IN MAY, more than 100 young South African Jewish athletes got the news they had dreaded. They would not be going to the 2026 Maccabiah Games in Israel.
The decision was taken after a board vote on 4 May, which eventually led Maccabi South Africa to withdraw its junior delegation, citing security concerns linked to the war with Iran, travel restrictions, and the withdrawal of major junior teams from countries such as Canada, Australia, and Great Britain. Undoubtedly, it was a significant setback for teenagers who had trained for months.
Maccabi South Africa chairman Cliff Garrun didn’t hide the disappointment, but he pointed to a way forward. “We decided to convert the disappointment into opportunity,” he told the SA Jewish Report at the time.
However, last week in Johannesburg, that opportunity arrived: the Maccabi SA National Junior Games 2026, with more than 300 athletes aged Under-12 to Under-18 competing in sport and cultural events.
The Man Behind the Games
Few people have done more for Jewish sport in South Africa than Garrun. In July, the Maccabi World Union gave him its highest honour, the Yakir Maccabi Award, at its “More Than a Leader” event in Israel, in recognition of his many years of leadership in the Maccabi movement and the Maccabiah. (Read our earlier report: A Yakir Maccabi Award for Cliff Garrun.)
His influence also reaches well beyond South Africa. In February, at the Maccabi World Union (WMU) leadership conference in Israel, Garrun personally presented Nigeria Maccabi’s application to join the newly proposed Maccabi African Confederation (MAC), a sign of his commitment to growing the movement across the continent.
Explaining this year’s Maccabiah decision, Garrun said that “the large majority of parents were very unwilling about travelling and the risk involved,” and that with so many nations withdrawing, meaningful competition in Israel was no longer viable. Rather than let the junior programme stop, Maccabi SA gave its athletes a stage at home, one that also opened the door to families who could never have afforded an overseas trip.
Day 1: “A little bit of History Made”
“Today’s the day! Let the Games begin!” Maccabi SA announced on opening day. Athletes arrived and registered, the Cape Town delegation joined, and the evening brought an opening ceremony and the first dance performances.
“Smiles, new friendships, beautiful dancing—and a little bit of history made along the way,” the organizers wrote that night.
Before the ceremony, the athletes gathered together in their team kits, and the evening closed with dancers performing solo and duet routines on stage. The Games’ mascot, a springbok wearing a blue headband with a Star of David, was a cheerful presence throughout.
Day 2: Over 300 Entries
The second day, which the organisers called a day to remember, brought more than 300 entries along with invitational teams. Soccer, netball, chess, padel and tennis ran side by side, while golf and dance reached their conclusions.
Young footballers across the age groups competed on the pitches, while netball was played on the courts of King David High School. Padel and tennis players battled it out on the courts, and on the golf course the juniors completed their competition. The dancers had to wait a little longer, with their scores held back for the next day’s medal ceremony.
Day 3: Finals, Medals and Full Hearts
The final day brought finals and medal ceremonies, and a closing message from Maccabi SA about more than results:
“We came together through sport, across multiple disciplines and age groups, different cities and different schools—but with one thing that unites us all: our Jewish identity.”
The organisers thanked “every athlete, parent, Boba, Zada, coach, volunteer, official, supporter,” including the grandparents, a sign of how much these Games belonged to whole families. “The Games may be over,” they wrote, “but the memories are just beginning.”
In Conclusion: What was lost, and what was Gained
No home tournament can fully replace marching into a stadium in Israel under your country’s flag. But the National Junior Games gave South Africa’s young Jewish athletes something of their own: medals won in front of their families, friendships across cities and schools, and proof that their community would not let them down.
Maccabi SA calls it history. For Cliff Garrun, it was the “opportunity” he promised in May, delivered in full.
What a way for South Africa’s Jewish community to head into the festival. And as Jewish communities around the world gather in their sukkot this week, African Jewish Voices wishes everyone a safe and joyful Sukkot celebration. Chag Sameach