Baltimore Athletes compete in the
21st Maccabiah games held in Israel
The 21st Maccabiah Games take place in Israel on July 12-26, 2022 with the opening ceremony being held at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem on July 14. We got the chance to interview a few Baltimore natives who will be competing for team USA in Israel this month.
Baltimore native Rachel Katzenberg, a first-year goalkeeper at Mount Holyoke College, has been selected to the 18-athlete roster for the 21st Maccabiah games held in Israel next month. Katzenberg grew up playing field hockey – she attended the Jemicy Lower School and graduated high school from St. Paul’s School for Girls.
When asked about what it means to represent the USA in the Maccabiah games Katzenberg said, “it is almost an unreal feeling knowing that after the Olympics, Paralympics, and World Cup, this is the next largest athletic competition. When I was in 5th grade, I was a Girl Scout and we had to write down our short-term and long-term goals. The goal that I wrote down on a little pink heart, that I still have today, was ‘I am on the team for the Maccabiah games for Israel’.”
Jake Steinberg, a senior forward at University of Delaware, has been selected to represent team USA in Soccer for the Maccabiah games. Steinberg grew up playing soccer and graduated from the McDonogh School.
For Steinberg being able to represent the USA during the Maccabiah games means a great deal to him. Steinberg said, “It’s a new experience for me because, throughout my journey in sports, I’ve always been one of, if not, the only Jewish members of my teams, so I haven’t had the opportunity to share athletic experiences with other Jewish people. In this year’s Maccabiah games, I will be surrounded by people that are guided in the same faith as myself and can now share those experiences with them”.
Jeff Rubin is currently competing in the 65+ Tennis Competition in Netanya, Israel. Regarding his first game, Jeff said, “My first match was against Haim Oh, the #1 ranked 65+ player in Israel. I lost to him but he is a great guy and an excellent player. As we shook hands, I said to him; “If I have to lose to anyone, I’m glad its to an Israeli.” For me, the Maccabiah experience is “Jews first and athletes second.” I feel so fortunate having this experience and sharing it with my wife, Esther.
Jeff Rubin is an active member of Jewish Baltimore and a member of The Associated’s Board of Directors.
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