We want the Maccabiah Experience – A Lifetime to Remember to include everyone.
The World Maccabiah Games is often described as the Jewish Olympics. It
came into being largely as an antidote to discrimination against Jewish
athletes across Europe in the 1930s. I have been involved since my first
Maccabiah Games in 1977. This year, M21 Games was my 12th Maccabiah
Games. As a Jew, I am very proud of the Maccabiah Games, but as an
Orthodox Jew, I feel M21 Games was a series of missed opportunities.
Over the years, I have advocated for the Games, recruiting athletes,
donations and support. I explained that the Jewish Olympics brings together
Jewish athletes in a spirit of brotherhood: Am Yisrael Chai. My karate teams
consisted of both observant and non-observant athletes. Each had a
rewarding take-home experience, lasting long after the Games ended. For
some, it was life-changing. But, this July, my observant athletes traveled
home with a bittersweet taste.
I have been coaching karate athletes for many years. Some made it to the
United States National Team and competed in the World Championships.
Some were Orthodox, like me, and walked hours at times to reach the
competition venue when it was scheduled on Shabbat. Some decided
against competing altogether.
As a result of such obstacles, the Maccabiah Games is a ray of sunshine
for Orthodox athletes. Maccabi USA (MUSA) organizes the US athletes for
the Games. Overall scheduling of the Games is the responsibility of the
Maccabi World Union (MWU).
While the Games are a two-week adventure, MUSA includes an additional
week, called Israel Connect (IC). This week is devoted to touring all over
Israel in order to familiarize the 1,300-member US contingency with Israel
and her culture: Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, the Kotel and, of course, Masada.
We in MUSA are very proud of this effort, perhaps the core reason we labor
every four years to arrange this experience.
Scheduling faux-pas
But this year the trip to Masada was scheduled for Shabbat, much to the
disappointment of all Orthodox athletes. I received numerous calls and
emails from anxious parents demanding an explanation. “Did I not
guarantee them that the Maccabiah Games, the Jewish Olympics, never
schedules any events on Shabbat?” they demanded to know.
After I reached out to MUSA leadership, I was assured that any affected
athletes would be taken to Masada on a different day. Separate but equal?
In fact, my karate athletes were taken later on. But I am told that orthodox
athletes from other sports were not. Observant Maccabiah participants felt
that by violating the Sabbath laws, who knows if even the laws of Kashrut
were observed? MUSA certainly missed an opportunity to teach about
Shabbat.
Yonatan S., a 17-year-old yeshiva high school graduate, offered: “Touring on
Shabbos alienates the Orthodox athletes, coaches and other staff members.
But it also undermines the entire Jewish experience of being in Israel. Most
of the athletes already know what it feels like to travel, tour and have such
fun on Saturday. It would be a special and new experience to have Saturday
as a set aside rest day.”
Shabbat struggles
During the IC Shabbat, all athletes were
mandated to stay together in the IC
venue even on Shabbat. They were
promised traditional Shabbat activities.
But Yechiel L., a 15-year-old from Long
Island, wrote: “I recall walking around the
grounds with two of my Orthodox teammates, looking for other Orthodox
males to have a minyan for Shabbat services. It would have been nice had
there been information sent out of where the Orthodox athletes could meet
up, and hold Shabbat prayers and meals together.”
After the first Shabbat, parents were allowed to pick up their children from
the Haifa hotel on Shabbat morning but had to return them in the
afternoon. Were the organizers unfamiliar with the Sabbath prohibition of
driving on the Holy Day? After much pleading, permission was granted to
pick up the teens Friday before Shabbat and return them immediately after.
With many parents staying in Yerushalayim, Tel Aviv or Netanya this rushed
trip during the pre- and post-Sabbath traffic was extremely hectic.
High school hassle
When applying to the team, high school athletes were informed about a
scholarship available to reduce their $8,500 (NIS 28,257) participation fee by
a partner organization called RootOne.
To be eligible, they needed to complete a separate background application
including listing the name of their high school and agree to participate in
Israel in a pro-Israel information session. But RootOne flagged the orthodox
high schools and informed parents that their children were ineligible.
When I asked RootOne for an explanation for this blatant discrimination,
they graciously informed me that if my son switched from a yeshiva to a
public high school, he would become eligible.
Later MUSA leadership promised to absorb the $3,000 (NIS 9,973) for each
orthodox high schooler discriminated against by RootOne. Why did RootOne
adopt such an anti-orthodox policy? Why did MUSA leadership allow it?
Recently, the executive director of
RootOne, Simon Amiel, in his op-ed
article in The Jerusalem Post (July 28)
reported about the success of their
program, explaining that they were
targeting North American Jews facing
antisemitism.
The caption under the photo in his article
proclaimed “Some 2,300 North American
Jewish teens attend RootOne’s Big Tent Event in Israel.” I wondered, Amiel,
couldn’t you find room under your Big Tent for a few Orthodox youngsters?
Don’t the kippah-wearing Orthodox also face antisemitism?
The Games were not all welcoming to observant athletes as one might
believe. In the past, events have been scheduled during fast days on the
17th of Tammuz and 9th of Av, and swimming events during the Nine Days.
The organizers at MWU can avoid such conflicts by consulting members of
the orthodox community.
We started the “Shomer Shabbat Maccabi” WhatsApp chat group, to offer
constructive ideas for improvement. It is growing fast. I believe that my
friends in MUSA simply overlooked the Orthodox needs because they may
not be part of that community.
We offer our help and ask that more Orthodox people be invited to join the
committees planning such trips. We want the Maccabiah Experience – A
Lifetime to Remember to include everyone. Even the Orthodox.
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