randy.cruz@me.com by Lehighsports.com
Rising sophomores Jordan Cohen (men’s basketball), Jeffrey Kirshenbaum (track and field) and junior Gordon Wolf (wrestling), are set to compete in the 20th World Maccabiah Games from July 4-18 in Israel. An international Jewish multi-sport event held every four years, the Maccabiah Games are the third largest sporting event in the world. Maccabi USA will bring more than 1,000 athletes who will join the 10,000 Jewish athletes from 80 countries participating in 43 different sports.
Wolf qualified for the NCAA Championships at 174 as a deferred freshman in 2015-16 and posted a win in the NCAA Championships at Madison Square Garden. Last season, Wolf competed at 165, posting a 9-4 record and winning his only dual meet appearance. Wolf qualified for the Maccabiah Games team by way of his runner-up finish at the USA Maccabiah Team Trials in early April in Philadelphia. At the team trials, Wolf competed at 86 kg./189 lbs. and won four of his five matches in a round-robin format.
Since 1932, over 62,000 athletes have participated in the Maccabiah Games, in a celebration of Jewish Strength and Solidarity. Team USA’s success is not only measured by the medals won, but by the impact that the Maccabiah experience had on their lives as well as the friendships they formed.
Maccabi USA builds Jewish pride through sports, generating the emotional intensity, high ideals, and powerful camaraderie of competition. We connect athletes, volunteers, and supporters with the global Jewish community. Our athletic, educational, and cultural experiences build Jewish identity, perpetuate Jewish continuity worldwide, and strengthen support for the State of Israel.