Campus-based Maccabi Games coming to Pittsburgh next summer
The hallmark of Jewish youth sports is innovating and making Pittsburgh its first venue
Thanks to a partnership between the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, the University of Pittsburgh and JCC Association of North America, the city will host the JCC Maccabi Campus Games next summer — and is introducing some innovations.
“What better place for this new model to be tested than in Pittsburgh, with Jewish Pittsburgh, and in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh?” said Jason Kunzman, JCC Pittsburgh’s president and CEO.
For more than four decades, the Maccabi Games have introduced more than 6,000 athletes and coaches to competition and camaraderie through a Jewish lens.
Beginning in 1982, with 300 competitors, the games have continued growing and reaching new audiences. In 1985, regional games were added. By 1997, the games were simultaneously held in six American cities, and welcomed 4,400 participating athletes, according to the JCC Association.
Development will continue next summer with a pivot toward the new Campus Games. The transition marks more than merely abandoning home hospitality at a regional sporting event, Kunzman explained.
Several competitions, housing and dining will be held on campus. Opening ceremonies will be at the Petersen Events Center.
Living, eating and competing on the University of Pittsburgh’s grounds enable the games to open its doors even wider, according to Samantha Cohen, senior vice president and director of JCC Maccabi at JCC Association of North America.
Kunzman agreed and said he’s hoping to garner the support of 1,000 volunteers in the next 14 months who will help prepare for and ensure the games’ success.
Squirrel Hill resident Dory Levine, a past Maccabi participant and parent of a two-time Maccabi athlete, said she and her husband, David, are honored to usher in a new chapter of the games.
“David and I are thrilled to co-chair the Maccabi Games alongside the other incredible chairs, volunteers and staff,” she said. “We are especially excited to host this event in our hometown in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh. We can’t wait to showcase Pittsburgh’s beauty, historic landmarks, and, of course, the incredible people that make our neighborhoods so unique.”
Joining the Levines as co-chairs are Linda and Ken Simon, Stefani Pashman and Jeremy Feinstein.
Pashman, the CEO of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, said in a prepared statement that she’s “excited to work alongside other local leaders to ensure that everyone who visits for the Games receives the warmest welcome, has the best experiences and leaves as an ambassador for Pittsburgh.”
Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato said that the region is “ready to provide an unforgettable experience for all participants and visitors, with our rich history and welcoming and collaborative spirit.”
That sense of communal teamwork caught the JCCA’s eye, Kunzman said.
“Over the last five-and-a-half years, what has really come across — about not just the Jewish community within Pittsburgh, but the broader community — is our appetite and strong desire to work as collaboratively as possible for means of elevating and supporting one another,” he said, adding that Pittsburgh has “best in class facilities related to both athletics and other programming.”
Through JCC Cares, the “service arm” of the games, athletes will dedicate some of their time to volunteering and bettering the wider community.
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said in a prepared statement he’s “particularly enthused by Maccabi’s commitment to give back as part of the program.”
Next summer will be the first time in 28 years that Pittsburgh is hosting the games.
Kunzman has long waited to showcase the city and credited the University of Pittsburgh with helping actualize the dream.
“We are delighted to partner with our local JCC and the continental JCC community in piloting an innovative new model of the JCC Maccabi Games,” Chancellor Joan Gabel said in a prepared statement. “The University of Pittsburgh looks forward to welcoming the athletes and their families in support of the Games’ mission to transform lives through competition, friendship, community service and social and cultural engagement.”
Fara Marcus, the JCC’s chief development and marketing officer, is encouraging the community to bolster the games’ success.
“Whether it’s a corporation, a foundation, or an individual from anywhere, there are sponsorship opportunities to underwrite a particular sport, opportunity or an evening event,” Marcus said. “There are many ways to support.”
In promoting Pittsburgh as a national treasure, significant costs are involved: The JCC has set a fundraising goal of $3.5 million to support the games.
“At this point, we are one-third of the way there,” Kunzman said.
Contributions will offset rental accommodations, transportation, food and security expenses. “We’re looking to have anywhere between 10 and 12 individual and team sports,” Kunzman said. “Pitt does not accommodate all of those sports … nor do they have enough to be the single site for many of the sports that they can accommodate,” Kunzman said.
Apart from locating and securing additional venues, the numerous athletes and coaches require transportation between sites. And they must be fed.
The games provide participants with kosher food, and that tradition will continue in Pittsburgh, Kunzman said.
Plans are tentative, but Kunzman said the goal is to “kasher one or two kitchens in the Peterson Event Center.”
Once the space is ritually readied, food will be prepared on site, lunch and dinner will be served there, breakfast will be delivered to rooms in a “grab-and-go kind of way,” and athletes will be able to use the Oakland-based venue as a primary hub for congregating, Kunzman said.
Among the estimated costs, nearly $500,000 is earmarked for security.
“We are fully acknowledging that safety and security is our No. 1 priority,” he said.
Kunzman said he is working with Shawn Brokos, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s director of community security, to ensure best practices are in place.
“Safety and security are paramount and we have already begun our initial planning and preparation,” Brokos said. “Security for the games will be a well-coordinated and comprehensive effort. We are grateful to have support from our law enforcement partners at the local, state and federal level, as well as our university public safety departments.”
One challenge is executing a smooth and seamless experience. Once the games are complete, however, Kunzman sees another task.
Pittsburgh is sending 15 athletes to this summer’s games in Detroit. He wants 100 local Jewish youth to compete in Pittsburgh next year.
“When we are successful in getting those additional 85 athletes, what are we going to do to keep them in the system,” he asked. “We’ve got to bring things to them because they’re not all going to come from Squirrel Hill or the South Hills where the JCC has a physical footprint.”
Whether it’s the money, time or personnel required, Kunzman acknowledged the tall task ahead. He’s confident this community will deliver and cited a mantra he learned from historian and Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt.
“We can’t only acknowledge the oy; we’ve got to celebrate the joy. That’s what this JCC is about,” Kunzman said. “It is about engaging people and activating community to build a stronger and more inclusive Jewish future. That’s our vision, and the 2025 JCC Maccabi Games are a vehicle — just one of many vehicles — for us to realize that vision.” PJC
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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