MACCABIAH CAMP EXPERIENCE
Maccabiah Camp Experience – 2026
The 2026 Maccabiah Camp Experience successfully brought the spirit of the Maccabiah to 23 Jewish summer camps and nearly 4,500 campers in eight states including California, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Through sports, Israel engagement, Jewish identity, leadership, and meaningful interactions with Maccabiah athletes, thousands of campers experienced firsthand the values that define the global Maccabi movement.
This initiative was led by Maccabi USA and the Maccabi World Union through our MWU Shlichim team in partnership with camp leadership, Heads of Delegation, athletes, and coaches, creating engaging and memorable experiences for campers across the country.
Throughout the summer, campers participated in interactive clinics led by Maccabiah athletes and coaches representing a wide variety of sports, including basketball, baseball, soccer, pickleball, volleyball, catchball, and judo. Each clinic combined skill development with teamwork, sportsmanship, resilience, and fun while giving campers the opportunity to learn directly from accomplished Maccabiah athletes.
Beyond the clinics, campers spent meaningful time with the athletes through conversations, Q&A sessions, group activities, and personal interactions, creating connections that extended well beyond the playing field.
Every camp visit also included educational programming and through discussions, games, storytelling, and interactive activities, campers discovered that the Maccabiah is much more than an international sporting event—it is a global celebration of Jewish unity, identity, and lifelong connections.
Maccabiah Camp Experience – History
In the summer of 2024, Maccabi World Union and Maccabi USA collaborated to launch a new project: The Maccabiah Camp Experience! The goal was to bring the spirit of the largest Jewish sports event in the world to as many Jewish communities across North America as possible.
Seven summer camps initially hosted the program which introduces elements from the Maccabiah, an event which changed the lives of tens of thousands of Jewish athletes around the world over the last 90+ years. Campers participated in a Maccabiah Day that included a torch lighting ceremony, sports clinics with athletes from Israel, the USA, and South America, and a colorful and unique Maccabiah celebration. At the end of the day, campers received a medal specially designed for the Maccabiah Camp Experience.
In 2025, the initiative expanded to 21 summer camps in 8 states and added rugby, tennis and baseball to the basketball, soccer and karate clinics already in rotation. This important venture is growing in scope and impact and is touching the lives of thousands of Jewish campers across the country.