Written By Riley Chodoroff
Jewish youth are taking center stage this summer in London and no one is more excited about the kids being in the spotlight than Jamie Toldero, who will serve as an athletic trainer with the Maccabi USA delegation at the 2024 European Maccabi Youth Games.
Earning her B.S. from West Chester University and her M.S. from Virginia Commonwealth, Toldero fell in love with athletic training and working with children. She now works in outreach for athletic training at Rothman Orthopaedics and is currently the athletic trainer at Mount Saint Joseph Academy in Flourtown, PA.
Toldero’s favorite part of athletic training is being there for the athletes. “I’m the first person there when they get hurt and the first person to get them through the process and get them back on the field,” she said, adding how she’s not just there for their injuries but she’s there for them as a person too. Toldero described a mutual respect that exists between her and the athletes as she helps them to emotionally and mentally overcome physical hardships.
Toldero has been on staff for several other Maccabi USA events including the 14th Pan American Maccabi Games and the 20th and 21st Maccabiah in Israel. She loves the Maccabi organization and everything it stands for, plus the camaraderie that develops when Jews come together.
“I’ve made friends in the Maccabis from around the world. It’s such a cool experience. The people you meet are the people you will never forget. Friends become family,” she said. “I love that everyone at and a part of the Maccabi Games are volunteers and we all choose to be a part of the organization and the Games and the ones that come back show a true love for it.”
When asked what about Judaism is important to her, Toldero described how religion gave a basis for how she sees the world and sees life. She was brought up very Jewish, and believes religion is a way to have a community that understands you in different ways.
Since Toldero has always worked with kids, she is excited that the competition this summer in London is strictly for junior athletes. She’s looking forward to seeing the focus placed exclusively on the kids and watching them all interact while living together on one college campus. That proximity will allow her to attend a variety of sports when she’s not on duty.
Her advice for those participating is this event: “Go as open-minded as you can. Have fun. Be involved in as much as you can be involved in. You might not get the opportunity again. It’s also a great way to network. You never know who you’re going to meet [and] who can help you out later in life.”
Riley Chodoroff is from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and is a sophomore at Temple University studying broadcast journalism. You can follow her @rileychodoroff on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X and follow her work at maccabiusa.com.