Under the Jerusalem sky, more than 30,000 people filled Teddy Stadium for the unforgettable Opening Ceremony of the Maccabiah 2026, organized by Maccabi World Union. As Vice President of this extraordinary organization, it was impossible for me not to feel emotional and a sense of responsibility. Watching delegation after delegation enter the stadium carrying the flags of their countries and Jewish communities from around the world was a vivid reminder that one can be rooted in their local societies while remaining connected to our global Jewish family.

The theme of this year’s Maccabiah was “More Than Ever,” a powerful statement about the moment we are living as the Jewish people.

For over a century, Maccabi World Union has been the world’s largest Jewish sports organization and one of the leading institutions advancing Jewish identity, Zionism, leadership, and global Jewish peoplehood. Through the universal language of sport, we have inspired generations of Jews to embrace healthy living, leadership, community engagement, and a strong sense of belonging to the Jewish People and the State of Israel. The Maccabiah Games are a demonstration that despite our different languages, cultures, religious expressions, and political perspectives, we remain one people bound together by a shared history, a shared destiny, and a shared future.

I have watched over the last two weeks thousands of Jewish athletes, coaches, families, volunteers, and supporters from every corner of the world celebrating athletic excellence and, even more so, the joy of belonging. The Maccabiah is often described as the “Jewish Olympics,” but that description barely scratches the surface. The Games are where Jewish identity goes beyond being an abstract concept and is experienced through encounters, friendships, teamwork, celebration, respect, and healthy competition. While every delegation proudly represents its own country and community, our participants simultaneously become part of our larger Jewish family.

As I walked through the venues and took in the exceptional atmosphere surrounding the Games, I could not help but think how naturally this vision converges with the mission of Voice of the People. Although they were born in different eras and employ different tools, Maccabi World Union and Voice of the People ultimately pursue the same aspiration: to strengthen the bonds that unite the Jewish people. One has long understood that sport can build identity, leadership, resilience, and belonging. The other recognizes that dialogue, listening, collaboration, and courageous leadership are indispensable to our collective future. They represent different pathways with a shared purpose.

The Maccabiah offers a critical lesson for the Jewish people. At a time of growing internal polarization, this gathering quietly reminds us that our shared future is infinitely greater. The Games remind us that unity does not require uniformity, that disagreement need not diminish belonging, and that Jewish peoplehood is sustained not only in moments of crisis, but also through moments of joy and celebration.

As the Games come to a close, I find myself grateful for both the opportunity to have witnessed this historic moment and the privilege of helping to advance, through Maccabi World Union and Voice of the People, a vision of a Jewish future rooted in connection, belonging, dialogue, and mutual responsibility. In a world increasingly shaped by polarization and fragmentation, both organizations remind us that our greatest strength has never been our ability to think alike, but our willingness to remain one people despite our differences.

Perhaps that is what “More Than Ever” truly means. More than ever, the Jewish People need one another. More than ever, we must invest in belonging, in dialogue, in bridge-building, and in relationships that transcend our differences. More than ever, we must choose Jewish peoplehood.