Written by Ari Wohl
Larry and Sandy Slater aren’t paid to travel the world and take photos, but that hasn’t stopped them from capturing images from college tournaments, the Olympics, and this summer, the 2025 Maccabiah in Israel.
Larry is a practicing lawyer in Arizona, but outside his office, his passion lies in sports photography, a love that’s allowed him to travel the world.
A former state-champion wrestler in Connecticut, Larry began taking photos for events at Arizona State University in 2005. Twenty years later, he and his wife Sandy will return to Israel for the 2025 Maccabiah.
The couple has attended the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships for 20 years in a row, but for Larry, it started as a way to stay close to the sport he loved.
“We noticed there were some guys that were right up on the mat,” Larry said. “We wondered how you got that seat, and it turns out those were the photographers.”
Wherever Larry went, his wife of nearly 39 years followed.
“People always say I must love wrestling,” Sandy explained, “but I love him. I’m happy to be there with him and take pictures with him.”
As technology switched from film to digital, Larry invested in newer cameras and lenses, which allowed him to be more creative and improve his skills. His passion led him to the Beijing Olympics in 2008. For Larry, the best photos show the emotions of an athlete.
“You’re not really looking for a good move,” Larry said. “But you’re looking for stress and strain on their face, as well as the twisting and turning, and balance.”
Larry grew up in New York, attended Orthodox services, and thought his Bar Mitzvah would be the extent of his Jewish observation. But when he married Sandy, who wasn’t born Jewish, they raised their kids Jewish. For Sandy, her choice to convert came about eight years into their marriage.
“They came in to count a minyan, and I didn’t count. At that point I decided, it’s time. I felt like I wanted to count,” Sandy said.
The Slaters recently covered the Pan American Maccabi Games in Argentina in 2023. This summer, they are looking forward to photographing and memorializing some of the areas affected by the October 7th attacks.
The Maccabiah experience not only provides athletes with an opportunity to compete but also a chance to create relationships that may last a lifetime. While conflict and uncertainty remain in Israel, the Maccabiah, for people like the Slaters, continues to raise awareness and inspire pride for Jews around the world.
“Having this kind of program – bonding everybody – is a really special thing,” Larry said. “Israel is under attack. Jews are under attack… and we want to be able to stand up for Jews wherever we go.”
Ari Wohl graduated with a BA in Sports Journalism and will receive an MA in Mass Communication this spring from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. Follow him on Instagram (a.wohl1), Twitter (@a_wohl1), and at www.maccabiusa.com.