Submitted by Cincy Journeys
“I was really excited about the idea of being able to play squash in another country, to meet other Jewish squash players,” recalled Nora Brant. “I was really intrigued to be a part of such a big event — there were more than 10,000 athletes, more than a thousand Americans. I wanted to be part of that.”
Nora is talking about the 21st Maccabiah Games in Israel. The Maccabiah Games, also referred to as the Jewish Olympics, are generally held every four years in Israel and are open to Jewish athletes from around the world and to all Israeli citizens regardless of their religion. It is the world’s third-largest sporting event, behind the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup, with 10,000 athletes competing. First held in 1932, the name Maccabiah was chosen after Judah Maccabee, a Jewish leader who defended his country from King Antiochus.
With more than 30,000 people in attendance for the opening ceremony, including US President Joe Biden, Nora said it was an experience like no other. “The experience was great but overwhelming at the same time,” she added. “I’ve never been in a space with that many Jewish people, let alone Jewish athletes, which I thought was pretty incredible. We got really lucky because the squash team and a couple other teams got selected to meet the president. We ended up going underneath the stadium into the tunnels with him. It was amazing to see him and take a picture of the president and then go back out into the stadium with tens of thousands of people in it.”
Nora first got interested in squash when she was 10 years old after trying out a few different sports. “My mom met someone who had just opened a squash club, and we’d never heard of it before, but a couple of my friends joined, so I did too. I fell in love with it right away and never stopped playing all through high school. Then I was recruited to play at Williams College.”
Nora had been planning on using a Cincy Journeys travel grant to visit Israel during her college experience, so when she found out about the Maccabiah Games, she thought that was the perfect opportunity. This program helps every Cincinnati Jewish child attend Jewish overnight camp and every teen and young adult travel to Israel, giving them the skills, experience, and desire to become tomorrow’s community leaders. “I had used my high school travel grant to go on a BBYO trip when I was a sophomore,” she said.
Two of these Israel travel grants can be used by Cincinnati Jewish teens and young adults any time between the ages of 16 to 26 with approved trip providers. “Other cities are blown away by the number of kids Cincinnati is able to send to Israel,” said Nora’s mom, Debbie. “There are so many opportunities kids can take advantage of. They’re able to find a program that’s meaningful to them. Take Nora for example; this was all about playing in the Maccabiah Games, and this grant made it feasible for her. Squash is not a very popular sport in the United States, so it’s exciting to have an opportunity for her to meet Jewish kids from other countries who are as involved in their sports as she is.”
US team members participated in Israel Connect, spending the week prior to the games visiting sites in Israel. Since this trip was Nora’s second visit to Israel, she said she was able to get a deeper understanding of the sites that they were visiting. “I think it was impactful to be able to go twice, a few years apart. I saw Israel in a completely different lens, being there as an adult versus as a kid. I knew my way around, and being able to see the historical sites for a second time, I had a better appreciation and understanding. I was able to take a deeper look.”
Debbie also noticed how the recent visit had a strong effect on her daughter. “I’ve heard Nora say that she grew up a lot in those three weeks,” said Debbie. “The Maccabiah Games gave the US delegation a lot of time to spend in Israel and learn and explore at the same time while also giving them the structure to play their sport.”
Nora appreciated the balance between athletics and the broader, cultural aspects of the trip. “We spent a lot of time with the Israeli squash team,” said Nora. “Our coach had played in the games a few years ago and was friends with a lot of the team members. They’re a little older than us and have different experiences, but getting to talk to them about squash, about being Jewish, and being in Israel was really cool. We saw a whole new side of Tel Aviv by being with people who actually live there. I would not have been able to do this without Cincy Journeys.”
