Taking a short break from preparations for Saturday’s State Cup tie against Hapoel Haifa, the players arrived at Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh) accompanied by club mascot Maccabino. During the visit, they spent time with the children, handed out gifts and official Maccabi merchandise, and helped brighten their day.
Category: Community
Another achievement: Maccabi wins the President’s award for sport
Another great accomplishment for Maccabi: the Club was awarded today (Thursday) the President’s Award for Sport for its excellence in social and community activity during the 2024/25 season.
President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, and his wife Michal hosted the ceremony at the President’s residence, held as part of the “Team Game” initiative. Among those present were Maccabi CEO Ben Mansford, Deputy CEO of Business Development Daniel Levy, and representatives of the Maccabi Foundation, Yonet Nakri and Heli Amzaleg, who received the award accompanied by Idan Berman, brother of the hostages Gali and Ziv, as well as Tom Damari, brother of survivor Emily Damari. As part of the project, clubs are honored for their community activity. This year’s 10th edition of the ceremony, was held under the theme of the Iron Swords War.
Leading our extensive community activity is, of course, the Maccabi Tel Aviv FC Foundation, which received recognition for its extensive and wide-ranging efforts over the past year on behalf of the community, during this challenging period we are all experiencing. This is also an opportunity to thank the “Ahim Lassemel” organization for their important partnership throughout the year, which enabled such broad activity for so many people.
The Maccabi Foundation is a social initiative that serves the community in Tel Aviv and across Israel, its vision is to positively impact Israeli society by channeling the positive energy of football into wide-ranging activity for creating social change.
Match in Memory of Barak Davidi
Maccabi Tel Aviv’s veterans team met the ‘Nova Tribe’ team last Tuesday in a moving friendly match in memory of Barak Davidi, a devoted supporter of the club who was murdered at the Nova festival.
The game, which ended with the veterans winning 6–2, was held at Kiryat Shalom with the participation of Barak’s family and close friends. The ‘Nova Tribe’ is a team composed of Nova survivors, established with the target of helping them rebuild through sport and providing ongoing support.
The Maccabi Tel Aviv Foundation joined at the family’s request, assisting in organizing the event and contributing to its production, together with the ‘Nova Tribe community association’. The event highlighted the power of community to build resilience and continuity, even out of deep pain, and served as a reminder of Barak Davidi and all the victims of the Nova massacre.
Reef Peretz, chairman of the ‘Nova Tribe community association’ and a former Maccabi Tel Aviv player, said:
“The association’s football team is a symbol for remembrance, legacy, rehabilitation, and hope. The team meets every week, going through moving processes of healing and recovery together. This memorial match for Barak Davidi was especially meaningful for me, as it brought together two teams I am deeply connected to, The Nova tribe and Maccabi Tel Aviv Veterans. On a personal level, there’s also a profound layer: Barak was a passionate Maccabi fan, and I myself grew up in this club from a young age. I closely followed the efforts to commemorate him and the ways his family and friends have coped. In my eyes, sport is a powerful tool that connects people.”
Barak Davidi (28) , the youngest son of Nitzchia and Hertzel, brother to Sharona, Tamar, Avi, and Tomer. He arrived at the Nova festival early in the morning, danced and enjoyed himself for about an hour before the alarms began. Barak left for his car and drove until the “Olamim” junction, where he reached a police checkpoint. The officers told him to turn back towards the festival. On his way back, he reached the deadly shelter, where a police car was parked outside. A policeman told him to enter the shelter (the one marked with the drawing of a dog) to protect himself.
Barak was among the first to enter the shelter before terrorists arrived and murdered him in cold blood.
Barak was a magical soul who loved life, loved to laugh, travel, enjoy, and always brought people together. From a young age, he was a devoted Maccabi Tel Aviv fan, insisting on attending every match, even if it sparked funny sibling quarrels with his sister Sharona, a fan of the rival team. They would always accompany each other to matches, but he would always say, “One day I will get you to sit in Maccabi’s stands.”
After the horrific tragedy, he truly did, Sharona now attends Maccabi’s matches in his memory”.
