Thousands of Jewish athletes, volunteers and families will gather in Cherry Hill this August for the 22nd annual JCC Maccabi Games. The Katz Jewish Community Center on Springdale Road in Cherry Hill will play host to the event, which is the largest annual gathering of Jewish teens in the world for Olympic-style athletic competition.
Around 1,000 Jewish athletes from the United States, Great Britain, Mexico and Israel, ranging in age from 13 to 16, will attend this year’s event which will be held from August 10 through August 15.
Team sports in the games include baseball, basketball, lacrosse and soccer while individual events include dance, swimming, table tennis, tennis and track and field. In addition to sports, the event also includes cultural and social activities
With such a high profile event, organizers are also making sure security will be at the highest level.
“We are taking the position of having a high level of concern,” Chief Mark Nicholas, Camden County Prosecutor’s Office said. “We want the athletes, their families and our visitors to have a good, safe experience in South Jersey during the Games.”
Police officers from Voorhees, Cherry Hill, Evesham, Clementon, Berlin Township and the Camden County Sheriff’s Department will conduct security during the games. The NJ Office of Homeland Security, Camden County Public Safety, FBI, NJ State Police and the Department of Homeland Security will also have a presence during the event.
“We are doing everything on the side of caution,” says Nicholas. “We have an amazing team of both professionals and volunteers making this happen.”
In addition to the athletes, 500 host families and 10,000 spectators are expected to attend.
Click here for more information on the games.
