10 | JULY 18 • 2024 
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rom July 28-Aug. 2, Detroit will be 
hosting the JCC Maccabi Games 
for the first time since 2019. This 
will be Detroit’s seventh time hosting the 
games, the most of any community. 
Over 1,200 athletes will be participat-
ing. Team sports being offered include 
Boys Baseball, Boys and Girls Basketball, 
3v3 Boys Basketball, Boys and Girls 
Soccer, Girls Volleyball and Ice Hockey. 
Individual sports being offered include 
Boys and Girls Dance, Boys and Girls 
Golf, Boys and Girls Star Reporter, Boys 
and Girls Swimming, Boys and Girls 
Tennis, and Boys and Girls Table Tennis.
This year’s games will bring 48 delega-
tions to Detroit, not only from all over 
the United States, but also international 
delegations including Israel, Ukraine, 
Hungary, Mexico and Canada. 
Transportation logistics are an import-
ant aspect of Maccabi planning. Maya 

Gurfinkel, Games director at The J, says 
moving over 1,200 athletes at a time 
could require around 30 buses through-
out the week. The games will have 11 
overall venues, using eight of them each 
day. 
The majority of Maccabi athletes are 
staying with host families. Gurfinkel says 
they have about 400 host families right 
now but are still in need of about 15 or 
20 more. Each family hosts at least two 
kids. 
Volunteers are key in making sure 
the games go smoothly. Maccabi has a 
general overarching interest list of 600 
volunteers and is still hoping to get a few 
more. 
Maccabi is also still recruiting medi-
cal volunteers. There will be a medical 
central setup at The J in West Bloomfield 
and a medical tent set up at each ath-
letic venue each day to help out on the 

ground.
Those interested in becoming a host 
family, volunteer or medical volunteer 
can register for those different roles at 
MaccabiDetroit.com. 
Over 5,000 people are expected for the 
opening ceremony. Gurfinkel says those 
interested in attending need to register as 
a spectator through the security system 
found on the website, as they will not be 
doing will-call. 
Maccabi will be providing lunches and 
dinners throughout the week, feeding 
athletes, coaches, delegation heads and 
more. Lunch served Monday through 
Thursday is set to amount to 2,000 meals 
each day. Dinners will be served 
for everyone on Monday 
and Thursday. A smaller 
group dinner will be 
served on Sunday 
and Wednesday. 
Gurfinkel estimates 
a minimum of 
13,000 meals will be 
served throughout 
the week. 
Counting the ath-
letes, coaches, chaper-
ones, host families, vol-
unteers and general spectators, 
Gurfinkel estimates at least 3,000 people 
will be interacting with the Maccabi 
Games throughout the week. 
About six staff members have been 
dedicated to planning the 2024 JCC 
Maccabi Games in Detroit for roughly a 
year and a half, along with over 60 peo-
ple on the steering committee who have 
also dedicated hours upon hours to the 
games. 
“This work started even before I came 
on board in terms of the executive team 
at The J laying the groundwork and our 
amazing Games chairs helping get things 
situated,” Gurfinkel says. 
“It’s a huge moment for Detroit,” she 
added. “We want to showcase how amaz-
ing the Jewish community is here, how 
much we stand with each other and the 
Jewish world we are in. Welcoming kids 
from all around the world is a huge deal 
and there couldn’t be a better place for it 
than Detroit. We’re excited.” 

2024 Detroit JCC 
Maccabi Games: 
By the Numbers 

Detroit gets ready for its seventh time 
hosting the Games.

DANNY SCHWARTZ SENIOR STAFF REPORTER

OUR COMMUNITY

for everyone on Monday 

and Thursday. A smaller 

letes, coaches, chaper-

ones, host families, vol-

LEFT: Maya Gurfinkel 
recruiting a volunteer at 
a Temple Israel event.

