By Ashley Bradway '18
Joseph Schneider '15 has gone where very few athletes have gone before — both literally and metaphorically.
Joe represented the United States on the men's open basketball team for ages 18-25 during the 20th annual Maccabiah Games this summer. The Maccabiah Games, often referred to as the "Jewish Olympics," take place every four years in Israel. More than 10,000 athletes from 80 countries participated in the games, including a number of Olympic medalists, record holders and world-class athletes. But despite the odds, Joe's team won all six games it played, earning the gold.
A few years ago, Joe participated in the Jewish Community Center Maccabiah; the coach saw his skill and recommended he try out for the official games. The tryouts occur in New York and California, and attract an eclectic mix of athletes, as Joe describes, "some people played professionally in teams in Europe; others were college students like me."
Four years ago, the Amherst College standout tried out for the team and didn't make it, but he came back, and this time he made the cut— along with 11 others.
The group traveled to Israel and spent a week touring the country before the games and seeing important sites like the Western Wall and the City of David. The tours are part of the Maccabiah's mission to strengthen participant's connection to the State of Israel and the Jewish people.
It was Joe's first time in Israel — an experience he is not apt to forget. As he explains, "It was awesome being able to compete with 10,000 other athletes like myself who were Jewish; of course we were there to win gold, but we were also so proud of being of being Jewish and being surrounded by people just like us."