Jeff Bukantz, General Chairman, 19th Maccabiah USA Organizing Committee, announced this week, the appointment of the USA Team to compete at the Games in Israel, July 18 - 30. The Team, over 1130 strong, will be the largest traveling delegation EVER to travel from the USA to compete in an International Olympic Committee-sanctioned event. There will be an additional group of over 300 friends and family that will travel with Maccabi USA to cheer on the Team.
"I have been absolutely humbled by the incredible work of the hundreds of volunteers that have been working diligently over the last few years to recruit and organize the Team," said Bukantz. "To organize a Team this large and its support staff is just an awesome achievement! Our Sports Chairmen have done an outstanding job to enable this Team of Jewish athletes the opportunity to participate in the Maccabiah Games and experience the culture and beauty of Israel. As a former athlete, I know firsthand the feeling of amazement the Team will feel from the moment they step off the plane, and I am so proud to have the opportunity to march into the Opening Ceremony with such a talented group of athletes."
As of today, there are 1132 Jewish American athletes and coaches that will comprise Team USA. They come from 37 States, the District of Columbia and Israel.
Team USA includes athletes and alumni of many of the top colleges and universities in the country, including all eight Ivy League schools, MIT, Stanford and Northwestern. The USA Team is comprised of 82 Open, Juniors, Youth, Paralympic, Masters and Grand Masters divisional teams participating in 31 different sports. Olympian Garrett Weber-Gale will participate as a member of the Open Swim Team. Other professional athletes include Zach Test of the USA Rugby 7's Team; Zac Rosen and Bryan Cohen, both playing Basketball for Israel; Eric Nystrom, left winger for the NHL Dallas Stars, will be the assistant coach for the Open Ice Hockey Team; Bruce Fleisher, Golfer on the PGA Champions Tour, will coach the Open Golf team; and retired NBA athlete Danny Schayes will coach the Masters Men's 35+ Basketball Team.
The Maccabiah Games are about more than sports competition. They are an opportunity for Jewish athletes from around the world to convene in Israel for an elite athletic competition and to explore their common culture and heritage in the historic Jewish Homeland. The Open, Juniors and Youth divisions of Team USA arrive in Israel one week in advance of the Games to participate in the ISRAEL CONNECT (IC) cultural and educational program that is unique to Maccabi USA. The IC program provides these athletes with the opportunity to tour the historic and religious sites of Israel as members of Team USA so they can bond with each other, their culture and Heritage and experience the magic and beauty of Israel.
"We take athletes that happen to be Jewish, to compete in the Maccabiah Games," Bukantz commented. "But we return home with Jewish athletes who have a renewed sense of pride in their Judaism and increased support for the State of Israel."
The Maccabiah Games are the third largest international sporting event in the world, after the Summer Olympics and the Pan Am Games. There will be over 8,500 participants from 70 countries at the 19th World Maccabiah Games.
