MACCABI USA ANNOUNCES THE OPEN HALF MARATHON TEAM FOR THE 20TH WORLD MACCABIAH GAMES
Philadelphia, PA, May 4, 2017 – The Maccabi USA Half Marathon Chair Michael Gross is pleased to announce the Open Half Marathon Team for the 20th World Maccabiah Games, which will take place July 4-18, 2017 in Israel. Maccabi USA will bring a team of 1,100+ athletes who will be part of the 10,000 Jewish athletes from 80 countries, participating in 43 different sports.
“The 2017 Open Team has a mix of veteran Maccabi USA athletes and some great new-comers” said Gross. “Our team will be led by team captain, Melissa Perlman who has run in several Maccabiah Games and is always a strong competitor. I am relying on her experience to lead a young Open Team. I look forward to seeing these athletes compete over 13.1 miles (21 kilometers) through Jerusalem!”
The athletes are Bridget Blum of Los Angeles, CA, Claremont McKenna College (’16); Jordana Kimelman of Wellington, FL, Florida State University; Melissa Perlman of Delray Beach, FL, Brown University (’04); Adriana Piekarewicz of Tallahassee, FL, Duke (’11); Reuben Winston of Potomac, MD, Dickinson College; and Sabrina Zarco of Miami Beach, FL, Emory University (’16).
Since 1932, over 62,000 athletes have participated in the Maccabiah Games, in a celebration of Jewish Strength and Solidarity. Team USA’s success is not only measured by the medals won, but by the impact that the Maccabiah experience had on their lives as well as the friendships they formed.
Maccabi USA builds Jewish pride through sports, generating the emotional intensity, high ideals, and powerful camaraderie of competition. We connect athletes, volunteers, and supporters with the global Jewish community. Our athletic, educational, and cultural experiences build Jewish identity, perpetuate Jewish continuity worldwide, and strengthen support for the State of Israel.
For more information, please contact Maccabi USA Program Director Shane Carr at 215-561-6900 or by email at scarr@maccabiusa.com.
About the organization:
Maccabi USA (MUSA) is a federally-recognized not-for-profit 501(c)(3) Organization with an extensive history of enriching Jewish lives through athletic, cultural and educational programs. The Organization is the official sponsor of the United States Team to the World Maccabiah Games, and the Pan American and European Maccabi Games, as well as a sponsor of the JCC Maccabi Games for teens in North America. As the official Maccabi representative in the U.S., Maccabi USA supports Jewish athletic endeavors, enhanced by cultural and educational activities in the United States, Israel and throughout the Diaspora.
MUSA develops, promotes and supports international, national and regional athletic-based activities and facilities. It strives to provide Jewish athletes all over the world the opportunity to share their heritage and customs in competitive athletic settings. MUSA supports programs that embody the Maccabi ideals of Jewish Continuity, Zionism and Excellence in Sport. Maccabi USA Builds Jewish Pride Through Sports.
Maccabi USA has been selected by the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) as a Multi-Sport Organization (MSO). The nonprofit Organization becomes one of 35 MSOs nationwide to be recognized by the USOC for its ability to cultivate a national interest in sport and increase opportunities for participation internationally, nationally and at the grassroots level.
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