The JCC Maccabi Games

This past summer, we proudly hosted the JCC Maccabi Campus Games in Pittsburgh on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh — the first time our city had hosted since 1997. Nearly 2,000 Jewish teen athletes from around the world came together for an unforgettable week of competition, friendship, and cultural connection. The event transformed the Pitt campus into a vibrant hub of energy and pride, as our community, volunteers, and staff worked tirelessly to create an inspiring and welcoming experience that celebrated both athletic achievement and Jewish unity.

The JCC Maccabi Games® are an Olympic-style sporting competition held each summer in North America. Since their inception in 1982, the Games have grown from a small pilot project in one host community to an Olympic-style sporting competition held each summer in multiple sites throughout North America. The JCC Maccabi Games are the largest organized sports program for Jewish teenagers in the world. Today, over 6,000 teens, ranging from 13 to 16 years of age, participate in the JCC Maccabi Games® each summer. The Games are co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Center Association of North America, Maccabi World Union, Maccabi Canada, and Maccabi USA/Sports for Israel.

The Maccabi Mission: To offer Jewish Community Centers and YM/YWHAs in North America the opportunity to reach teens through participation in the JCC Maccabi Games®, and in year-round athletic, educational, cultural and social programs, as well as teen experiences in Israel. To provide Jewish youth with a supportive environment that fosters mutual respect and sportsmanship, where they can interact in an atmosphere of fun, democracy, and peace. To cultivate a deeper understanding and instill an appreciation of Jewish values within Jewish youth, enrich their Jewish identity in an informal setting, and encourage their identification with the state of Israel. To promote and encourage the health, physical fitness and well-being of Jewish youth through participation in recreational and athletic activities To introduce Jewish youth to the international Maccabi Movement, which presents athletic, cultural, and social opportunities with Jews from around the world.