In August 2012, Rockland County will be hosting the JCC Maccabi Games® for the first time. This week-long international sporting event will attract over 1,300 Jewish teens from around the world. More than just an athletic competition, the JCC Maccabi Games is also an educational experience. Teens learn the values of teamwork and sportsmanship while exploring their Jewish identity and building connections to other Jewish teens.

Team sports offered (for ages 13-16) include basketball, soccer, baseball (boys), softball (girls), lacrosse (girls), volleyball (girls), and inline hockey (boys). Individual sports competitions (ages 12-16) include tennis, swimming, dance, golf, bowling and table tennis. Teens interested in journalism and photography can participate as Star Reporters to produce our daily newsletter.

In addition to athletics, teens participate in Opening Ceremonies, social events and our JCC Cares community service program. Visiting teens are housed with local host families, who show off our community’s spirit, diversity and hospitality.

The JCC Maccabi Games® is not just a JCC event—it is a community-wide project that will engage all members of the Rockland community. We need hundreds of athletes, host families and volunteers to help make the event a success, and to show our visiting athletes and spectators that Rockland really rocks!

For more information about the JCC Maccabi Games or to register, please visit www.jccrockland.org/maccabi or contact Maccabi Central at 845.458.1622 or maccabi@jccrockland.org.

At the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany, 11 members of the Israeli delegation were taken hostage by a terrorist group known as Black September. Two of the Israelis lost their lives during the hostage standoff in the Olympic Village, while the remaining nine were killed during a failed rescue attempt by German police at the Furstenfeldbrock airbase the next day. Following a memorial service the next day, athletic competition resumed.

The families of the Munich 11 have asked the International Olympic Committee for the past 38 years to honor the memories of their loved ones with a minute of silence during the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics. We hope that this will become a reality at the London Olympics in 2012, the 40th anniversary of the tragic event.

For more information about the Munich 11 and our campaign for a moment of silence at the Olympics, please visit www.munich11.org

In 2012, JCC Rockland will be hosting the JCC Maccabi Games, the world's largest sporting competition for Jewish teens. As part of the Games effort, we will be honoring the Munich 11 -- the 11 members of the Israeli Olympic delegation that lost their lives to terrorism at the 1972 Munich Olympics -- on the 40th anniversary of the tragic event.

NOW: Sign up to Be A Host Family!

SPRING 2012: Sign up to Be A Volunteer!

AUGUST 2012: Be part of the Maccabi Games August 12-17, 2012!

QUESTIONS?  Contact Eric Fliegel, TBT Liaison to the JCC Maccabi Games.

SIGN UP TO BE A HOST FAMILY NOW!

Be part of the action this summer when Rockland hosts the JCC Maccabi Games! Sign up now to be a volunteer the week of the Games and help at one of our events, or to be a host family and open your home to Jewish teen athletes from around the world. Whether you have one week to give or just one hour, we need your help to make the biggest event in Rockland history a success!

JCC Rockland’s delegation to the JCC Maccabi Games is named in honor of Michael Ross, community leader and boys’ baseball coach. Our athletes and coaches strive to live up to the ruach (spirit) that Michael embodied before succumbing to cancer. Watch this video to find out more about Michael’s life and memory.

Click here to watch a video tribute to Michael Ross.

MICHAEL ROSS
BOYS BASEBALL MACCABI COACH:

2003 Tenafly, New Jersey
2004 Boston, Massachusetts
2005 St. Paul, Minnesota

Born on August 11, 1952 in Riverdale, NY, Michael Ross was the son of immigrant parents with strong ties to the Jewish community. After living in California, he and his family moved back to New York. Michael got involved in the JCC when his son Jake started playing flag football. In 1998, Michael was diagnosed with mantel cell lymphoma (cancer). He fought hard for many years and was in remission until the cancer returned in 2003. On May 25, 2005, Michael had a stem cell transplant. Most people who have stem cell transplants cannot travel for at least 100 days. However, Michael knew that it was only 75 days until the Maccabi Games and he vowed to be there! Here's an email Michael sent after he returned from the 2005 Maccabi Games:

“I have been keeping busy and I was allowed to attend the Maccabi Games in St Paul, Minnesota. I coached the 16 and under baseball team for the third year in a row… It was a personal goal of mine to be there and when I mentioned it to Dr. P. 5 months ago, she was doubtful that there was any chance of me going, HA HA, fooled her… The games were incredible! I think these were the best of the three I have attended. Sadly, the team did not win a medal, but they all had a great time, and we are already working on plans for next year.”

Unfortunately, Michael passed away a few months later on December 11, 2005.

On August 10, 2008, The JCC Rockland Maccabi Delegation was named the "MICHAEL ROSS DELEGATION" in recognition of Michael's commitment to Judaism, Sports, and the Rachmanus Rule of fair play.

With all the things in life we can't control, here's something you can control: Your attitude.

Make it positive!!! -- Michael Ross