JCC Maccabi Games returns in 2022 after 2-year COVID-19 hiatus

“We are thrilled to announce the return of the JCC Maccabi Games in 2022,” JCC Association president and CEO Doron Krakow said in a statement. 

“In addition to being a premier Jewish athletic event, the Games play a powerful part in strengthening young people’s Jewish identity and in forging ties with peers and with the wider Jewish world.”

Based in North America, the Maccabi Games is the largest Jewish sporting event in all of North America, and has been running since 1982, though the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to go on hiatus.

“Although we were deeply disappointed by the absence of last year’s Games, the timing provided a unique opportunity for us to take a deep, careful look at the program and thoughtfully plan for the future of JCC Maccabi,” said Sam Cohen, vice president of program and talent at JCC Association. 

“We’re excited to relaunch this signature program in 2022 and to continue to expand and enrich it in the coming years.”

This year will also stand out as the JCC Maccabi Games works to integrate those with cognitive and developmental disabilities.

The 2022 games will feature team sports such as baseball, basketball, softball, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and volleyball. Individual sports competitions will include swimming and tennis. 

The games will be hosted by the Lawrence Family JCC on the Jacobs Family Campus in San Diego, California, and will take place July 31-August 5.

According to Betzy Lynch, CEO of the Lawrence Family JCC, “We are thrilled to be hosting the long-awaited JCC Maccabi Games in San Diego in 2022.” She continued, “Not only is our entire community eagerly looking forward to marking four decades of JCC Maccabi magic, we want to embrace the opportunity to rally around this gigantic display of Jewish pride and belief in our Jewish future.”