A Summer of Engagement with JCC Maccabi™
In early August, we wrapped up three weeks of JCC Maccabi™, JCC Association’s premier Jewish teen engagement experience that brought more than 3,200 teens together from seven different countries. Three JCCs played host, in Columbus, Ohio, St. Louis, Missouri, and Stamford, Connecticut. And through the sister programs of JCC Maccabi Games® and ArtsFest®, teens – many of whom have little Jewish connection – explored their Jewishness, created community and discovered how those things connect to the sports and arts they love.
Typically, host communities organize the venues and activities, fund raise, and arrange for the hundreds of volunteers and host families to house the visiting teens. JCC Association brings 34 years of guiding experience to the mix, and provides the expertise and support communities need to succeed.
To our surprise, we had more than 200 youths from 15 communities participate, helping grow the number of teen participants in Stamford to 1,500. Who knew there were 200 Jewish teen ice hockey players?
But perhaps that’s the lesson – North American Jewish life is constantly evolving. How Jews envision where they fit into the mainstream is fluid and adaptive. Maybe the questions we should be asking are: “Why wouldn’t 200 Jewish teens play ice hockey? And what else do teens want to do at JCC Maccabi?”
We were missing an opportunity to engage our youth who wanted to express themselves through music, visual arts, dance, writing and theater. Here was a vehicle that would allow them to explore Jewish pride and a connection to Israel – facilitated by the shlichim we bring – through the arts that make up so much of their personal identities. And ArtsFest, too, has evolved. A few years ago, realizing that many teens were avid fans of Food Network cooking shows, we added a culinary specialty. We’re committed to exploring the question: What do teens want? And we want to find a way to add something new – maybe even surprising – to the 14 sports and eight arts specialties that we already offer.
We first held the JCC Maccabi Games in Memphis in 1982, attracting a few hundred teens. But it was clear that we had hit upon a formula that stirred excitement in our youth and brought them together for something that extended beyond just their sports. With one day of the week-long experience dedicated to JCC Cares – service projects arranged by the host community that can include anything from hosting a “special Olympics” for kids with special needs, to packing lunches at a local food bank, to visiting a senior residence – JCC Maccabi is clearly more than a competition or workshop experience. The teens revel in their chance to make a difference, and hopefully carry that back home to their own communities.
Next year JCC Maccabi will be hosted by the JCCs in Birmingham, Alabama and Albany, New York. The Alper JCC in Miami will host the Games and ArtsFest. They are already in the thick of planning for the ways this powerful platform can benefit their communities.
We saw this most beautifully during the Stamford JCC’s JCC Maccabi Final Showcase. More than 1,200 people were in the audience, but among them were 600 teen athletes, cheering and rooting for their creative ArtsFest pals. By being flexible, and growing and changing with the times, the Games and ArtsFest can grow and retain its freshness, attracting new generations of teens, who will learn that while not every competition or performance ends with a gold medal, we are indeed, am echad, one people.
Randy Ellen Lutterman is JCC Association vice president for arts and culture and director, JCC Maccabi Games and ArtsFest. JCC Association strengthens and leads JCCs, YM-YWHAs and camps throughout North America.
Photos courtesy of JCC Association, taken at the JCC Maccabi Games and ArtsFest in Stamford, Conn.