Brothers Ross Baron (Rowan), Zach Fisher (Pennsylvania) and Alex Brenner (Claremont) will compete in this year’s 2017 Maccabiah games in Israel. Brother Fisher will compete in men’s open swimming, Brother Baron in Futsal (indoor soccer) and Brother Brenner in men’s tennis.

The Maccabiah World Union is the largest and longest running Jewish sports organization spanning over five continents, more than 60 countries, 450 clubs and 400,000 members.

Opening ceremonies were held Thursday, July 6 and saw appearances from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin. Maccabiah contestants will travel the country in the coming weeks learning about the history of Israel and Israeli sports.

“I’m looking forward to combining two passions of mine, Israel and athletics,” says Brother Fisher.

“I aim to be the best I can be athletically and bring home the gold. This will be my fourth time in Israel. Every time I go, I feel more well rounded as a Jew. I hope to bring back a lot of great memories and make more friends and connections from all over the world,” said Brother Baron.