#TeamVB represented Virginia Beach and the Simon Family JCC at the 2019 Detroit JCC Maccabi Games & ArtsFest opening ceremonies: Tamir Zach, Tal Zach, Matthew Gross and Lior Lehman.
Having the best week of their lives, the members of Team Virginia Beach represented the Simon Family JCC very well at the 2019 JCC Maccabi Games & ArtsFest in Detroit, Michigan, August 4-9.
Beyond making many new friends from around the U.S. and the world, the #TeamVB members also earned four medals for their athleticism.
Tal Zach, 15, earned two medals in swimming—a silver and a bronze. Tamir Zach, 12, and Tal’s brother, earned a bronze medal in soccer. Tamir also was bestowed a Midot medal as recognition of his selfless play on his soccer team, ideally evoking the values of Rachmanus for the Maccabi Games. Lior Lehmann, 15, and her soccer team won a silver medal. Matthew Gross, 16, helped his basketball team finish fourth.
Each Maccabi participant stayed with a host Jewish family in the Detroit area, and #TeamVB thinks they had the best families. During the day, every athlete and artist was directly involved in their sport or art with games or workshops. The evenings were filled with events, parties, food, games, entertainment, and lots of friends.
In 2020, Team Virginia Beach will be heading to the JCC Maccabi Games & ArtsFest again, in either San Diego or New York. All Jewish teens. ages 12–17, are encouraged to become a part of the 2020 delegation.
For more information, contact Tom Edwards, M.S., Simon Family JCC athletics director, at 757-321-2308 or TEdwards@SimonFamilyJCC.org.
Tom Edwards