appreciate the efforts as well, 
he adds. “I’ve gotten very nice 
notes from parents who just 
say their kids blossomed,” he 
says. “The kids come home 
and can’t stop talking about 
Maccabi. It’s just a great expe-
rience for them.” 
The athletes even grow 
above and beyond during 
their trips, he says, pointing to 
parents who were pleasantly 
surprised when he sent them a 
video of their athletes helping 
make salads for Shabbat din-
ner. “It’s something they would 
have never done at home, but 
here they dove in and did it.”
Adults picking up their 
hosted kids swap stories and 
chat at the end of the night 
when they head back to The 

J to pick up their charges, he 
says. “It’s work. There’s no 
question it’s a lot of work, but 
it’s not anything that chal-
lenging, that you haven’t done 
already in your life. It’s one 
week of hosting someone else’s 
kids.” 
It’s good for Detroit to step 
up and host, he says, and after 
Oct. 7, more important than 
ever to keep going, to keep 
promoting Jewish values and 
identity, he says. Maccabi is 
just a piece of the puzzle, he 
adds. “There are very few 
cities capable of hosting such 
a large number of kids, and 
we need to be very proud … 
Detroit has done it, we know 
how to do it, and we’ll just 
keep doing it.” 

TOP RIGHT: Opening ceremony attendees in the VIP area.
ABOVE: Spectator family at the opening ceremony.

How to Be a 
Host Family

Host families are a vital part of 
the JCC Maccabi Games and 
a great way to be involved in 
the experience. The hospitality 
offered by our local Jewish 
community creates a warm, 
homey environment for our 
athletes and an amazing 
experience for our hosts. Hosts 
need to provide:
• Beds for at least two visiting 
athletes
• Daily breakfast and two 
dinners
• Morning and evening 
transportation, Monday 
through Thursday to the 
athletic venues or The J 
• Access to laundry
• A memorable evening on 
Host Family Night
For more information or to 
register as a host family, go to 
www.maccabidetroit.com.

JANUARY 11 • 2024 | 17