The 20th Maccabiah Games are the pinnacle of Jewish sporting achievement. Our Great Britain team of some 385 people can proudly say that together we have represented our country and our community. I, along with Michael Ziff, Maccabi Great Britain’s Head of Delegation at these Games, was proud and privileged to lead this special team of athletes, managers, coaches, medics and staff.
There are times in life which will stay with you forever and I will never forget those 16 days. While there are so many highlights, I hope this Active Supplement will showcase some of them, displaying the very best of Jewish sport while incorporating the pride we have in our Jewish, British identity.
There were many firsts for the Maccabi GB delegation at these Maccabiah Games. This was the first time the competition venues were spread from Jerusalem to Haifa. It allowed our athletes to experience far more of Israel, which in turn added to their connection to the country.
It was the first time our Jewish Identity Pre-camp Programme was based in the north of Israel. This allowed our delegation to visit the inspirational Beit Halochem rehabilitation centre for IDF soldiers and experience Paralympic sports with the residents. We visited the Ghetto Fighters Museum to learn about the resistance movement against the Holocaust. It gave us the wonderful opportunity to visit a number of projects funded by our partners UJIA. From the Equaliser Programme in Acco to Magic Moments in Shlomi. This was a truly special meeting of young Brits and Israelis.
On the sports front, this was the first time we have taken a junior lacrosse team to the Games - and what an achievement it was when they won the silver medal. In fact, standing at Ben Gurion airport and seeing so many female athletes arrive as part of Maccabi GB was an incredible achievement. It had been one of our objectives to take lacrosse, senior and junior netball and football teams. It was a wonderful social experience for all involved.
We were honoured to have, as part of our delegation, our first para athlete, who competed in a mixed GB-USA wheelchair basketball team. This was the first time she had been to Israel. What a powerful introduction to the Jewish homeland — and she came home with a bronze medal.
This was also the first time I marched into Teddy Stadium at the Opening Ceremony as General Team Manager in front of 30,000 people, including the President and Prime Minister of the State of Israel.
Given the challenging economic circumstances at home, I was also proud of what we achieved in bringing such a strong team and proud of what I hoped we would achieve in the sport that followed.
Winning 38 medals, the highest medal haul from any prior GB Maccabiah teams, was an astonishing achievement. Each medal won and each medal lost has its own story of hard work, physical assertion and a true commitment to the athlete’s sporting discipline. And although medals are an athlete’s dream, the Maccabiah is about far more than just sport and medals.
The Games were about swapping shirts in the evening with your opponent from the morning. They were about wearing a Union Jack Star of David on your chest and being a proud Jewish, British athlete.
And, most importantly, they were about being part of an event with 10,000 Jews from Israel and around the Diaspora in the Jewish homeland.
The 20th Maccabiah Games was a unique experience and every member of our delegation was extremely proud to have been a part of it.
As you spend time reading this Active Supplement, please enjoy our achievements and also think about the incredible people who have assisted in making these Games possible.
From the athletes themselves, to their managers, coaches and sports chairs. To the junior management and medical teams whose sole role was the safety and welfare of our delegation.
The press and marketing team who have enabled the community to share this experience with us. To the organising committee and Maccabi GB professional staff, whose meticulous planning ensured our athletes had the best opportunity to achieve all that was possible.
To the many hundreds of supporters in Israel and those back in the UK who cheered on our successes and consoled us in defeat. To our sponsors, partners and donors whose generosity and shared vision ultimately enabled our delegation to compete at these Games.
Maccabi GB is for an active Jewish community. The 20th Maccabiah Games in Israel goes to the real core of that message.
Joel Nathan
General Team Manager
Team Maccabi GB
20th Maccabiah Games