The Maccabiah Camp Experience visited California last month, making stops at the JCC Maccabi Sports Camp (third through ninth grades) in Palo Alto on July 20-21; Camp Ramah (second through seventh grades) in Ojai from July 22-23; Ramah Day Camp LA (kindergarten through third grades) on July 24; and Camp Alonim (kindergarten through sixth grades) in Brandeis on July 25.
The program allowed campers to meet and train with basketball, baseball and soccer athletes who have participated in past Israeli Maccabiah Games.
The program’s goal is to give Jewish youth an understanding of what the Maccabiah Games are and to encourage the participation of Jewish youth in sports.
Activities included sports workshops, a Maccabiah Games ceremony and the awarding of medals of participation.
Sydney Slotkin, an athlete who instructed the soccer sessions, was set to participate in the Maccabiah this summer before their postponement. She said that participating in the Camp Experience program was important to her.
“I was so honored and excited to be a part of the Maccabiah Games, and I want these campers to have a little taste of the experience, too,” she said. “Getting to travel to Israel while playing the sport you love is an opportunity that cannot be passed up.”
She added that meeting and building connections with people from around the world gave her insight into what being Jewish means to others. “Traveling around the country, I’ve felt this overwhelming sense of community that the camps provide for their kids, and I’m so grateful to be welcomed into their environment and share my knowledge of soccer,” she said.
Liam, an elementary-school student from JCC Maccabi Sport Camp, was asked about his main takeaway from the program. He replied: “I learned about teamwork and how important it is to respect my teammates.”
