The Maccabi Tel Aviv FC Foundation hosted over 100 new immigrants, Olim Hadashim from Nefesh B’ Nefesh, the organization that helps Jews from North America make Aliyah to Israel at the Toto Cup match against Maccabi Netanya. The participants which included families and veteran couples had the opportunity to take part in a unique presentation about Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Press Conference Room as well as having two of the children escort the captains onto the pitch prior to kickoff.

For the vast majority of the group this was their first ever football match and were treated to sitting in the first few rows right by the north side goal as everyone went home happy learning about yet another great way why Israel is a special country that has so much to offer. One of the new Maccabi fans said: “Just a quick note to say a HUGE thank you to everyone involved in this event. The prematch information in particular was tremendous and we felt really privileged to be there.”

The Maccabi Tel Aviv FC Foundation hosted both the Canadian and United States Maccabiah Masters Football Teams along with the American Juniors team at the Europa League qualifying match last week and saw fine comeback by the Yellow & Blue. American Aaron Schoenfeld scored Maccabi’s first goal to the delight of the new fans as they witnessed the 3:1 first leg win over Reykjavik from Iceland in the second round of Europa League qualifying.

The Masters Football Teams enjoyed the sights and sounds of the stadium as USA Head Coach Alan Bodenstein explained: “It was a once in a lifetime experience to be able to attend an Europa League match which is something that we can’t do in North America. Add to that the unparalleled excitement of seeing Maccabi Tel Aviv with it’s rich history live is something that we will all cherish for a lifetime. For us, the icing on the cake was seeing an American player Aaron Schoenfeld score a goal.”

The Maccabi Tel Aviv FC Foundation began the new campaign in full gear by hosting a bus of Lone Soldiers to the Europa League match on Thursday night against Tirana. The soldiers were picked up at The Lone Soldier Center in Memory of Michael Levin in Tel Aviv and were accompanied by a number of Yellow & Blue fans to help bring the excitement the ride to Netanya. Once on the bus, each Lone Soldier received a Maccabi scarf and upon arrival the whole group marched into the stadium cheering the Club on.

David Borowich-Ya’ari a Lone Soldier who served in a tank unit as a gunner in 1992 and his family sat with the current crop of Lone Soldiers at the match said: “Today, thankfully there is a heightened level of awareness and consideration for Lone Soldiers in Israel. But what Maccabi Tel Aviv is doing for Lone Soldiers is above and beyond and helps ease the burden while helping these soldiers acculturate to Israeli culture. We did not have this type of opportunity when I served in the IDF. Being a lone soldier can be incredibly challenging but having the Maccabi family supporting them during their service and upon their release makes a world of difference.”

A mother’s hug, a talk with father, financial security and warm family support. There are currently over 6,500 Lone Soldiers in Israel who have no home to return to. The Maccabi Tel Aviv FC Foundation along with The Lone Soldier Center in Memory of Michael Levin are being mobilizing the Maccabi fans for the Lone Soldiers.

Lone Soldiers are composed of several populations where half are from families who live outside of Israel while the other half are Israelis who were born and grew up in Israel, however, due to various reasons they are not in touch with their families and parents.

How can you help them become part of the Yellow & Blue family? There are a number of ways:

From a weekly phone call to meeting every couple of weeks to daily basis support, participating in family events, mentoring and advising all the way to their release and vocational guidance.

• CLICK HERE to register to support a Lone Soldier

Enter the registration page, choose how you’d like to help a Lone Soldier and The Lone Soldier Center in Memory of Michael Levin will find a new member for your family.

Fans, parents of the Maccabi Football School and community members stopped by to donate blood at Kiryat Shalom on Thursday afternoon as the Maccabi Tel Aviv FC Foundation hosted a blood drive together with Magen David Adom. In fact, one of the donors travelled all the way from Beer Sheva to participate in the drive, encouraging everyone to come out and donate blood to help save lives.

“For the second year in a row, the Maccabi community came out and took part in a most important and noble cause, that of donating blood to help others. That encapsulates the mission of the Foundation, to use the positive power and energy of Maccabi football to aid those in need, ” said Josh Halickman, Head of the Foundation.

The Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club Foundation will be an active partner in the International Blood Donor Week and is calling upon all of its Yellow & Blue fans, supporters and friends to take part in this wonderful opportunity. The Foundation continues to support the programs and activities in and around Tel Aviv as well as throughout the country and beyond this time by holding a blood drive with the purpose of saving lives and helping those in need.

The Blood Drive will take place on Thursday June 22nd between 16:00-20:30 at the Kiryat Shalom Training Facility.

Those interested in taking part can email Josh Halickman jhalickman@mtafc.com with their name, age and the time which they would like to come to donate blood.

Who can donate blood?

A healthy person between the ages of 17-65 who is over 50 kg can donate without any problems.

The donation process:

Donating blood takes roughly 30 minutes after filling out a short questionnaire with a Magen David Adom representative. After taking your blood pressure and hemoglobin levels you will be able to begin donating blood. Following the process you will need to rest for ten minutes and drink water.

The Foundation hosted a unique Maccabi Sports Trip throughout Israel with the Gann Academy in Boston and Ironi Hei Haifa 10th graders this past past week. Foundation Head Josh Halickman organized plenty of fun activities for the group of over 20 students which included not only having the opportunity to watch Maccabi Tel Aviv take on Maccabi Haifa at Sammy Ofer Stadium but many other programs as well including an interactive presentation about the club.

Also on tap was a tour of the Sport 5 Studios in Herzliya where we were led by the Yellow & Blue Press Officer Ofer Ronen while also hearing from Gabriel Haydu one of the on air talents who covers the NBA and other American sports. A visit to the Jaffa Israel Tennis Centers and an intimate encounter with rising star Yishai Oliel, participating in a training session at the Maccabi Training Facility at Kiryat Shalom and learning all about the impact of Israeli sports on the society as a whole was also part of the project.

The trip culminated with the students participating in the Peres Center for Peace Mini-Mondial at the Herzliya Stadium where they refereed all of the matches for 1,000 Jewish, Israeli-Arab and Arab children from the Palestinian Territories in an all-encompassing experience about multiculturalism and co-existence.

The Head of Gann Academy, Rabbi Marc Baker said: “Thank you, Josh! Our kids saw Israel in ways they never have before. They saw how sports is not only entertaining and fun, but is a powerful way to give back to one’s community, to strengthen ones society and to better the world. What a privilege to see all of this and the ways the professional sports are blossoming in Israel.”