Three Heschel student-athletes will travel to Israel to represent the United States at the Maccabiah Games in the Summer of 2025.

Sophomore Aiden Barnea will play U18 Boys Outdoor Soccer, along with his brother, freshman James Barnea, who will play U16 Boys Outdoor Soccer. Sophomore Ariel Zeltzer will play on the U16 Boys Basketball Team.

The Maccabiah is the world’s largest Jewish athletic competition and the second-largest sporting event in the world – in terms of number of athletes competing – after the Olympics. The Maccabiah Games have taken place every four years in Israel since 1932.

This year, for the first time, Maccabi USA’s National Team will expand to feature two teams for some sports. This is because the Maccabiah program aims to provide more American Jewish teen athletes with a strong connection to Israel in light of the “trying times for Israel and Jewish communities around the world,” according to the Maccabi USA website.

Ariel Zeltzer said, “Representing the United States at Maccabiah 2025 is an amazing opportunity. It’s so meaningful to connect my two most important commitments – basketball and Israel.” 

Aiden Barnea echoed Zeltzer’s statement:”It’s an honor to be able to represent my country in doing the thing that I love,” he said.

James Barnea said, “It feels like an opportunity to represent something bigger than myself, and to be able to do so with my brother makes it all the better.”

The Maccabiah games will be held from July 8 to July 22 in different venues across Israel. In addition to the “Juniors” league (ages 15-18), competitions occur in the “Open” league (no age limits), the “Masters” league (various age categories) and the Paralympic league.