Written by Louis Leibowitz
Ethan Wirtschafter, 21, wants to carry on his grandfather’s legacy as a member of Maccabi USA’s Open Men’s Soccer Team at the Maccabiah in Israel this summer.
Byron Krieger, Wirtschafter’s grandfather, is a two-time Olympian in fencing. He competed in the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland, and the 1956 Games in Melbourne, Australia. Krieger also competed in the 1951 Pan American Games where he won two gold medals. In 1957, Krieger competed in the Maccabiah, winning a gold medal in the foil team and a silver medal in individual foil.
Wirtschafter said that he feels that Kreiger is a huge role model for him. “I strive to just honor his name every day by working hard, playing well and just enjoying my time playing soccer,” said Wirtschafter. “I think that one of his favorite things was fencing. That was what really defined him and I feel that soccer is the same way for me.”
Kreiger came to many of Wirtschafter’s games when he was young. A distinct memory for Wirtschafter was seeing his grandfather represent his country proudly when cheering him on.
“I saw him sitting on my couch with his team USA Olympic hat that I would see him wear almost everywhere he went. And my memory of him was just always a very positive attitude, very encouraging,” said Wirtschafter.
Wirtschafter currently plays for his college soccer team, the Washington University Bears. As a sophomore forward on the team, he feels that this was a breakout season for him. Wirtschafter finished with six goals, second most on the team, and two assists.
Wirtschafter aspires to play professionally one day. After the sophomore season he just had, he feels that the Maccabiah could provide him a path toward what his professional career could be in the future.
“I think that this summer is a great chance for me to showcase myself in front of a lot of professional coaches,” said Wirtschafter. “Sometimes you know it’s really just hard to get that first look. So I think that this tournament, being a major international tournament, gives me a great opportunity to showcase myself.”
Wirtschafter previously represented the United States in soccer at another international tournament. He was a member of the USA Under-19 Men’s National Team at the Capelli Sport+ ID Cup in 2022. He is excited to represent the stars and stripes again at another tournament, but this time in a different location.
“That team was very high level. All my teammates were playing at some of the best D-1’s,” said Wirtschafter. “That was an incredible experience for me – one of honestly the greatest trips of my life. I’m really excited to be able to do it again in another way, this time in Israel.”
Additionally, on a personal level, Wirtschafter thinks that this summer is a unique opportunity to meet and make connections with new people that have similar values to him. Wirtschafter also feels the Maccabiah is an opportunity for athletes of many kinds to come together for a common goal.
“With the current state of Israel, with the current state of antisemitism at colleges and given the recent events with October 7th, I think that this tournament holds especially significant weight and that’s why I think that it’s so important that it’s put on and done the right way,” added Wirtschafter. For Wirtschafter, the Maccabiah is more than just a tournament. It’s a chance to honor his heritage, his grandfather, and his future in soccer.”
Louis Leibowitz is an aspiring sports broadcaster from Coral Gables, Florida. He just completed his freshman year at Syracuse University in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Follow Louis at maccabiusa.com, or on all of his socials: @LouLeibowitz on X and @LouLeibo on Instagram.