JCC Maccabi Youth Games

The JCC Maccabi Games is an Olympic style event held annually for Jewish youth between the ages of 13 and 17, hosted by JCC Association of North America.^[1] It is the largest Jewish youth sporting event in the world.^[2] Each summer, approximately 3,000 Jewish teen athletes from around the world convene for a week of individual and team athletic competition in one of several host communities in North America.^[3] The games were first held in 1982^[4] in Memphis, Tennessee, with sponsorship by the Memphis Jewish Community Center. More than 500,000 athletes from around the globe have participated in the Games' over 40 year history.^[5] The JCC Maccabi Games' aim is to foster Jewish identity while developing national interest in Olympic sport through the Jewish Community Center's affiliation with the United States Olympic Committee.^[6][5]

JCC Maccabi works in partnership with Maccabi World Union, Maccabi Canada and Maccabi USA to create a global experience that provides a springboard for local JCCs to create year-round engagement.^[7]

There are 14 competitive sports contested each year including:

• Baseball
• In-line hockey
• Volleyball
• Soccer
• Basketball
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Table tennis
• Dance
• Golf
• Track & field
• Lacrosse

Locations held

• 1982: Memphis (USA)^[8]
• 1984: Detroit (USA)^[8]
• 1986: Toronto (Canada)^[8]
• 1987: Sarasota
• 1988: Chicago^[8]
• 1999: Detroit
• 2000: Tucson, Staten Island
• 2001: Miami, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Sarasota
• 2002: Baltimore, Omaha
• 2006: Greater Phoenix

• 2009: San Francisco; San Antonio; Westchester County, New York (USA)^[9]
• 2010: Baltimore, Maryland, Denver, Colorado, and Omaha, Nebraska^[10]
• 2011: Springfield, Massachusetts and Philadelphia (USA); Israel ^[11]
• 2012: Houston; Rockland, New York; Memphis (USA)^[12]
• 2013: Austin, Texas and Orange County, California^[13]
• 2014: Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Boca Raton, Florida, and Detroit, Michigan^[14]
• 2015: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Dallas, Texas, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida^[15]
• 2016: Columbus, Ohio, St. Louis, Missouri and Stamford, Connecticut^[16]
• 2017: Birmingham, Alabama, Albany/Schenectady, New York, and Miami, Florida^[17]
• 2018: Orange County/Long Beach, California^[18]
• 2019: Atlanta, Georgia and Detroit, Michigan^[19]
• 2023: Israel and Fort Lauderdale, Florida^[20]
• 2024: Detroit, Michigan and Houston, Texas (USA) ^[21]
• 2025: Tucson, Arizona and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (USA)^[22]
• 2026: Toronto, Canada and Kansas City, USA