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Team Oregon competes at JCC Maccabi Games

BY SAUL KORIN Lauderdale, the program will
Team Oregon’s five athletes be even bigger and better for
joined 1,600 Jewish teens in our Access athletes. They had
San Diego July 31-Aug. 4 for basketball, bowling, soccer and
the return of the JCC Maccabi swimming competitions, and
Games. Now in its 40th year, medals were awarded to each
the Games drew participants of the athletes.
from 57 delegations and 67 Pins
JCCs across North America, as If you have never been to the
well as delegations from Bul- JCC Maccabi Games, you like-
garia, Mexico and Israel. ly don’t know the importance
These athletes gathered in San of pins. Each delegation has
Diego for a week of competi- a pin, and pins are traded and
tion at what has been called the collected. Each Oregon athlete
Olympics for North American was given 40 pins to trade (and
Jewish teens. With the 2020 more if they wanted). It’s an op-
and 2021 Games lost to the Team Oregon Coach Fred Braden leads athletes Omer Shapira, portunity to connect and meet
Covid-19 pandemic, the return Itai Guy, Noam Yaffe, Sara Ellis and Joshua Braden, followed by other participants. Our pins and
to action was all the sweeter. Saul Korin, in the opening ceremonies of the JCC Maccabi Games. pins from around the world are
Teams arrived ready to make on display at the MJCC.
new friends, trade pins, com- letes with Israeli parents. It was our dorm residents went to We are grateful to the Jerry &
pete in basketball and tennis, a spectacular evening culminat- the Padres game for the night, Helen Stern Grandchildren’s
and have a meaningful Jewish ing with a presentation from a catching Juan Soto’s first game Fund of the Oregon Jewish
experience. retired WWE (World Wrestling as a Padre as well as a Padres Community Foundation, Mia
Fred Braden accompanied Entertainment) wrestler who win. Birk and Glen Coblens, and the
Team Oregon as their coach. lives in San Diego. William Thursday Goodman Family for helping
Here’s a snapshot of the week: Scott Goldberg, better known While Oregon athletes didn’t us keep this program affordable
Sunday mononymously as Goldberg, win any sports medals, basket- for those who want to attend.
Our athletes’ JCC Maccabi reminded the athletes they have ball player Joshua Braden and Since 1982, the JCCA move-
Games experience started with a purpose and should be proud tennis player Sara Ellis were ment has engaged more than
service projects. Sara Ellis (ten- to be Jewish. each awarded a middot med- 3,000 Jewish teens and an ad-
nis) made care packages for Tuesday al. The medal is presented to ditional 11,000+ family mem-
students, and the Team Oregon We started bright and early athletes who demonstrate the bers, spectators and volunteers
3-on-3 basketball team (Joshua again. Our boys’ basketball qualities of “good-heartedness, through the Olympic-style
Braden, Itai Guy, Omer Shapi- team went two and two for the respectfulness, efforts to repair magic of JCC Maccabi, one of
ra and Noam Yaffe) met with day, and Sara, our tennis player, the world (tikkun olam), Jewish the greatest Jewish peoplehood
Jewish soldiers and American had a couple of great matches. peoplehood, joy and pride.” projects of our time. For the
armed forces members and Tuesday included a trip to Closing party majority of JCC Maccabi ath-
then wrote thank you letters SeaWorld. The Maccabi ath- Our week finished up with a letes, 63% of whom report be-
to servicemen and women for letes took SeaWorld by storm. huge celebration at the Law- ing otherwise unaffiliated with
their service. Following service The night ended with an im- rence Family JCC in La Jolla. any other Jewish youth organi-
projects, Sara went to her host pressive fireworks display. Our athletes and 1,600 of their zation, JCC Maccabi remains
family’s house while our bas- Wednesday new friends and fellow com- their primary connection to
ketball players moved into the With the preliminaries out of petitors were treated to a BBQ the Jewish community, global
dorms at the University of San the way, Team Oregon athletes dinner with personalized water Jewish life and Israel – creating
Diego with 500 other athletes. had their chance in the knock- bottles, snow cones, churros, a a remarkable and unmatched
Monday out tournament. Our basketball dance party with musical per- opportunity to engage them,
On Monday morning, our ath- team fought valiantly against formances and one of the most support their efforts to build
letes took buses to San Diego the combined team from Lou- beautiful sunsets San Diego has their Jewish identity, and have
Jewish Academy to compete isville, Milwaukee and Tucson to offer. a significant and lasting impact
in their respective sports. Team but were knocked out in a close Access on their lives.
Oregon boys lost to Miami 21 battle. Sara made her mark in This was the first year that the Next Year
to 12 in their first basketball tennis. Rebounding from the JCC Maccabi Games includ- Next year, for the first time,
game but rebounded to beat preliminaries, she won her ed the Access Games. Seven the JCC Maccabi program will
Team Orange County by five in first match 8 to 3 and made it differently abled athletes from offer the opportunity for ath-
their second game. Sara played to the quarterfinals by winning all over the world competed letes to compete in Israel, as
in two tough matches against her second match in an 8-8 tie- in what has been the most in- well as providing a domestic
competitors from Houston and breaker. There were secondary clusive JCC Maccabi Games option in Ft. Lauderdale. Re-
San Diego. sports available for our athletes, yet. Their closing ceremony cruitment is already under way.
On Monday night, we had the and Joshua Braden had a great featured a performance by the If you or someone you know
opening ceremonies at the Del run at a spike ball tournament. dancing competitors from the is interested in joining our dele-
Mar racetrack. Team Oregon Wednesday was also host games as well as a presentation gation, please contact Saul Ko-
marched in to the song Tudu family night. Sara spent more by Doron Krakow, the CEO rin at skorin@oregonjcc.org or
Bom honoring three of our ath- time with her host family, and of JCCA. Next year in Fort 503-452-3427.
Jewish Review Sept. 7, 2022 9