By Oren Gotesman & Prescott Watson

“Hello, and prepare to be defeated,” Erez Shachar, Israel fellow to Santa Cruz Hillel, announced to visiting teams in Hebrew. Sporting an Israeli flag as a cape, he pointed to the Santa Cruz team. “Let’s get started, Jews!” he yelled in English. And so began the first Bay Area Maccabiah Games hosted by Santa Cruz Hillel. Modeled after the official Maccabiah Games held in Israel, the local version is an athletic and cultural celebration open to all Jews and Israelis. Often called the “Jewish Olympics,” the Games are held every four years in Tel Aviv and draw a worldwide audience. Read the rest of this entry »