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Originally appeared at jns.org on July 8, 2026.

From Cuba to Estonia, immigrants to Israel proudly compete under their former homelands’ flags while celebrating their shared Jewish identity.

The Maccabiah Games bring together thousands of Jewish athletes from across the globe to compete under the flags of their home countries. But among this year’s competitors is a unique group of athletes who now call Israel home while proudly representing the countries they left behind.

At last week’s opening ceremony in Jerusalem’s Teddy Stadium, delegations from Finland to South Africa and Taiwan marched into the arena before the largest delegation of all—Israel’s 2,200 athletes.

For some Israeli olim (immigrants), however, the Games offer a rare opportunity to compete for the countries where they were born while living permanently in the Jewish state.

Michael Raichman lives in Haifa and proudly represents Estonia in the Maccabiah Games, July 7, 2026. Photo by Howard Blas.

For Michael Raichman, who made aliyah years ago and now lives in Haifa, representing Estonia is both a privilege and a responsibility.

Wearing a “Maccabi Estonia” shirt while attending a hip-hop dance workshop with his 4-year-old daughter at Maccabiah City in Expo Tel Aviv, the fencer smiled as he explained why he continues to compete under Estonia’s flag.

“I have been here for a long time—since before she was born,” he told JNS. “I represent Estonia and the Jewish community. If not me, no one!”

Raichman said he is the only Estonian competitor at this year’s Games.

A few pavilions away, Alexis Chavez wore a dark blue Cuba T-shirt alongside four teenage teammates who had just finished competing in the 3-on-3 basketball tournament.

Chavez, who has lived in Hadera for the past 15 years while the younger players still reside in Cuba, said the Maccabiah represents something much larger than sport.

“It brings all Jews together—like brothers,” he said. “It is all sababa.”

Bela Himelfarb (left), who leads the Colombian delegation to Maccabiah 2026, splits her time between Bogota, Colombia and Harish, Israel, while weightlifter Judith Gaon (right) lives in Jerusalem and represents Colombia, July 7, 2026. Photo by Howard Blas.

Remembering where they came from

For Colombian weightlifter Judith Gaon, representing her birthplace is deeply personal.

The 27-year-old second-year medical student at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem made aliyah in 2012 and is a three-time Israeli national champion. Yet at the Maccabiah she chose to wear Colombia’s colors.

Speaking to JNS after advancing to the next round with a successful 50-kilogram lift, Gaon said the crowd’s encouragement helped her recover after two failed attempts.

“I heard lots of cheering,” she said.

Gaon first discovered weightlifting seven years ago at the Jerusalem CrossFit center, where she works. She credits the sport with helping her overcome insecurities while coping with a medical condition.

Although proud to represent Israel internationally, she said competing for Colombia at the Maccabiah allows her to honor her roots.

“It is amazing to represent Colombia,” she said. “So I don’t forget my roots and what our amazing people went through.”

Drawing a parallel to the Passover story, she added: “It is like Pesach. We always remember our roots and where we are from and where we are headed. I like to remember where we came from.”

Her father and many other relatives still live in Colombia.

Nearby, Colombian delegation manager Bela Himelfarb reflected on the shrinking size of her country’s team.

Unlike previous Maccabiah Games, when Colombia sent delegations of 150 athletes in 2022 and 80 in 2025, only five competitors arrived this year, most of them juniors.

She attributed the smaller delegation partly to scheduling conflicts with school trips to Israel and the FIFA World Cup.

Himelfarb, who divides her time between Bogotá and Harish, said Colombia’s Jewish community continues to view Israel as a refuge during periods of uncertainty.

“People want to come to Israel when they feel in danger,” she said.

She believes the election of Colombia’s new president, who is viewed as more supportive of Israel, has temporarily eased those concerns.

“Maybe there will be no necessity for now,” she said, while acknowledging that “most of the young people are trying to move and make aliyah.”

