By Will Hopkins
I went into the 2026 Maccabiah not knowing what to expect in terms of apparel exchange. Maccabi Media Program Coordinator Neal Slotkin had told me and the other media students about how big of a part of the experience it would be and emphasized the value of American items. Even still, I wasn’t too sure.
During the Opening Ceremony, I wasn’t prepared to swap anything, but I quickly realized how big of a deal it was to the other delegations—not only to trade but to trade with the United States delegation. Throughout the Games, the trading subsided, but it was at the absolute forefront on the night of the Closing Ceremony.
Athletes and coaches (and media members) from all delegations and ages came prepared with backpacks full of apparel to barter under the tents outside of the Tel Aviv Expo. People were walking around, checking out what others had to offer and negotiating to make a deal work.
Some delegates took it upon themselves to set up a little store of sorts. They laid out all of their belongings (many of which were from countries different than their own) and let the athletes come to them with their best offers.
Going into the night, I decided I wanted to get in on the fun. I brought some of my Maccabi Media polos since I’d still have some leftover. I also came with some other pieces of general USA delegation clothing. I packed my bag with my eyes set on one thing that I saw during the Opening Ceremony—the Israel zip-up. I walked all around, over and over again, looking for one.
I found a few, but unfortunately none were in my size. Even still, I wasn’t going to go home without cracking some deals. I came away with an Israel scarf, a Maccabi towel, bag and notebook, a USA hat and some trading cards.
While other Americans wanted attire from some other countries, such as Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, I really just wanted apparel from Israel. After all, that is the country I felt closest to while being here. And while I didn’t get exactly what I wanted, I was more than happy to come away with my scarf as a keepsake from this amazing experience.
By the end of the night, you wouldn’t have any idea what country someone was representing by the clothes that they had on. Everybody had a little bit of everything from everywhere.
That is what the Maccabiah is all about. People wore their colors, jerseys and flags with pride, but they were equally prideful to learn about others—others’ cultures, languages and more. The Maccabiah teams are separated by nations, but Judaism and love for Israel is what brings everybody together.
In the Maccabiah trade market, differences are celebrated. There is interest and love for others’ countries, while still holding each’s own to a high value in negotiations. I think this trading is a beautiful microcosm of what the world should be—self-pride with tremendous respect, interest and curiosity for others.
Will Hopkins is the play-by-play voice for several sports at Division III Emory University in Atlanta. He also helps out behind the scenes for radio station 680 The Fan, the flagship station of the Atlanta Braves.