Eight athletes represented TeamVB; five basketball players, two soccer players, and one Access athlete.  Joining the Southside veterans of Shanny Zach (soccer), Oliver Scolnick (Access), and Leo Gottlieb and Ashten Konikoff (3v3 basketball) were four athletes from the Peninsula, Dylan Preston and Eli Green and Seth Green (3v3 basketball), and Mia Green (soccer).  

 Mia Green and Shanny Zach played on the same 17-and-under girls’ soccer team with players from Toronto, Tucson, and Vancouver, finishing in a tie for fifth place.  The boys formed one team for the 17-and-under boys 3-on-3 basketball in which they went undefeated and won the gold medal.  Coach Chris Queman led the Maccabi 3v3 team from Virginia Beach for the third time, and this is his first gold medal.  Oliver Scolnick won six medals in a variety of sports, basketball, bowling, soccer, and swimming, while participating with more than 30 other athletes in the Access division that incorporates sports and activities for those with developmental hurdles. 

  Approximately 2,000 Jewish teenagers were in Toronto for the week, creating an unforgettable experience for every participant and volunteer.  

 Team Virginia Beach will go to the JCC Maccabi Games and Access in Austin, Texas in 2027. The team seeks Jewish teens, ages 13-17, who want to join in celebrating Jewish peoplehood, to meet new Jewish friends from around the globe, and to have the greatest week of their life.  

Contact Tom Edwards for more information at 757-321-2308 or TEdwards@SimonFamilyJCC.org. 

Tom Edwards is athletics director and delegation head for Team Virginia Beach at the JCC Maccabi Games & Access for the Simon Family JCC.

The young men and women from Tidewater teamed with other communities to compete in several contests: girls 16 and under (16U) soccer and boys 16U and 14U basketball. One athlete, 13-year-old Oliver Scolnick, competed in Access games for Jewish athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Families travelled to the Lone Star State, too, to cheer on these local athletes despite Texas’ summer heat. In the spirit of the coinciding Paris Olympics, the Tidewater athletes brought home several medals. Along with her FTL United teammates from Ft. Lauderdale, San Diego, and the Virginia Peninsula, Shanny Zach’s first soccer game for girls 16U ended in a 6-1 victory over Argentina; her team later won the gold medal by beating Dallas 3-1 in the finals. Henry Scolnick, Ashten Konikoff, and Leo Gottlieb, along with one player from Stamford, Conn., combined to create the 16U boys three versus three (3v3), basketball VB-STM team. During tournament play, these four teenagers battled teams from Houston/ Ukraine, Boca Raton/Orange County, Nashville/VA Peninsula, and Moise Safra of New York City. Wins were elusive, but the boys fought hard.

The NashVB entry for 14U boys 3v3 basketball, led by Coach Chris Queman, had two local players, Eli Lomogda and Caleb Bailey, and two players from Nashville. Along with a great win over Springfield/Stamford on day 1, the team earned the #5 seed before upsetting the #4 seed, Houston, at the start of the tournament. The #1 seed, powerhouse Kansas City, with a monstrous teen playing center, underestimated NashVB in the semi-finals; the teams battled the entire game, and NashVB almost pulled off a huge upset.

Oliver Scolnick brought home TeamVB’s first medals in the games, with two silvers in individual and team basketball. He continued to dominate in the Access competitions, including a perfect score of 10.0 to win the gold medal in the vault. His team earned silver in the floor exercise relay before Oliver claimed the gold medal in base-tennis, and he even ruled the pool, with an individual gold and a relay silver.

Henry Scolnick, who has never met a stranger, earned two distinctions outside of athletic performance. First, the JCA Jacksonville delegation gave him an honorary bronze medal in recognition of the camaraderie he brings to their experience at JCC Maccabi. Second, the 3v3 basketball sports commissioner extended a Midot Medal (for individuals or groups who epitomize the ideals of sportsmanship and character) to Henry for the palpable influence that his sportsmanship and kindness had upon the entire venue. Henry also earned a silver medal in pickleball doubles play.

The 2024 games closing party ended in Texas style with bull (and shark) riding, armadillo racing, DJ music, dancing, Kona Ice, photos with a live Texas steer, and delicious brisket.

Onward to the 2025 JCC Maccabi Games & Access in Tucson, Arizona!