JCC Maccabi Games®: Day Four (Last Day)

Thomas and Sam taking a water break during their match.

Today is the last day of the 2015 Dallas JCC Maccabi Games®.  It’s hard to believe how the week has flown by.  Here is a wrap-up of the day’s competition:

Team Palo Alto on both sides of the net: Sam and Thomas played each other in the bronze medal 16U boys' match.

Team Palo Alto on both sides of the net: Sam and Thomas played each other in the bronze medal 16U boys’ tennis match.

Thomas ended up taking home the bronze medal and Sam placed fourth. Most importantly, they didn’t let the match impact their friendship, the very definition of rachmanus.

Daniela defending against LA Westside in the bronze medal game.

Daniela defending against LA Westside in the bronze medal game.

The Bay Area girls' basketball team huddles during a timeout.

Carly in the huddle during a timeout.

Our girls’ basketball team played their hearts out but were denied the bronze by L.A. Westside, a formidable team. It was a close game until the very end—a more competitive game than the gold medal match later that afternoon. The Bay Area girls’ team members were disappointed but they’re already making plans for another gold medal run next year.

In individual sports, Alli, one of our swimmers, finished the JCC Maccabi Games® in Dallas with an array of medals, including gold in the 400 yard medley relay; silver in the 400 yard freestyle relay; bronze in the 200 yard freestyle relay; and bronze in the 50 yard butterfly. Way to go, Alli!

Meanwhile, Seth finished with two gold medals in golf, beating out athletes one or two years older than him. He was humble and gracious about his win. Very classy.

Tradition of the Day: This year, the JCC Maccabi Games® introduced a new slogan, #WeAreMaccabi, to celebrate diversity among participating athletes and their families. The hashtag highlights the fact that, as JCCA has written, “The JCC Maccabi family includes Jews of African-American, Asian and Latin-American descent. It includes athletes and artists, coaches, Delegation Heads and Chaperones with diverse athletic and artistic backgrounds and abilities. It includes participants with special needs, of different sexual orientations, and with much to share in what makes everyone a unique and valuable member of JCC Maccabi.” I’m so proud to see this hashtag catching on. I hope it will become a longstanding JCC Maccabi Games® tradition.

Delegation Head’s Moment of the Day: Tonight I could see the connections our athletes made with other Jewish teens from all over the world. At the evening event, a wrap-up party at a dance club-turned-teen party space (complete with a live Texas Longhorn bull to pose with for pictures…because, Texas!), they were running around for hours trading pins, socks, shirts, jackets, sombreros—anything that had a delegation’s name on it, especially Mexico, Panama, Israel, or Australia—and making plans to see their new friends again and stay in touch. I know I will keep this experience with me for a long time and the athletes from Team Palo Alto will too.

Stay tuned for information about when and where we will be going for next year’s JCC Maccabi Games (y’all!). Thanks for memories, Dallas. See everyone next year!

Scores from all the Dallas JCC Maccabi Games® events can be found on the Games’ official website. Check out the OFJCC Teens Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages for pictures and videos of our delegation’s experience throughout the competition.

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Rebecca Katz

Written by Rebecca Katz

Rebecca Katz was formerly the OFJCC’s Teen Program Manager, connecting teens with events and programs happening on the OFJCC campus and beyond. She also served as Associate Regional Director of Central Regional West BBYO and the Delegation Head for OFJCC athletes traveling to the JCC Maccabi Games. In her free time, Rebecca is usually found singing somewhere, training in martial arts, or eating ice cream, in that order.

1 Comment

  1. ray says:

    Thanks a lot for sharing!

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