Contact: Scott Benarde
Phone: 561-712-5231
Email: scottb@jcconline.com
Lore & Eric F. Ross JCC, 8500 Jog Road, Boynton Beach, FL 33472, (561) 740-9000
JCC North, 4803 PGA Boulevard, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418, (561) 689-7700
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: July 2, 2010
JCC of the Greater Palm Beaches sends team to compete
in annual summer JCC Maccabi Games in Baltimore
BOYNTON BEACH — The JCC of the Greater Palm Beaches once again is excited to be participating in the annual JCC Maccabi Games®, and will be taking a dozen teen athletes from Palm Beach County to compete in Baltimore from Aug. 8 through Aug. 13. This summer, almost four thousand Jewish teens from the U.S., Canada, Israel, Mexico, Hungary, and Great Britain will share in the fun of competing, and the pride of being part of a world-famous event that’s considered the “Jewish Olympics” for teens. The other host communities for the 2010 JCC Maccabi Games are: Denver, Omaha, NE., and Richmond, VA.
The JCC Maccabi Games have been offering a life- and personality-shaping experience to Jewish teenagers, ages 13-16, since 1982. At this Jewish mini-Olympiad, each athlete has the chance to participate in one of 15 sporting events, creating memories that will last a lifetime.
The JCC of the Greater Palm Beaches delegation, known as the Palm Beach Sharks, will compete in basketball and tennis. The basketball team consists of: Seth Fortinsky, Jake and Chad Gottsegen, Cameron Kaplan, Jordan Paul, Austin Pepper, Sami Sachi, Allan Sadler, and Jake Waltuch. The tennis team members are: Andrew Katzenberg, Alexandra Kaye, and Kevin Paul. The delegation will again be lead by JCC staff member P.J. Abbott, and also includes basketball coach Geoff Stahl.
“I can’t wait to get the team to this summer’s JCC Maccabi Games,” says Abbott. “I have witnessed first hand the positive impact the Games have on our team members, and know this is going to be an experience our athletes remember for years to come.”
Abbott adds that, “The athletic competition part of the Games is just the tip of the iceberg. The kids are also going to build relationships with Jewish teens from all over the world as well as within our delegation. I can’t wait to watch our area teens embark on this journey.”
The Games also promote community involvement, teamwork, and pride in being Jewish.
For example, athletes visiting host communities stay with local Jewish families. This “home hospitality” is vital to the experience, representing the extended Jewish family and the value of welcoming the stranger.
Also, every set of Games has a volunteer program called Days of Caring and Sharing, when athletes join with local community organizations to work on social-action projects. Past Days of Caring and Sharing activities have included building homes for the poor, holding carnivals for handicapped children, cleaning parks, and packaging food to be given to the hungry. The purpose is to teach tikkun olam (repairing the world) by example, so that these young people incorporate these values into their daily lives once they return home.
For more information about how to get involved with, or sponsor, the JCC Maccabi Games delegation, contact P.J. Abbott at 561-712-5244, or pjabbott@jcconline.com
. The mission of the Jewish Community Center of the Greater Palm Beaches is to create a strong Jewish community by providing high quality programs close to where people live that connect people to Jewish life.
The JCC is an affiliated agency of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County.
Visit our website at www.JCConline.com