Representing Israel from abroad

U.S. resident Jonah Weissmann and his family spent four years in Israel and returned to represent its U19 baseball team in Maccabiah 2026. Photo by Howard Blas.

Not every athlete’s story follows the same path.

Jonah Weissmann, 18, now lives in Miami but returned to Israel to play for Team Israel’s baseball squad.

His family moved from Boulder, Colo., to Israel in 2018 intending to stay for one year.

“We planned to stay for one year and stayed for four,” Weissmann told JNS before Team Israel’s game against the United States at Ezra Schwartz Memorial Field in Ra’anana. “Our parents wanted us to have a stronger Jewish identification and get out of our bubble.”

After returning to the United States in 2022, Weissmann assumed his opportunities to represent Israel had ended.

“When they were putting a team together, one of my teammates asked Freddie [manager Freddie Bain] if I could play,” he said. “They invited me to join. I am so happy to be playing with the guys on the team.”

More than a sporting event

Before Tuesday’s game, players from both Israel and the United States gathered to hear Yoav Schwartz speak about his nephew, Ezra Schwartz, the 18-year-old American who was murdered in a terrorist attack on Nov. 19, 2015, while volunteering in Israel during his gap year.

Schwartz told the players that just one day before he was killed, Ezra had emailed the Israel Association of Baseball asking whether he could join a local team. Today, the field where the Maccabiah baseball tournament is being played bears his name.

The teams had also heard the previous day from Debbie Ziering, who shared the story of her son Aryeh, among the first Israeli soldiers killed defending southern Israel during the Hamas massacre on Oct. 7, 2023.

Moments like those underscore how the Maccabiah extends well beyond athletic competition.

For nearly two weeks, athletes compete in more than 40 sports while forging friendships across continents, sharing experiences of Jewish life in vastly different countries and strengthening their connection to Israel.

For competitors like Raichman, Chavez and Gaon, the Maccabiah Games also provide something increasingly rare: the opportunity to celebrate both the countries that shaped them and the country they now call home.

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Originally appeared at JNS.org on July 6, 2026

Maccabiah Israel Chairman Asaf Goren tells JNS that memorial swims, commemorative pins and even favorite foods are helping athletes remember 18 fallen members of the Maccabi family.

For Asaf Goren, the theme of the 22nd Maccabiah—“More Than Ever”—is more than a slogan highlighting the power of Jewish unity and the bond between Israel and Jewish communities worldwide.

It has become the driving force behind a Maccabiah-wide initiative honoring 18 athletes with ties to the Maccabi movement who lost their lives in Israel’s wars. Through sporting events and educational programming across the country, organizers hope participants will return home as ambassadors carrying the stories of these fallen athletes to Jewish communities around the world.

Maccabiah Israel Chairman Asaf Goren. Credit: Ronen Topelberg.

Goren, 49, who has held senior positions in Israel’s tourism industry, has spent much of his career working in various capacities for the Maccabiah, rising to his current position as chairman of Maccabiah Israel in September 2022. While he concedes that he is not an Olympic or Maccabiah-level athlete, he proudly noted that he hurried back to his office for an exclusive interview with JNS after taking part in an open-water swim in the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) held in memory of fallen IDF Capt. Eden Nimri.

Nimri, 22, a team leader in the Artillery Corps’ “Sky Rider” drone unit and a competitive open-water swimmer, was killed on Oct. 7, 2023, at the IDF’s Nahal Oz outpost. By standing guard at the entrance to a shelter, she saved the lives of 17 unarmed soldiers. Before her military service, she represented Israel at the 2014 Mediterranean Cup, the International School Sport Federation’s 2017 World Championships and the 2018 European Junior Open Water Swimming Championships, where she finished 30th.

Sunday’s open-water competition featured 1.5- and 3-kilometer races, but also included a symbolic 170-meter swim—10 meters for each of the 17 soldiers Nimri saved. Her parents, Sharon Yael and Michael, attended the event.

Nimri is one of 18 athletes with ties to the Maccabi movement who lost their lives during Israel’s wars.

