By Sylvia Zelzter
Every Shabbat back home, Open swimmer Freddy Rosenthal and his grandparents used to make the same trip to Moe’s Deli and Bagels near his house. He and his grandmother would split an egg salad sandwich, a small ritual that repeated week after week, until, over time, it stopped.
This weekend in Jerusalem, that sandwich was nowhere to be found. In its place: brisket, schnitzel, shawarma, and other dishes served up by the Ramada hotel. The new spread inspired Rosenthal to reconnect with a tradition that had faded at home. Scheduling conflicts had gradually pushed Shabbat out of his family’s routine, but being in Israel helped him feel a connection that was long lost.
“I felt a connection to the Jewish side of myself that I haven’t really felt before being here,” he said. “So I felt like it was the perfect place to try [keeping Shabbat].”
Rosenthal was not the only swimmer for whom the meals sparked memories. Sitting down for a Shabbat meal reminded Open swimmer Isla George of her summer camp, where shared food was central to Shabbat.
“It’s amazing,” George said. “I just love the feeling of everyone coming together to eat a meal together, it’s just a special connection during Shabbos. It’s different than any other.”
Her teammate Ilana Jacobson felt the same, though she does not typically observe Shabbat at home. A self-described picky eater, Jacobson said the Shabbat meals at Maccabi pushed her outside her comfort zone. Her teammates have encouraged her to branch out, and she tried new Shabbat dishes like lamb and falafel for the first time.
Open swimmer Isabel Rosenberg noticed the food differences right away, comparing them to the Shabbat meals she’s used to at home.
“The challah is the same, but I guess I didn’t really eat schnitzel at home,” Rosenberg said.
She said the shift in menu enhanced her Shabbat and allowed her to experience an Israeli Shabbat.
For Maccabi athletes, the food told the story of the weekend. A first taste of shawarma, a new appreciation for schnitzel, a plate of brisket in place of a familiar egg salad sandwich; each meal marked a small shift, and together, they added up to a Shabbat few on the team will ever forget.