MACCABI USA ANNOUNCES THE MASTERS CYCLING TEAM FOR THE 20TH WORLD MACCABIAH GAMES
Philadelphia, PA, June 14, 2017 – The Maccabi USA Cycling Chair Rob Rakowitz is pleased to announce the Masters Cycling 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 athletes are Alan Cohen of Scarsdale, NY; Andrew Fisher of Great Neck, NY; Monte Frank of Sandy Hook, CT; Ian Harris of Penn Valley, PA; Rob Rakowitz of New York, NY; Edward Stern of New York, NY; and Tracey Specter of Gladwyne, PA.
Alan Cohen and Andrew Fisher have placed in major regional races. Monte Frank won a bronze medal in the Cycling Time Trial and a silver medal in the Cycling Road Race at the 19th Maccabiah Games. Ian Harris will compete as a Maccabi USA athlete for the first time at the 20th World Maccabiah Games; he has been an avid cyclist for the last 10 years and has trained both in Mallorca, Spain and on multiple 500 mile rides. Rob Rakowitz won a silver medal in the Cycling Time Trial at the 19th Maccabiah Games. Edward Stern competed at the USA Cycling Masters Nationals and won a medal at the New York State Cycling Championships. Tracey Specter is also a first-time cyclist for Maccabi USA but has won two medals in previous Maccabiah Games for Squash.
“It’s a great honor to be chairing Maccabi USA Cycling again” said Cycling Chair Rakowitz. “The experience in 2013 was unparalleled as a chair and a cyclist myself. We had a stellar team then, and we have a great team we are fielding this year for the 20th Maccabiah Games. I am confident that Maccabi USA Cycling will continue to race with excellence and integrity. It’s a great program that gives cyclists a once in a lifetime experience that is key to shaping their connection to both Israel and the bike.”
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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