“After the 2022 Maccabiah, we decided the Maccabiah couldn’t be just a once-every-four-years event,” Goren said, noting that the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre occurred between the 2022 Games and the scheduled 2025 Maccabiah, which was postponed because of the war with Iran.

Goren, who spent seven months serving in the reserves during the war, said he was proud of the response by Kfar Maccabiah, the Maccabiah organization and the Maccabi World Union in helping those affected by the war.

Kfar Maccabiah, the hotel and conference center in Ramat Gan established by the Maccabi World Union in 1957, opened its doors to approximately 1,000 evacuees from Sderot and Ashkelon.

“We had schools, a nursery school, dogs, birds, and we even built glamping facilities for Nova festival survivors,” he said.

“We realized very quickly that we couldn’t celebrate sports as originally planned—we went back to the drawing board,” Goren said. “We needed to be together, tell the story, and emphasize Israel, Judaism and sport more than ever. We need the Maccabiah more than ever with antisemitism rising in the Diaspora.”

Those discussions took place while Israeli hostages were still being held in Gaza.

“We needed to find a way to make the stories of these athletes part of the Maccabiah without turning it into Memorial Day,” Goren said. “We wanted what happened here to have a lasting impact.”

Maccabiah Games organizers met repeatedly with the families of the fallen athletes, interviewed their friends and teammates, and sought to understand how each person should be remembered.

“We wanted athletes from around the world to connect with the experience and memory of each person who lost their life,” Goren said. “We want every athlete to leave knowing at least three of these stories in a meaningful and lasting way.”

Commemorative pins honoring 18 athletes with ties to the Maccabi movement who were killed in Israel’s wars continue the long-standing Maccabiah tradition of athletes exchanging pins, July 2026. Credit: Maccabiah.

They created a series of round blue commemorative pins, each honoring one of the 18 athletes, continuing the long-standing Maccabiah tradition of athletes exchanging pins. Among them are a soccer ball for Guy Simhi, a surfboard with a microphone for Raz Mizrachi, a heart for Noa Zander and an orange swimmer for Eden Nimri.

Families also identified a favorite food or drink of their loved one—from Milki chocolate pudding to Danone yogurt—which organizers highlighted during the commemorative events.

“We had a story, a pin and a taste to make sure the impact goes on forever—that a light will glow forever,” Goren said.

Following Nimri’s memorial swim, participants toasted her memory with Limoncello and Danone Pro 25 vanilla, two of her favorite drinks.

Among those commemorated was Adi Leon, a Givati Brigade soldier who was killed on Oct. 31, 2023, when an anti-tank missile struck his Namer armored personnel carrier. A longtime member of the Maccabi Tzair youth movement, Leon was also an aspiring electronic music producer who left behind a notebook titled To Be Read After My Death, describing the values that guided his life and military service.

At the Maccabiah, participants listened to Leon’s original music, watched videos of his performances and gathered in a room decorated in the purple colors of the Givati Brigade.

Goren said he is especially proud that each tribute celebrates the athletes’ lives rather than focusing only on their deaths.

“No one can take part in one of these events and walk away unchanged,” he said. “Years from now they’ll still remember these stories. ‘More Than Ever’ won’t just be a slogan—it will stay with them.”

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Originally appeared at JNS.org on July 2, 2026

Thousands of Jewish athletes from a record 43 countries gathered at Teddy Stadium to launch the “Jewish Olympics,” with moving tributes to hostages, wounded soldiers and Israel’s fallen.

Delegations of Jewish athletes from a record 43 countries entered a packed Teddy Stadium on Wednesday night to cheers from family members, fellow countrymen, Israelis from across society, government officials and a lineup of Israeli performers, officially opening the 22nd Maccabiah Games.

Some 3,000 athletes—from children to seniors and Paralympians—from five continents traveled to Israel for “Maccabiah 2026: More Than Ever!”—which was postponed from 2025 because of the war. They are joined by about 2,000 Israeli athletes competing in events across the country through July 13.

