Written by Giorgianna Heiko
A teenage legacy will be playing in the Maccabiah this summer.
Hailing from Kirkland, Washington, Brandon Egdes will play the same sport that his father played in 1979 – tennis. When the 15-year-old arrives in Israel this summer, he will be around the same age that his parents were when they first attended the Games while representing South Africa.
At just 13 years old, Brandon’s mother, Yael Kantor, won a gold medal in gymnastics for her country. At the same Maccabiah, she met her husband-to-be, Brandon’s father, Clive Egdes. More than two decades later, the couple placed their children in several different sports, including their mother’s most competitive exercise, gymnastics. But Brandon resonated, just like his father, with tennis.
Now, the high school sophomore has been playing in USDA tennis tournaments for the past three years. He won doubles in an L5 in Oregon and has made it to several consolation singles finals. This summer, he will be attending his biggest tournament yet with crowds far larger than he’s used to. “It’ll be something he’ll never forget, just like we’ve never forgotten,” said Brandon’s mother.
The 2025 Maccabiah will be Brandon’s first international experience and it’s one he hopes to continue into his adulthood. “I want to play at the collegiate level…Hopefully that will be a good Division 1 school” he said. In preparation for the long tennis career ahead of him, Brandon finds it challenging to juggle school, practice, and homework, but he is not a procrastinator and always finishes his homework on time.
However, Brandon’s childhood differs significantly from that of his parents. Growing up in South Africa, both Yael and Clive dreamed of leaving the country. Brandon’s maternal grandfather, Ellis Kantor, desired to take his family out of the country so his sons wouldn’t have to fight on behalf of the South African government which supported a system of racial segregation and discrimination called apartheid.
They would either make Aliyah to Israel or go to the United States. “My father always thought we would move to Israel and make Aliyah, but we moved to the States instead,” said Brandon’s mother. Eventually, both Clive and Yael’s family made their permanent homes in the United States, where they would meet by chance over a course of several years until they married in their early forties.
Brandon’s parents are almost as excited as he is to return to Israel this summer. In 2018, Brandon, the youngest child of three, first traveled to Israel for the B’nai Mitzvot of his sister and his cousin. “It’s unlike any other place,” said Brandon’s mother. Both Yael and Clive will be traveling to Israel with their son to watch him continue the Maccabiah legacy with great pride.
Giorgianna Heiko is a senior at William & Mary, majoring in English. In her time at William & Mary, Giorgianna has gotten involved in theater, playing Juliet in the university’s MainStage production of Romeo & Juliet and Puck in the MainStage production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She also co-founded the Liberal Students League and currently serves as its Vice President. In her free time, she enjoys reading books, watching tv, and grabbing coffee with friends. You can follow her on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.