Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History

accessible at thejewishnews.com

Detroit + Maccabi, a Love Af
 air
I

t’s going to be a great summer for 
young Jewish sportsmen and sports-
women. The JCC Maccabi Games 
for teenage Jewish athletes will be held 
in Detroit July 28-Aug. 
2, followed by games in 
Houston, Texas, Aug. 4-9. 
The JCC Maccabi Games is 
the largest sports event in 
North America for young 
Jewish athletes from the 
U.S., Canada, Israel and 
elsewhere.
Since the JCC Maccabi 
games began in 1982, Detroit has hosted 
the Games seven times, most recently 
in 2019 and 2022, and now in 2024. The 
name for the Games is derived from 
that of the ancient Jewish warrior, Judah 
Maccabee. 
BTW — The JCC Maccabi Games 
should not be confused with the 
Maccabiah Games in Israel, which are 
also known as the “Jewish Olympics.” 
These games are held every four years 
and are considered the second larg-
est Jewish sports event in the world in 
respect to the number of participants. 
An estimated 10,000 athletes from 60 
different nations participated in the 2022 
Maccabiah Games. 
The JCC Maccabi Games are a great 

community affair. JN reporter Karen 
Schwartz’s article in the Jan. 11, 2024, 
issue of the JN provided a great preview 
for the Games. It is estimated that about 
1,200 athletes will be coming to Detroit; 
about 800 of them will be hosted in 400 
local Jewish homes. A very nice commu-
nity mitzvah there! 
Heidi Brode and Tracey Proghovnick 
are housing co-chairs for this year’s 
games. They point to the comradeship 
that develops from hosting student ath-
letes, as well as the friendships that are 
established between Detroit youth and 
young Jewish athletes from Canada, 
Mexico and Israel. 
Following a family tradition of hosting 
athletes, largely Israeli teenagers, Mark 
Milgrom says, “It’s something I hope 
they remember for a long time. They’re 
going to carry away an impression of the 
Detroit Jewish community, and I want it 
to be a positive impression.”
Indeed, research into the William 
Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish 
Detroit History soon reveals Detroit has 
excelled in hosting the Maccabi Games 
over the years. More than 1,000 pages cite 
the Games. 
Most of the stories are about fine young 
Jewish athletes from Detroit participat-
ing in the Games, and the impact of the 

Games upon their future careers and 
lives. For example, an early article on this 
theme, “Class of ’84,” is the story of six 
Maccabi athletes who participated in the 
first Games held in Detroit in 1984 and 
then some. 
Dana Dobransky, Joshua Glantz, 
Hannah Kramer, Samantha Lincoln, Marc 
Schwartz and Samuel Singer all went 
on to compete in other games such as 
the Maccabiah Games in Israel in 1985 
and 1989, and the 1987 Pan American 
Maccabi Games. 
There are also stories of coaches and 
leaders. For example, Karen Sklar Gordon 
was director of the JCC Maccabi Games 
in 2008 and chair of the 2014 games, both 
held in Detroit. In 1989, as an athlete, 
Gordon was a finalist for the women’s 
basketball team. In 2018, Gordon coached 
the team! 
Detroit’s Jewish community has been 
and continues to be well represented in 
the most important Jewish youth games 
in North America. The proof is in the 
Davidson Archive. The stories about 
Detroit’s best young Jewish athletes and 
their Detroit Jewish hosts are most 
heartening. 

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN archives, 
available for free at thejewishnews.com.

Mike Smith
Alene and 
Graham Landau 
Archivist Chair

62 | JULY 25 • 2024 
J
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