JCC Maccabi Games are for Jewish teens between the ages of 13 and 17 years old, with teams from across the country coming together for one week each summer.

During the day, athletes compete in their sport and at night there are a variety of social events. Athletes are housed with other Jewish families. This is a great opportunity for teens to meet more than 1,500 other Jewish teenagers from across the U.S. and the world, and compete in a variety of sports, as well as socialize and participate in community service projects.

Join the JCC Maccabi Games' Team Columbus Today!
The JCC is forming a team to participate in the JCC Maccabi Games, and traveling this year to Richmond, Va., for competition in boys/girls basketball, boys/girls soccer, baseball, tennis, swimming, dance, table tennis, and bowling.

The 2010 JCC Maccabi Games will be held Aug. 1-6 at the Weinstein JCC in Richmond. "The JCC Maccabi Games includes socialization, informal Jewish/Israel educational opportunities and a day of Tikun Olam, all within the context of athletic competition," said Jeanna Brownlee, Team Columbus coach and JCC Sports and Wellness director.

"At last year's games in San Antonio, my soccer team brought home a medal. But the opportunity to meet Jewish teens from across the country made the trip memorable," said Evan Kauffman.

The mission of the JCC Maccabi Games states that the program is a Jewish event for Jewish teenagers with the intent to foster long-lasting memories and identification with organized Jewish community groups as well as identification with Israel. "The JCC Maccabi Games aim to foster a strong Jewish identity among all of its participants," said Brownlee.

Those thinking about participating should keep in mind, that

• To participate in the Games, athletes must be at least 13 years old and cannot have turned 17 years old as of July 31.
• All athletes must be Jewish, which is defined as follows: One of the athlete's parents is Jewish and the athlete is being raised Jewish, or is a Jew by choice and is being raised Jewish. In the spirit of the Games, if the parent or child does not believe that they are Jewish on a year round basis, then the child should not participate in the JCC Maccabi Games.

For more information on the JCC Maccabi Games, visit http://www.jccmaccabigames.org, or contact Team Columbus coordinator Shira Hurwitz at shurwitz@columbusjcc.org.

JCC Maccabi ArtsFest 2010 - San Rafael, Calif.
Will you be in 8th through 12th grades during the 2010-2011 school year? Do you like to sing, act, dance, paint, write, compose, draw or take pictures? Would you like to meet other Jewish teens who share your interests? Then Maccabi ArtsFest is for you!

"The JCC Maccabi ArtsFest is designed to inspire Jewish teens through a dynamic combination of workshop, performance, exhibition, recognition of excellence, community service, social activities, and fun. Teens develop their individuality through the medium of artistic expression while strengthening their bonds to their Jewish heritage, community and Israel," said Samara Chodosh, Jewish Experiences for Teens director at the JCC.

Join The Maccabi ArtsFest Team Today!
Come be a part of the 2010 JCC Maccabi ArtsFest, the premiere art experience for Jewish teens. This year, Columbus is traveling to the Osher Marin JCC in San Rafael, California, from Sunday, Aug. 8 through Friday, Aug. 13. For more information on the team formation, contact Samara Chodosh at (614) 559-6255 or schodosh@columbusjcc.org.