Expo Tel Aviv

For one day each year, essential government, military and civilian services come together under one roof to serve and “pamper” dedicated soldiers.

Originally appeared at JNS.org on October 29, 2026

An extraordinary number of lone soldiers serving in the IDF—9,200 in all—came to Expo Tel Aviv on a recent Thursday to take driving tests and convert foreign driver’s licenses, open bank accounts, renew passports, change addresses, learn about post-army university and job options, get new boots—or a haircut—have a seamstress fix holes in uniforms and enjoy a free burger while shooting pool and playing ping pong with friends they haven’t seen since completing ulpan together months earlier.

Welcome to Yom Siddurim (Errands Day), the day each year, as part of Lone Soldier Appreciation Week, when the FIDF-Nefesh B’Nefesh Lone Soldiers Program, in partnership with the Mofet Unit of the IDF Manpower Directorate and the Association for Israel’s Soldiers, brings essential government, military and civilian services under one roof for thousands of lone soldiers. In total, more than 70 government ministries, public agencies, organizations and service providers took part in the event.

An IDF lone soldier takes a driving test during a “Yom Siddurim” event at Expo Tel Aviv, Oct. 22, 2026. Photo by Sivan Shachor.
An IDF lone soldier takes a driving test during a “Yom Siddurim” event at Expo Tel Aviv, Oct. 22, 2026. Photo by Sivan Shachor.

‘Adulting in general is hard’

Shraga Y. Weissmann, director of the FIDF-Nefesh B’Nefesh Lone Soldiers Program, shared the rationale behind Yom Siddurim. He noted that other soldiers have a true vacation day when they get a day off. “Lone soldiers always have annoying errands to do—and adulting in general is hard! The idea years ago was to offer a day when they can get all errands done.”

Each year, more than 7,000 lone soldiers from Israel and around the world serve in the IDF, including over 3,700 new immigrant soldiers who have made aliyah from countries across the globe and are then required to serve, and more than 4,000 native-born Israelis who serve without the support of immediate family.

Weissmann feels there is something “magical” about the day. “We see lone soldiers from many different backgrounds, serving all over the country, reconnecting with their camp and high school friends—and getting their licenses converted.”

He observed that lone soldiers particularly love taking their driving tests here. “They may fail, rest, and try again—all in one day!”

A very big family

L., 21, of Sydney, Australia, is serving in a combat unit. “I was inspired by October 7th. I wanted to challenge myself.” He said that he came to Yom Siddurim “to see all of my friends from back home.” In addition, he wanted to see friends he met earlier in his army service. “You split up a lot in the army.” L. was also there to convert his driver’s license.

Y., 23, of Denver, Colorado, a recent college graduate and also a combat soldier, wanted to make aliyah and then draft into the IDF after high school. However, “my parents convinced me to finish college,” Y. explained. He added, “My junior year was October 7th, and there were protests and events around campus, and all I wanted to do was help Israel!”

Y. has been in Israel for six years and works in foreign relations. “I applied for my Israeli passport—something I wanted to do since making Aliyah.” He also enjoyed seeing “so many friends from other units.” Y. shared that “the other Lone Soldiers become your family. This is a very big family. It makes up for not being near your own family.”

IDF lone soldiers gather at the “Yom Siddurim” event at Expo Tel Aviv, Oct. 22, 2026. Photo by Shahar Azran.
IDF lone soldiers gather at the “Yom Siddurim” event at Expo Tel Aviv, Oct. 22, 2026. Photo by Shahar Azran.

Supported every step of the way

Weissmann admires the commitment and service of the soldiers.

“The young men and women who make aliyah and are required to serve in the IDF demonstrate a remarkable commitment to the State of Israel and to the future of the Jewish people. Their contributions deserve more than our admiration. It carries with it a responsibility to ensure they have the support they need throughout their time in uniform.”

Weissmann feels that Yom Siddurim is an incredibly meaningful way we can help Lone Soldiers manage their day-to-day needs and remind them that they are supported every step of the way.”