Emotional: The reunion of former hostages with Maccabi in Cyprus
As part of one of the days of the ‘Dream trip’ led by ‘Reach out’ under the ‘Returning to life’ project, a special get together was held with Maccabi Tel Aviv first team players. The children, all survivors of captivity, along with their families, were hosted for a nice lunch.
Later, that day the children were the club’s guests of honor for the Champions League second qualifying round first leg match against Cypriot champions Pafos, a sporting experience filled with moments of joy.
Watch: Madmon recounts the meeting with Yuval Engel
The ‘Reach Out’ organization, which supports children with terminal illnesses throughout the year, has been acting since October 7th to support children who were released from captivity in Gaza, aiming to assist them in their rehabilitation process. The organization embarked on its third such trip since the beginning of the war as part of the “Returning to life” project.
On the day of the match alone, the collaboration between the Maccabi Tel Aviv Foundation, ‘Ahim Lasemel’ and the Fattal hotel chain made this event possible.
Daniel Levy, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s VP of Trade & Business Development, said: “We are glad that we had the privilege to host the delegation from ‘Reach Out’ and to bring even a little bit of joy to the children and their families. As a club, we are committed to doing everything in our power to use football’s influence, provide support and raise the awareness for the families who are reliving October 7th every minute of every day. It is our moral and ethical duty as a country and as a club. Seeing the smiles on the children’s faces at the match was the greatest motivational speech our team could have received. We will continue to spread good alongside our partners from ‘Ahim Lasemel’. Special thanks to the Fattal hotel chain for their immediate willingness to assist in making the event happen.”
Maccabi’s good deeds
A Purim visit at Shamir medical center
Shortly before Purim, Maccabi Tel Aviv players continued a long tradition as they visited the Shamir Medical center at Assaf Harofeh as part of the Maccabi Tel Aviv foundation activities. Idan Nachmias, Joris van Overeem, Tyrese Asante and Sagiv Jehezkel accompanied by Team Manager Yoav Ziv visited the kids who are hospitalized and handed out club merchandise as gifts. They also handed out ‘mishlo’ach manot’ which were packed by the club’s Under 14’s players. One of the team members, Osher Habzo lost his uncle Barak Davidi who was murdered on October 7th.
Watch Tyrese Asante sum up the visit
Watch: Neve Hadassah Youth Village kids at Bloomfield
Maccabi’s emotional candle lighting
Maccabi Tel Aviv FC held this evening (Monday) a candle lighting event at Bloomfield stadium. Organized by the Maccabi Tel Aviv FC Foundation, the event which was staged for the second season in succession at Bloomfield’s VIP lounge. The ceremony was attended by families of fans who were murdered, killed, or kidnapped during the deadly attack on October 7th or in the Swords of Iron war since, the first team playing and coaching staff as well as club’s management.
This year, in a bid to acknowledge the contribution of members of our community, eight guests were invited symbolizing the 8 candles in Hannukah, whose actions represent values of unconditional giving and courage. Such values strengthen our foundations as a community.
Members of the Maccabi community who received the honor this year was Dr Osnat Levzion-Korach (General Director of Shamir Medical Center), Ido Shimriz (brother of Alon Shamriz who was taken hostage from Kfar Aza and after escaping his captives was mistakenly shot dead by IDF soldiers on Dec 15th 2023), Dvir Dangur, Dudu Brown, Carmi Yogev, Nira Shpak as well as Mandy and Tom Damari the mother and brother of Emmily who is still held hostage for 451 days.
During the event, which was hosted by Yossiel Ne’eman, Maccabi’s CEO, Ben Mansford, said amongst other things: “We try and do our best to try put a smile on your faces, especially on the pitch and I’m so proud that we have already secured two titles this season and continue to fly the Maccabi and Israeli flag abroad, and in doing so, I believe Zarko and the Players are showing the real Maccabee spirit. What we can promise you all again – is that we will continue to do our best to support you and your loved ones, honoring their memory or assisting their recovery.”
Dr Osnat Lezion Korach, General Director of Shamir Medical Center, said: “After October 7th and in addition to treating soldiers, we opened a medical center for civilians, survivors of the Nova festival, and members of the security forces suffering from PTSD. The amazing results give us all hope to many people who might be living in a healthy body but they are mentally scarred. We are all geared up and prepared to treat the hostages once they return and will do so with the utmost sensitivity and care.”
