GM's Report
100 years isn’t an achievement that everyone can claim, and I am so proud to have been a part of Maccabi as we celebrate this milestone. Maccabi has spent the last century connecting the Jewish community through sport, and we continue to build and foster those connections year on year, not only within the Jewish community, but with the broader sporting community in Australia.
This year has seen clubs and programs develop and flourish, cementing the role of Maccabi in Victoria’s Jewish community. Our focus on relevant strategic priorities, strong governance, responsible financial oversight, and continued development ensure that the Maccabi legacy will stay strong for many years to come.
Our clubs continue to bring thousands of people together through their passion for sport, with the Maccabi demographic broadening every year – future soccer stars can now start programs at age 2! Whether on the field, court, track, or in the pool, we are so proud of every athlete who dons their Maccabi colours and represents not only themselves, but also their club, Maccabi Victoria, and our Jewish community.
Our hardship relief program, initiated by the Maccabi Foundation during Covid, continues to be a much-needed offering in the community. Thanks to the generosity of both the Foundation and the Cranbourne Country Club, we are now able to offer a more extensive and more widely-promoted fee relief program, with the aim of ensuring that the entire Jewish community knows about Maccabi Victoria’s clubs, and that no one has a financial barrier to participating, and being able to connect with the Jewish community through a shared love of sport.
The relationships built through Maccabi are second-to-none, and throughout this year I have had the privilege of hearing from so many people whose lives have been transformed by their time with the organisation as we collect and collate stories to celebrate our first century. Some of these stories come from those with extensive Maccabi histories – at events such as Friends of Maccabi – and some are stories that we see created in front of us – like those of the 136 Victorians who took part in their first Perth Junior Carnival with the keen support of their team managers Rachelle, Chantel, and Bee.
We are excited to see the Carnival magic (and mayhem!) return to Melbourne next year, and thank Lior Rauchberger for heading up a dynamic committee who are readying themselves for a 600-strong Carnival – the biggest Junior Carnival we’ve seen in 15 years!
But the fun isn’t just reserved for weekend games and summer carnivals. Our Pathways program provides hundreds of hours of sport coaching in the Jewish schools, with before, during, and after school activities. Students are given the opportunity to learn new sports, develop their skills, and learn about Maccabi clubs. We have also continued to bring the schools together for interschool competitions with the Maccabi Cup – 2 events in 2024 quickly expanded to 4 in 2025, and students from grades 4-9 battled it out in tennis, basketball, soccer, and netball.
We also brought our community together through key events such as the centenary cricket replica match, our Friends of Maccabi lunch, and our Grand Final breakfast. We reached out beyond the Jewish community, with United in Play. Over 200 young soccer players from different backgrounds, cultures, and religions, all came together for a memorable day of sport. We look forward to continuing and expanding this program in 2026.
I want to thank the organisations and community partners who have collaborated, supported, promoted, and provided opportunities for growth and learning this year. I want to highlight the amazing sporting individuals who gave their time to support Maccabi events by sharing their stories – including Afghani football player Mursal Sadat, Olympian Simon Rhodes, broadcaster Tiffany Cherry, and Football icons Andrew Bassat, Andrew Dillon, Eddie McGuire AM, Barry Carp, and Harry Sheezel.
None of this would have been possible without an incredible team of people that I am privileged to be able to call both colleagues and friends. To our small-but-mighty office team – Ruth, Dani, Martin, Jenny, and Simone – thank you for infusing care, attention to detail, and Maccabi magic into everything you do. To our dynamic board, headed up by the unstoppable exec team of Dean, Sharon, and Caryn – your advice, guidance, and vision for both me and this organisation are second-to-none. To our Foundation and key donors – thank you for enabling us to keep bringing the Jewish community together through sport. And of course, to the countless volunteers who fill our committees, drive our events, and continue to selflessly give bac k to our community – you are the reason Maccabi will continue to connect our community for another century – and more.
Shari Cohen – General Manager, Maccabi Victoria
