Milken Athletes Excel at Maccabiah Games
Three Milken athletes competed in the prestigious 20th World Maccabiah Games, held in Jerusalem July 4 -18. Amitai Afenjar ’18, Noah Safer-Brickman ’19, and Alexandra Kleinman ’18 joined over 8,000Jewish athletes from 80 countries in the Olympic-style sporting competition, often dubbed the Jewish Olympics. TheUSA boasted the largest delegation of over 1,100 athletes. Held every four years in Israel, the World Maccabiah Games are the world’s third largest sporting event.
Afenjar, who has been playing basketball since he was four, scored a gold medal playing on the Maccabi USA Youth Basketball Team competing in his first games. The win capped off a triumphant basketballseason for him. He is a member of the Milken Boys Varsity Basketball Team that won the CIF Southern Section Division 4A Championship. Afenjar, who has played on the team since he was a freshman, was also voted MVP of the CIF Southern Section Division 4A. The Israeli magazine Shavua Israeli profiled him in the July 5 issue where he appears on the cover. Afenjar prepared for the games by attending a five-day training camp in Atlanta with the team and working on his game at home, the basketball courts, and at the gym. “My highlight of the Maccabiah Games was in the end, right after the final game had ended. The whole team came together and shared their personal feelings with each other. I felt so connected with everyone and appreciative of all my teammates,” recalled Afenjar.
In his first appearance in the games, Safer-Brickman earned a bronze medal in Track & Field, competing in his favorite race, the 4x100-meter relay. He also ran in the 400-meter, 800-meter, and 4x400-meter races. Safer-Brickman’s preparation for the games began with participating on the Milken track team, which he has been a member of for two years, and then running every other day after the season ended. When asked about his experience at the games, Safer-Brickman noted, “My time at the games was life changing. Not only did I get to compete in my sport at a high level, I also made many new friendships with people from across the country and world.”
Kleinman, a Milken Varsity Tennis player, competed on the Maccabi USA Tennis Team in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. She previously competed in the Pan American Maccabi Games in Chile in 2015. While Kleinman did not place, she was happy with her performance. She prepared for the games by practicing three to four times per week and competing in tournaments on the weekends. Kleinman summed up the games saying, “It was a great experience. It was super fun meeting new friends from all over the world.”
Competing in the Maccabiah Games was an amazing experience that our athletes will not forget, and the trio encourages others to participate. All athletes must apply and be selected through tryouts or qualifiers to earn a spot in the games. So much more than just a competitive sporting event, the games are an opportunity for Jewish athletes from all over the world to bond with each other, to foster a deeper connection to Judaism, and to strengthen support for the state of Israel. Kleinman remarked, “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, so if you want to participate in the games, you definitely should. It changes you.”
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