Interview wtih Neal Slotkin
- Name and position at Maccabi USA
Neal Slotkin – Media Coordinator/Producer for the Maccabi Media Program - Hometown, where you currently live, and family
I grew up in in Cherry Hill, NJ and currently live in Florence, NJ with my wife, Sharon, and daughters, Ally & Sydney - Favorite sports team and favorite athlete
I’m a fan of all Philadelphia pro teams – Eagles, Flyers, Phillies, 76ers, Union. I love almost all sports and watch them religiously. Favorite athletes growing up were Mike Schmidt, Bill Madlock, and Julius Erving - What is your greatest athletic accomplishment?
My wife says my greatest athletic accomplishment is producing 2 daughters with terrific soccer resumes and skills worthy of playing at the college level. Personally, I played sports endlessly growing up and was a reserve on a tremendous Cherry Hill West baseball team that was a perennial state-title contender. However, I was more of a “legend” playing pick-up basketball on my driveway or manning 3rd base for our ESPN softball team – fittingly called the “Tribe” – back in the early 90s. - How long have you been involved with Maccabi USA?
I joined Maccabi USA staff in September 2021. - What are some of your career highlights thus far?
Prior to joining Maccabi USA, I spent 27 years as a sports producer at several notable outlets including ESPN, NBC Sports Philadelphia, and MLB/NHL Network. I’ve covered thousands of pro and college sporting events including nearly 300 NFL games, multiple playoffs games, Stanley Cup Finals, Super Bowls, Hall of Fame Enshrinements, All-Star games, spring trainings, and The U.S. Open. I’ve worked with some incredibly talented people and have been fortunate to win 6 Emmy Awards. - What can you tell us about the Maccabi Media Program?
The Maccabi Media Program is a tremendous international opportunity for aspiring sports media professionals to cover the 21st Maccabiah in various broadcasting and video production roles in Israel in July 2022. Current high school seniors, college students, and recent college graduates who are Jewish and have chosen a career path in sports media are eligible to join the team. We will be selecting 14 versatile students to document Israel Connect and cover the games through play-by-play, color analysis, streaming, videography, editing, and sports reporting for web and social platforms. This will help increase exposure of Maccabi USA’s talented athletes and present a terrific educational and personal experience for our Maccabi Media team members. - What are you most looking forward to at the Maccabiah?
Having worked nearly 3 decades in sports media and now in my 8th year teaching TV production and broadcast writing at the college level (currently at Temple University and previously at Rider), I love working with talented students who dream of breaking into the industry. And to be able to do this in Israel is an amazing opportunity I wish I would have had as a student. - How can someone get involved with the Maccabi Media Program?
Interested candidates can learn more about the program and apply here: https://maccabiusa.com/maccabimedia/ or contact us at maccabimedia@maccabiusa.com. - Have you been to Israel before?
This will be my first trip to Israel and since that was a major bucket-list item for me, it’s a huge reason I decided to take on this role.