While Israel’s political leaders and dignitaries delivered brief remarks, the evening belonged to the athletes. The dominant theme—felt throughout the stadium and by millions watching on television—was Jewish unity and Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people.

That message came through in musical performances, dance numbers, inspiring videos and commentary by hosts Michael HarPaz and Montana Tucker, who introduced each delegation with anecdotes highlighting the athletes’ journeys to Jerusalem.

Hosts Michael HarPaz and Montana Tucker welcome athletes from around the world as they entered Jerusalem’s Teddy Stadium at the opening ceremony of the 22nd Maccabiah Games, July 1, 2026. Photo by Sharon Altshul.

Determination to be here

The delegations entered alphabetically, from Argentina—with 272 athletes ages 13 to 85 following a journey of more than 24 hours—to Zimbabwe. Host nation Israel, with approximately 2,000 athletes, entered last to a thunderous ovation.

HarPaz and Tucker highlighted stories from many delegations. Australia’s participation remained uncertain until just 15 days before the Games. Austria has participated in every Maccabiah since 1936. Cuba brought 51 athletes, many of whom have made aliyah in recent years. Hungary’s delegation included an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor. India, home to some 4,000 Jews among a population of 1.4 billion, sent a delegation, while Mexico arrived with 353 athletes, including three generations of one family. A father-and-son team from the Philippines switched from squash to table tennis simply to compete. Taiwan participated for the first time.

The United States, with about 900 athletes—the second-largest delegation after Israel—entered to Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.”

The United States team at the opening ceremony of the 22nd Maccabiah Games at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem, July 1, 2026. Photo by Danny Maron/Flash90.

Celebration and remembrance

American singer Montana Tucker wearing an outfit adorned with flags from around the world at the opening of Maccabiah 2026, July 1, 2026. Credit: Maccabiah 2026.

The ceremony blended celebration with remembrance.

Athletes on the field and spectators in the stands witnessed the raising of the Israeli, Jerusalem and Maccabiah flags, the singing of “Hatikvah,” fireworks, musical performances, dance routines and tributes to Israel’s heroes. Audience members were encouraged to sing, dance and illuminate the stadium with their cellphones.

Among the evening’s performances, American singer, actress and influencer Montana Tucker debuted her new song, “We’re Not Strangers,” while wearing an outfit adorned with flags from around the world. 2018 Eurovision Song Contest winner Netta Barzilai and Israeli pop star Anna Zak performed a duet, while Eurovision 2026 runner-up Yuval Raphael also took the stage.

Israeli musician Idan Raichel performed with former hostage Daniella Gilboa, and Itay Levy appeared alongside dozens of dancers. Television host Assi Azar and dancer Anna Aronov co-hosted portions of the ceremony.

Eurovision runner-up Yuval Raphael takes the stage at the opening ceremony of the 22nd Maccabiah Games at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem, July 1, 2026. Photo by Danny Maron/Flash90

Some of the evening’s most emotional moments included a video message from former hostage Edan Alexander, who returned to IDF service after spending 584 days in Hamas captivity; the entrance of the Maccabiah flag carried by family members of the 12 Druze children killed in the 2024 Hezbollah rocket attack on Majdal Shams; the traditional Yizkor memorial service; and the traditional torch procession led by Evyatar Zeituni, an IDF Paratroopers Brigade officer seriously wounded while defending Kibbutz Kissufim on Oct. 7, 2023.

Israeli Paralympic taekwondo champion Asaf Yasur passed the torch to Olympic silver medalist Inbar Lanir, and together they lit the Maccabiah flame.

Athletes also recited the traditional Maccabiah oath—“Ani Nishbah” (“I swear”)—pledging to compete fairly and uphold the spirit of the Games.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara attend the opening ceremony of the 22nd Maccabiah Games at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem, July 1, 2026. Photo by Danny Maron/Flash90.
Danny Maron/Flash90

Leaders emphasize Jewish unity

IsraeliPresident Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion and Maccabiah leaders delivered brief remarks focused on Jewish unity. Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar also attended.

