For some, the Maccabiah is really all in the family

People have called the Maccabiah many things: a sporting event, a Jewfest, the realization of a Zionist dream, and a whole lot more.

But one thing participants agree upon is the existence of a “Maccabiah spirit,” a feeling that combines and goes beyond the sports, the Jewish get-together, and the educational and social programs the athletes enjoy when not competing.

In a recent interview with The Times of Israel, team USA member and Hall of Fame softball pitcher Dave Blackburn tried to describe that special spirit. “There’s a battle on the field as hard as in any other sport competition. But, when it’s over, you feel like one big family. Part of the 12 tribes. One big mishpucha. There’s a different feeling than at the other settings,” he said.

And yet, for some of the athletes, that talk of family is actually literal: they’re competing with or against siblings, parents and cousins.

Like father like son

Last year Allan Kliger heard that a friend’s son would be attending the current 19th Maccabiah in Israel, and started thinking that his son Jedediah should go too. An avid cyclist, Allan thought having his son, also a cyclist, participate in such an event could be the perfect match.

For Allan, the Maccabiah “is about the father-son experience. And riding with my son in Israel is the best.” That experience, and the joy of cycling, caused the Toronto native to decide to participate in his first Maccabiah as well.

Jedediah, 15, is the sole member of Canada’s junior Maccabiah cycling team, while Allan is racing alongside “too many people” on Canada’s main team.

Being the only junior cyclist for Canada “means there’s more responsibility,” Jedediah said. Ahead of the games, he trained twice a week with a personal trainer and sometimes rode with a cycling club.

“I’m not sure what I’ll end up doing,” Jedediah said, when asked about his future, but he doesn’t want to pursue the sport as a professional career. “I’ll probably keep riding for fun.”

Sibling rivalry

Yuval Kisilevich, 19, will represent Guatemala in show jumping. One of her tough opponents will be Mexico’s Alberto Michan, a world-class jumper who placed fifth at the 2012 London Olympics. Another will be her older sister Adi, a recent immigrant to Israel.

In a recent interview with Ynet, the two sisters said it was hard to compete against each other since they were usually very supportive of one another.

Both sisters said their ultimate goal was to ride in the Olympics, with Adi having her eyes set on the 2016 Games in Brazil and the younger sibling noting she might have to wait a few more years.

“It’s challenging to be in an important event, and even more for each of us to represent her country,” Yuval said. “With the experience Adi has, she can support me, but that won’t stop us from also being opponents.”

Coach Carter and sons

The US delegation has many families with more than one representative at the Games. On the basketball team, assistant coach Mike Carter gives instructions to his sons, Timothy and Ben.

Coming to the Maccabiah was, among other things, “an opportunity for me to bring my kids back to the Holy Land where they born,” Mike told The Times of Israel in a recent interview. “My wife’s [Israeli] family has never seen the kids play. Last time they saw them they were little kids; now they are six foot nine. It is a dream come true for my family.”

“It is an honor playing for my dad,” Ben, the younger of the siblings, said. “Playing in [the] Maccabiah games in the country I was born, and getting to play in front of my Israel family, is very special. Tim and I take pride in our Israeli heritage.”

Tim, who hopes to return to Israel later on as a professional player, recalled how he spent his whole life seeing the Israeli part of his family via Skype. Now he is getting the chance to finally be with them. “It’s going to be great to give them a hug and kiss and see them in person.”

(Only) four sister act

For the Komar family, netball is a serious family business — and the Maccabiah is the time to showcase it. After Suzy made aliya from England 30 years ago, she and some friends started the first-ever netball team in Israel. Over 20 years later, her four daughters are members of the blue-and-white national team at the 19th Maccabiah.

Racheli, 27, recalled how, as kids, they’d always be sick or have another excuse to not be at school one day a week — that was netball day. Since Racheli and Chani (25) first appeared in the 16th Maccabiah, the family’s focus on the game has increased. “Playing netball in the Komar family is a tradition we all got from our mother. All of the girls play or played in the national team,” she said.

While 19-year-old Neomi joined her two older sisters in the main team, and 15-year-old Chaya plays for the juniors, the family could have had one more player on the roster. Shlomit, 21, represented Israel at the last Maccabiah in 2009, but missed this one because of her national service — which she’s doing as an emissary in the Canadian Jewish community.

Raphael Gellar contributed to this report.