Digital Library
Experiencing Israel Through Sport Evaluation of Israel Connect and the Impact of the 2022 Maccabiah Games
Topic:
Israel Literacy
Principal Investigators:
Allyson Birger, Shahar Hecht, Nicole Samuel, Leonard Saxe, Sasha Volodarsky, Graham W Wright
Study Date:
2024
Source:
Brandeis University
Key Findings:
The Maccabiah Games, which have taken place in Israel nearly every four years since 1932, draw thousands of Jewish athletes from around the world to compete for their respective countries, develop connections with their peers, and deepen their relationship with Israel and the Jewish people. For the US delegation, the Maccabiah experience is accompanied by a multi-day educational and cultural travel program called “Israel Connect,” which is designed to strengthen athletes’ Jewish identities and knowledge of and connection to Israel.
This report follows up on the Brandeis earlier 2018 study and focuses on the athletes who applied to compete in the U16/U18 and in the Open divisions of the 2022 Maccabiah Games in Israel. In addition to examining the impact of participating in the Maccabiah on athletes’ connections to Israel, their Jewish peers, and the Jewish people, the report aims to evaluate how the challenges identified in the 2018 study were addressed in the 2022 program.
Methodology:
The study included the following components:
Interviews with Maccabi USA staff and iCenter staff (N=3). These interviews were designed to gain insight into the new Israel education program, the role of the educators, and the program implementation. Interviews were conducted in September 2022.
Observation of the 2022 Israel Connect program and the 2022 Maccabiah Games. In order to observe the experience and gain an understanding of its components, two researchers joined the 2022 Maccabiah athletes for the Israel Connect program. One of the researchers spent the Games with the U16/U18 athletes in Haifa.
Interviews with 2022 Open Team USA athletes (N=12). Athletes were selected to represent a range of ages, sports, and Jewish backgrounds. The goal of these interviews was to understand the trip experience from the perspective of the athletes. Questions covered athletes’ reasons for participating, their satisfaction with the program, and their sense of how the program affected them. Interviews were conducted in November and December 2022.
Pre-Maccabiah survey. The survey was administered to 1,035 Open and to 1,157 U16/U18 athletes who applied to compete in the 2022 Maccabiah Games in Israel. Those who were appointed to the team as well as those who were not, were invited to participate in the study. Email invitations and text notifications were sent on May 31, 2022.
A total of 276 competing Open athletes responded to the pre-Maccabiah survey (AAPOR RR2=71%), and 146 non-competing Open athletes responded (AAPOR RR2=23%). Among U16/U18 athletes, 233 competing athletes responded (AAPOR RR2=58%) and 129 non-competing athletes responded (AAPOR RR2=17%).
Post-Maccabiah survey. The survey was administered to 1,042 Open and to 1,161 U16/U18 athletes who applied to compete in the 2022 Maccabiah Games in Israel. Those who competed in the Games as well as those who did not, were invited to complete the post-Maccabiah survey. Email invitations and text notifications were sent on January 18 and 19, 2023. Phone calls and texts were made by undergraduate research assistants and our research team between February 1 and March 2, 2023. The survey closed on March 13, 2023.
Among the Open division athletes, a total of 188 competing athletes responded to the survey (AAPOR RR2=49%), and 143 non-competing athletes responded (AAPOR RR2=22%). Among the U16/U18 athletes, 110 competing athletes responded (AAPOR RR2=27%) and 94 non-competing athletes responded (AAPOR RR2=12%).