“The energy at Teddy Stadium is electrifying,” Herzog said. “There is no doubt that Am Yisrael Chai (The Nation of Israel Lives).” He welcomed participants to their “home away from home” and spoke of partnership, determination and the need to confront rising antisemitism.

Netanyahu began his remarks in Hebrew before switching to English. “If you don’t know Hebrew, study it,” he told participants. “It is your country. We welcome you with open arms.”

Calling Jerusalem Israel’s “eternal and undivided capital” and asserting that the Jewish people are “one nation, one family with one destiny,” he urged Jews worldwide to stand proudly in the face of rising antisemitism.

“People respect only those who respect themselves,” he said. “In the face of antisemitism, stand tall! Say, ‘Yes, I am a Jew. I am proud to be a Jew.’ We will win. Am Yisrael Chai!”

Lion emphasized the bond between Israel and the Diaspora.

“I hope the Maccabiah will serve as a true bridge connecting brothers and sisters in the Diaspora to Israel,” he said. “The most important victory is that we are gathered together in Jerusalem.”

Maccabi World Union Chairman Amir Peled addressed participants by video, while Maccabiah World Union President Michael Siegal welcomed athletes and spectators to the Games.

“We are thrilled that the Games are taking place,” Siegal told JNS. “The fact that thousands of people have chosen to come to Israel at this moment is tremendously important for the connectivity of the Jewish people. To bring Israel what is considered a normal event is historic. And to celebrate sports, mindfulness and strength—we are ecstatic.”

Siegal and Herzog then jointly declared, “Light the torch,” initiating the ceremony’s official torch-lighting procession.

Olympic judoka Inbar Lanir and Paralympic taekwondo champion Asaf Yasur lit the Maccabiah torch, symbolizing the opening of the 2026 Games, July 1, 2026. Credit: Maccabiah 2026.

Families reunite

Many spectators came to support relatives competing in the Games.

The Berman/Schwartzman family of Mexico City attends the opening ceremony of the 2026 Maccabiah in Jerusalem to support three generations of family members participating in tennis and soccer competitions, July 1, 2026. Photo by Howard Blas.

Sophia Cohen, 20, of Miami, attended with fellow students from Reichman University. Having attended five previous Maccabiahs with her family, she hoped to cheer on relatives competing for Venezuela.

“It is such a fun event,” she said. “You see Jews from all over the world. It’s our version of the Jewish Olympics.”

One cousin was unable to compete for Venezuela because of the war and the recent earthquake but instead played soccer for Spain.

Karla Berman of Mexico City came to cheer several family members. Her father, Jorge Berman, competed in the men’s 70-and-over tennis division, her husband Carlos Schwartzman played soccer and her 16-year-old daughter competed in her first Maccabiah.

“Our family is very sports-oriented and very Zionistic,” she said. “I think the Maccabiah, the State of Israel and Chabad are the three greatest movements of the Jewish people in modern times.”

The opening ceremony marked the official start of the Games, although some competitions began earlier in the day. The Maccabiah continues through July 13 with competitions in more than 40 sports across junior, open, masters and Paralympic divisions, along with community events including fun runs and Expo Maccabiah City in Tel Aviv.

The opening ceremony and sports competitions can be viewed on the Maccabiah 2026 website.

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Originally appeared at jns.org on June 30, 2026

Founder Joseph Gitler told JNS that Israel’s largest food rescue organization has overcome shortages, security threats and disrupted supply chains while preparing for future emergencies.

For 23 years, Leket Israel has rescued surplus food and delivered it to Israelis in need. During nearly three years of war, however, the country’s leading food rescue organization has had to overcome unprecedented challenges to keep nutritious food flowing to hundreds of thousands of people.

Foreign agricultural workers left the country, farms came under missile fire, restaurants and event halls closed, and deliveries into conflict zones became increasingly difficult. Yet Leket Israel continued to expand its operations, adapting to rapidly changing conditions.

