By: Robert S Weinroth
The first ever Maccabi Fun Run South Florida is launching to benefit athletes representing Team USA in the Maccabi World, European and Pan Am Games. The event, which will feature a certified and timed 5k run walk, is hosted by the Maccabi USA Future Leaders Forum – a group of Maccabi Games alumni from around the world brought together with the goal of spreading the Maccabi mission “building Jewish pride through sports.”
It all happens on Sunday June 23rd 2019. The 5k will start at 7:30AM.
Activities surrounding the race will happen between 7 and 10AM at the Spanish River Athletic Complex (1000 Spanish River Blvd Boca Raton FL 33431).
The Maccabi Fun Runs will be hosted across the United States this summer in partnership with over 20 Maccabi Clubs in Europe, Israel and South Africa, as part of the Global Maccabi FLF Movement.
The Maccabi Fun Run South Florida is the FIRST Maccabi Fun Run in the USA; three other USA cities (Washington DC; Raleigh NC and Philadelphia PA) will host events on June 23rd as well.
Maccabi Alumni and Chair Melissa Perlman, who’s company BlueIvy Communications is presenting sponsor of the event, said: “The Maccabi Games have been a part of my life for more than two decades and I have always done my best to share the experience with friends, family, and the community back home. I’m excited to finally bring the Maccabi Games to South Florida…through the Maccabi Fun Run…and allow us all to be a part of the organization’s greater mission.”
Medals and shirts will be provided to all finishers; awards to top three finishers; food and beverages to be provided to runners and walkers.
Registration is available at www.maccabifunrun.com.
Cost is $36 per person (age 17 and under is just $18).
In addition to presenting sponsor, BlueIvy Communications, iCruise.com, Fleet Feet Delray Beach, Pineapple Run Crew, Chiropractic & Sports Rehabilitation Institute, OrangeTheoryFitness, and Brooklyn Water Bagels have committed to sponsorships for the event. 
Sponsorships are still available. To inquire, please call Macabi Fun Run at 410.300.4102 or via email at SoFloFunRun@gmail.com.
The Maccabi Fun Run is the largest, international Jewish Sports, Community and Charity Day. This summer, Maccabi Fun Runs will also be sendoffs to Maccabi USA athletes who will be traveling to the European Maccabi Games in Budapest and the Pan Am Maccabi Games in Mexico City, to represent Maccabi USA.
The event will bring the South Florida community together to celebrate Jewish pride through sports and cheer on the competitive local Jewish athletes representing Team USA at the 2019 Maccabi Games.
This event will raise money to send South Florida athletes representing Team USA to compete in the European Maccabi Games in Budapest, Hungary and Mexico City, Mexico this summer, as well as start an endowment for the World Games in Israel in 2021.
Learn more at https://vimeo.com/312683482.
The Maccabiah Games, also known as the World Maccabiah Games משחקי המכביה, or משחקי המכביה העולמית) or “Jewish Olympics,” were first held in 1932. The Games are an international Jewish and Israeli multi-sport event now held every four years in Israel.
Competitions at the Maccabiah are organized into four divisions – Open, Juniors, Masters, and Disabled. The Games are organized by the Maccabi World Union. The regional games – known as the European and Pan Am Games – take place every four years as well – but during the off years. They also move around Europe and South America for each event. In 2019, the games will be held in Budapest, Hungary and Mexico City, Mexico – respectively.
The World Maccabi Games in Israel is the third-largest sporting event in the world, with 10,000 athletes competing (after the Olympics and the Pan Am Games). In 2017, at the World Games, athletes competed on behalf of 85 countries, in 45 sports. The Maccabiah Games are open to Jewish athletes from around the world, as well as to all Israeli athletes regardless of religion. Arab Israelis have also competed in it.
Just like at the Olympics, the Maccabiah starts out with a “Parade of Nations”, during which most participating athletes march into the stadium, country by country. The countries enter the stadium in accordance with the Hebrew alphabet. The parade of nations, in contrast to some other games, include junior and disabled athletes who also partake in the competitions. In accordance with the Maccabiah’s tradition, the Israeli delegation always enters last.