Over 30 Denver teenage athletes, along with a majority of their parents, a handful of coaches and close to a dozen JCC staff and board members, traveled to San Diego during the first week of August to participate in the JCC Maccabi Games. Hosted by the Lawrence Family JCC on the Jacobs Family campus, over 1,500 athletes from nearly 30 cities across the country — as well as delegations from Mexico and Israel — competed in a variety of sporting competitions across the northern part of the city.

Opening ceremonies on Sunday, Aug. 3, drew just under 10,000 people to Cox Arena on the campus of San Diego State to celebrate the ruach — inspiring entrance of the delegations. Boasting their "Reach the Beach" surfboards with their city name proudly displayed, teens paraded around the arena before reluctantly giving up the spotlight and settling in the stands to watch the rest of the ceremonies. The evening was capped off by an energetic and dynamic performance by Jewish gospel singer Joshua Nelson.

With nearly two-thirds of Denver’s athletes competing in boys basketball, the basketball venues became popular sites for parents and other spectators who traveled from the Rockies to watch Team Denver. Other Team Denver athletes competed in tennis, swimming, golf, volleyball, soccer and bowling.

The San Diego JCC Maccabi Games also served as an excellent model for JCC staff and lay leaders to emulate as they begin their official two year countdown to hosting the 2010 Denver JCC Maccabi Games.

A more detailed recap of the 2008 games will appear in the next issue of In the Loup, and be sure not to miss our recurring JCC Maccabi Games stories in all future issues from now until summer of 2010.