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.