MACCABI USA SEEKING GOLFERS FOR THE 2019 EUROPEAN MACCABI GAMES
Philadelphia, PA, July 30, 2018 – Debbie Adams, General Chair for the 15th European Maccabi Games is pleased to announce the appointment of golf industry veteran, Mark D. Berman of Ponte Vedra Beach, FL as Overall Golf Chair for the 2019 Games. The games will be held in Budapest, Hungary, July 29-August 7, 2019. Team USA will field a team of approximately 200 participants in 16 sports.
The Games are conducted in cooperation with Maccabi World Union and are held every four years, two years after the World Maccabiah Games is held in Israel. The European Games are a high-level athletic competition for Jewish athletes all over the world aimed at connecting Jews from the Diaspora through sports. The 20th World Maccabiah Games held in 2017 drew more than 12,000 athletes from 90 countries, including a US delegation with more than 1100 athletes.
Berman is the Managing Partner of MediaShare Consulting, Inc., a marketing strategy firm specializing in sponsorship activation in the golf space. He has worked for the PGA TOUR, World Golf Village & World Golf Hall of Fame, and the World Junior Golf Foundation, running the American Junior Golf Championship.
It was Berman’s experience at the 2017 World Maccabiah Games in Israel that inspired him to get involved. His daughter, Hannah, who plays for Jacksonville University, played on the gold medal-winning golf team at the 2017 World Maccabiah Games, and won an individual silver medal.
“I was moved beyond words when I saw 12,000 athletes pour into a packed stadium for opening ceremonies. I still get goose bumps when I think about the team standing on the podium, draped in the American flag,” Berman said. “Because of the positive effect the games had for my family – how it leveraged the common bond of sports to help strengthen our connection to Judaism and each other, and the friendships the journey created – I wanted to be involved as more than just a joyous parent. I am truly humbled to lead the USA Golf Team’s mission.”
Berman is immediately recruiting Jewish golfers to fill the roster. The 2019 European Maccabi Games will feature men’s and women’s teams in the Juniors (birth years 2001-2005), Open (ages 18-49), and Masters (50+) divisions, each having five team members. The format is like a college event, with the best four of the five best scores counting in each of the two rounds toward the team’s stroke play total. Gold, Silver and Bronze medals are awarded in each the different divisions to the team winners as well as individuals. Berman will also be raising funds and seeking sponsorship to help offset costs for the athletes. Applications for the Games are being accepted on a rolling basis. Please visit maccabiusa.com to apply.
“The 2019 Regional Games provide individuals a unique opportunity to represent the USA delegation,” said Maccabi USA Program Director Shane Carr. “There is an indescribable feeling of pride as you march in with the delegation wearing red, white, and blue. Together we will make life-long memories alongside our Jewish counterparts from around the world, who share a common love for sports.”
For more information, please contact 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 is a U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) Multi-Sport Organization (MSO). The Organization is one of 38 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, and is rated as a four-star non-profit by Charity Navigator.
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