In an interview with JNS at the end of June, Joseph Gitler, the organization’s founder and chairman, reflected on Leket’s evolution, the challenges of operating during wartime and the lessons learned as Israel prepares for future emergencies.

From hotel breakfasts to a national organization

When Gitler made aliyah from New York in 2000, he was struck by the amount of untouched food left over at Israeli hotel breakfasts while many Israelis struggled with food insecurity.

He set out to rescue that surplus food and distribute it to those in need.

“Hotels, catering halls, restaurants and army bases were so open” to donating surplus food, Gitler recalled. “They weren’t concerned about legal liability or tax deductions—they saw people suffering and thought, ‘We have this asset—what the heck!’”

In 2003, Gitler founded Table to Table, the precursor to Leket Israel, to rescue nutritious surplus food, reduce food waste and combat food insecurity.

The name “Leket” comes from the biblical commandments in Leviticus 19:9 and 23:22 instructing farmers to leave the corners of their fields and the gleanings of their harvest for the poor and the stranger.

Gitler initially transported rescued meals from catering halls and corporate cafeterias in his Subaru, storing them in refrigerators lining his driveway before local nonprofits distributed them to families in need.

Over the next two decades, the organization expanded steadily, opening warehouses, logistics centers and regional operations while recruiting thousands of volunteers from Israel and abroad.

Leket Israel volunteers on a farm in Israel, 2026. Credit: Leket Israel.

Adapting to wartime

Gitler emphasized that Leket is not an emergency relief organization.

“We are a well-established nonprofit that works day in and day out so healthy, nutritious food doesn’t go to waste and gets into the hands and mouths of those who need it,” he said.

“But in Israel, emergency situations arise where all charitable agencies need to change and adapt.”

Following the Hamas massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, many of Leket’s traditional food sources suddenly disappeared.

“We had fewer sources of food—from farms, army bases and event halls,” Gitler said. “Most of our sources dried up because it was too dangerous, there was damage, there were no clients, and the army was preparing to fight.”

Rather than reducing services, Leket expanded them.

“We had to do what we had to do,” Gitler said.

That included purchasing vegetables and prepared meals to replace food that was no longer available through donations.

“We don’t like to buy food—but we did,” he said. “If there is no food, you hope your donor base comes through. It is much more expensive than getting it for free.”

Leket launched additional emergency programs as many partner organizations were unable to operate and vulnerable populations, including elderly Israelis, could no longer access meal programs.

At the same time, the organization shifted some of its focus to supporting Israeli farmers, particularly those in communities bordering Gaza and in the north.

“We are not the government, but we have relationships with thousands of farmers who couldn’t sell their crops,” Gitler said. “We raised money for grants to replace equipment and for loans. We are trying to do our part to show goodwill to the farmers.”

Leket also arranged and funded buses to transport volunteers to farms needing help with harvesting, planting and weeding.

“Since November 2023, we have been sending buses with groups of volunteers to any farmer who says they need help,” Gitler said.

Earlier in the war, Leket was sending about 50 buses each week. Today, that number has stabilized at 20 to 25 weekly as approximately 80% of foreign agricultural workers have returned, although Palestinian laborers have not.

Gitler said one encouraging development has been the growing number of older Israelis volunteering on farms.

“It has been really positive seeing how everyone has found a place to volunteer since Oct. 7,” he said.

Preparing for the next emergency

Even as operations return closer to normal, Leket is planning for future crises.

“We are now working to have 100,000 frozen and dried meals in a stockpile,” Gitler said.

The organization is also purchasing digital debit cards, recognizing that distributing food during wartime is not always practical.

Leket’s 2025 operations included 170 employees, 63 food rescue vehicles and some 120,000 volunteers. Through 346 nonprofit partner agencies, the organization delivers food to approximately 470,000 Israelis in need every week while rescuing nearly 34,000 tons of food annually.

More information on Leket is available on its website.

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