Brig. Gen. (res.) Liron Donel, CEO of Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) in Israel, concurred. “Errands Day is another example of our ongoing commitment to supporting IDF soldiers, particularly lone soldiers, who face unique challenges alongside their military service.”

For one day in October, soldiers from various branches of the IDF—clad in different-colored uniforms—felt particularly supported and appreciated as they took care of important errands, enjoyed abundant food and socialized with friends. Then they filed out of Expo Tel Aviv, heading back to their bases to continue serving their adopted country.

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Originally appeared at JNS.org on July 14, 2026.

More than 3,000 athletes from over 40 countries took part in the “Jewish Olympics,” held a year after the Games were postponed due to the war with Iran.

One year after the Maccabiah Games were postponed because of Israel’s war with Iran, thousands of Jewish athletes gathered at Expo Tel Aviv on Monday night to celebrate the successful conclusion of the 2026 competition, capping nearly two weeks of athletic events and reaffirming the resilience of world Jewry.

The July 13 closing ceremony brought together athletes from more than 40 countries who competed in what is widely known as the “Jewish Olympics.” The Maccabiah was originally scheduled to open on July 8, 2025, with some 8,000 athletes from 55 countries, but was postponed following “Operation Rising Lion” and heightened tensions with Iran.

Announcing the postponement in June 2025, Israeli Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar had declared, “We will meet here next year with an Israel stronger and braver than ever.”

Addressing participants at the closing ceremony, Zohar said the successful completion of the games fulfilled that promise.

“The festive end of the Maccabiah tonight is particularly joyful,” he said. “Beyond sports, there was a real encounter here between Diaspora Jews and the State of Israel and the people here. The athletes return home with memories and experiences and a new connection with the State of Israel.”

Zohar thanked the Maccabi World Union, the Maccabiah organizers, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund, local authorities, volunteers, security forces and the athletes themselves, concluding, “Am Yisrael Chai! The people of Israel live!”

Some 1,200 Maccabiah participants celebrate their bar and bat mitzvahs at the Western Wall in Jerusalem on July 13, 2026. Credit: Courtesy of Maccabiah 2026.

Celebration beyond sport

More than 3,000 athletes from abroad competed alongside some 2,000 Israeli participants during the July 1-13 games. Organizers said approximately 1,000 youth athletes took part in the Maccabiah for the first time.

The closing ceremony featured medal presentations, the transfer of the Maccabiah Miracle Flag to the Jewish Sports Museum and a film honoring those murdered on and since Oct. 7, 2023. Olympic gymnastics medalist and Maccabiah ambassador Artem Dolgopyat extinguished the Maccabiah flame, marking the official end of the games until the next competition.

Earlier on July 13, approximately 1,200 Maccabiah participants celebrated their bar and bat mitzvahs at Jerusalem’s Western Wall in a ceremony organized by the Maccabiah, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund and the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.

Many of the participants, visiting Israel for the first time, toured Jerusalem’s Old City before taking part in the ceremony, which included prayer services and aliyot to the Torah at the Western Wall.

‘A clear message’

Roy Hessing, chief executive of Maccabi World Union and the Maccabiah, said staging the games this year carried significance well beyond athletics.

“The only time the Maccabiah was canceled was during the Holocaust,” Hessing told JNS. Holding the event this year, he said, was important “to send a clear message to our neighbors around the world that we are strong and united.”

Reflecting on the event, Hessing highlighted both its sporting and broader impact.

“More than 3,000 athletes arrived from around the world, joined by 2,000 members of the Israeli delegation and about 6,000 other guests,” he said. “The hotels were filled with tourists. I’m so proud and happy that we managed to hold a significant, exciting, powerful event, which is much more than just another sports competition. It is an event which connects the Jewish communities to the State of Israel and makes us all very proud.”

Founded in 1932, the Maccabiah Games are held every four years and are the world’s largest Jewish sporting event, bringing together thousands of athletes from across the globe to compete in Israel while strengthening their connection to the Jewish state.

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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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