Maccabiah Games in Israel canceled, but Pittsburgh athletes look ahead to 2026
“I definitely plan on playing next year." — Maya Gelman
When news that the 2025 Maccabiah Games in Israel were canceled because of the Israel/Iran conflict, disappointment set in for the athletes who were scheduled to compete — including some young Pittsburghers who were gearing up for their first Maccabiah Games experience.
The games, commonly referred to as the “Jewish Olympics,” are held every four years in Israel and are second only to the Olympics in terms of the number of athletes participating.
The 22nd Maccabiah Games were set to begin July 8 and run through July 22. This year’s games would have been the largest in Maccabiah’s history with over 8,000 Jewish athletes from 55 countries competing in 45 different sports.
Pittsburghers Maya Gelman and Grayson Honig were excited to make the journey to Israel for the games, playing for Team USA.
Honig, 20, is a field hockey player from Shadyside who plays Division III field hockey for the University of Rochester. She began playing field hockey in seventh grade at The Ellis School.
With athleticism running in her family, her field hockey success was no surprise.
“It’s been a great thing for me to just release energy and keep my mind clear, and I’ve always just liked being active,” said Honig, who was also a competitive skier and played soccer.
Members of the field hockey team were given a running packet to follow in order to prepare for the Maccabiah Games. Training is crucial for Honig.
“Being in shape is really important,” she said. “It kind of divides the best from not-as-good players on the field.”
The field hockey team competed in a tournament together over Memorial Day weekend in New York City.
“That was a super fun way to all be together and get to know each other … and play together,” Honig said.
Playing together before the tournament was a privilege not available to every team heading to the Maccabiah Games. Aside from one Zoom call, Gelman never met the majority of her teammates, let alone play with them.
Gelman, 17, is a volleyball player going into her senior year at Mt. Lebanon High School.
“Volleyball is such a mental sport,” Gelman said. “It really teaches you the effect of mentality on the way you play … and how you can affect other people around you.”
She started playing volleyball in eighth grade with the encouragement of her mother, Eva Gelman.
“It was really important to us, and we thought it was a once in a lifetime opportunity, not only to represent Team USA on an international stage, but to connect with her Jewish identity,” Eva Gelman said.
This would have been the first time Maya Gelman had been to Israel since she was a child. “I was really excited to go, because I have a lot of friends and family in Israel,” she said.
The qualifying process varies depending on the sport, but for Maya Gelman it began with an athletic resume and application. Following that, she submitted a highlight reel for the coaches to examine. The selection process for volleyball was based primarily on the highlight reel and an interview.
With the cancellation of the Maccabiah Games, Maya Gelman is occupying her summer at Emma Kaufmann Camp, where she is a counselor. She was scheduled to leave camp early to go to Israel, but now she will finish out the summer at EKC.
Honig, a data science major, is looking for different internship and work opportunities in Pittsburgh now that her summer is open. Although she was disappointed the games were canceled, “I completely understood,” Honig said.
Both athletes expressed their commitment to playing in the rescheduled games in 2026.
“I definitely plan on playing next year,” Maya Gelman said.
As a result of the canceled opening ceremony on July 10, Maccabi USA is encouraging all athletes to post a picture on Instagram while wearing their opening ceremony gear, and tag Maccabi USA in the photo.
Although the Maccabiah Games in Israel were canceled this year, Pittsburgh will play host to the regional JCC Maccabi Games in August. The JCC Maccabi Games is the largest Jewish youth event in the world and they are taking place from August 3-8 on the University of Pittsburgh campus. PJC
Andrew Rich can be reached at arich@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
comments