The team from Margate's Jewish Community Center brought back some gold medals and a great experience from the 2026 Mid-Atlantic Mini and Junior Maccabi Games.
The Maccabi Games bring together Jewish athletes ages 9 to 12 from across the region for an Olympic-style day of competition, community and Jewish pride.
The Marjorie & Lewis Katz JCC’s girls junior basketball team impressed by taking top honors with just five players.
Led by Coach John Gecewicz, the players won six games without substitutions and remained undefeated.
Along the way, they bested teams from larger communities across New Jersey, the Greater Washington, DC area and New York City, ultimately earning the championship victory over a strong Baltimore team.
Their resilience, endurance, and commitment to one another made the win especially meaningful for the entire Katz community, the JCC announced.
The team’s gold medal roster featured of girls ages 11 and 12 were Kennedy Bittner, Chloe Gecewicz, Zoe Greenberg, Sofia Silverstein and Jade Trocki-Videll.
“We are incredibly inspired by our athletes and the way they represented the Katz JCC and our community,” said JCC CEO Marg Rosenblatt. “They competed with resilience, supported one another and embraced the spirit of the Maccabi Games. Experiences like this play an important role in shaping confident young leaders and strengthening our community.”
The JCC's lone swimmer did his team proud.
Noa Zaken brought home two gold medals and a silver, with the support of Margate Sharks Swim Team Coach Jenna Goldberg.
The girls mini basketball team of 9- and 10-year-olds finished second in their division. Their energy, teamwork and competitive spirit were led by Coach Olivia Rulon.
The team was Jamie Blackman, Danielle Elliott, Emma Kimble, Lila Malamut, Jane Bauma, Taylor Fox and Sophia Kurtz.
“This past weekend, my daughter Lila and six of her friends had the privilege of participating in the Maccabi Games in the mini girls basketball category for the very first time," Amy Malamut said. "From the inspiring opening ceremony in the morning to the championship game that night, they had a blast and played their hearts out. We are so proud of the girls for coming in second place and even more proud of them for representing their local Jewish community.
"We can’t thank Coach Olivia enough for her patience and guidance throughout the last few months," she added.
The boys junior basketball team consisted of 11- and 12-year-olds Bill Marcus, Jackson Bittner, Xander Hirsch, Noah Enders, Mason Enders, Dylan Weinberg and Yale Trocki-Videll, led by Coach Scott Bittner.
“We’re so proud of all of our athletes for the way they competed throughout the day,” said JCC Associate Executive Director Brian Adler, who organized the Margate delegation. “Our teams supported one another, played with heart, and truly represented the values of our community. The girls junior championship and girls mini second-place finish highlight an incredible day, but what stands out most is the teamwork and spirit across the entire delegation.”
The Katz JCC delegation joined approximately 1,100 young athletes in this year’s Games, which featured a wide range of sports including basketball, soccer, baseball, swimming, tennis, track, pickleball, squash and dance.
Designed as an introduction to the international JCC Maccabi experience, the event provides younger athletes with a taste of high-level competition in a nurturing, values-driven environment.
