COMMUNITY
THE MACCABI GAMES RETURN! By Beth Milograno Berry, Jewish Community Alliance
Coach Rio Robinson with the athletes who competed on the JCA Jacksonville basketball team at the 2011 Maccabi Games.
The Jewish Community Center Association (JCCA) is thrilled about the return of the JCC Maccabi® Experience and so are we! Excitement is in the air at the JCA as we prepare a team of young Jewish athletes for the JCC Maccabi Games® and JCC Maccabi Access in San Diego, California, on July 31 – August 5, 2022. “I have worked with young people from several communities in the JCC Maccabi Games. It is wonderful to watch the joy as young athletes participate and grow their Jewish identity,” says Jewish Community Alliance CEO Adam Chaskin, who has coached and mentored Jewish athletes at the Maccabi Games since 1988. “The experience fosters a greater Jewish identity and instills 6
core Jewish values in young athletes.”
When the JCCA announced the 2022 games and its new Access experience for young Jewish athletes with disabilities, our JCA staff was inspired to offer young Jewish athletes in our community the opportunity to compete. With more than 1,500 participants expected, the San Diego games will feature sports like baseball, basketball, dance, esports, flag football, golf, ice hockey, soccer, swimming, table tennis, tennis, and volleyball. “The overall experience is extremely rewarding,” says JCA Sports and Recreation Director Rio Robinson, who is actively recruiting Jewish athletes to compete on the Jacksonville JCA team. Having
attended two Maccabi Games in his career with the JCA, Rio says the Maccabi Games is an experience of a lifetime. “To see the scope of how many JCCs exist and participate is eye-opening. To gather that many young Jewish athletes in a sporting event is truly humbling.”
The 2022 JCC Maccabi Experience includes Olympic-style opening and closing ceremonies, and a community service day of caring. Every Maccabi event is aimed to bring the Jewish community together for a week of spirit, friendship and celebration. “It’s a place where children realize they have Jewish peers across the country. Although we may look and sound different, we are all Jewish that is the wonderful, bonding thing about the Maccabi Games,” says Adam.
If your children, ages 13 – 16 by July 31, 2022, are interested in being on the Jacksonville JCA Maccabi Games team, contact Coach Rio Robinson via email: rio.robinson@jcajax.org or phone, (904) 730 – 2100 ext. 250.
