, it’s small right now, but if we get more people to do the same thing, that would be amazing,” Greenberg said.
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Andrew Christiansen is a reporter for KGUN 9. Before joining the team, Andrew reported in Corpus Christi, Texas for KRIS6 News, Action 10 News and guest reported in Spanish for Telemundo Corpus Christi. Share your story ideas with Andrew by emailing andrew.christiansen@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, or Twitter.
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