We hope that you haven’t made plans yet for next Thursday December 29th because the BIG HANUKAH Happening is here! We have some great programs and activities set for the both children and parents on the synthetic pitch at the Kiryat Shalom Training Facility and right after that you’ll have a chance to meet the players, take pictures with them and get their autographs.

The Happening begins at 12:15 and all fans that have registered in advance are asked to arrive at the Training Facility at 11:30. Registration begins today for up to 350 fans. Please note that you must register in advance to attend the Happening.

How does it work?
Registration is open today, December 21st beginning at 14:00 to all Maccabi FIRST members for the Hanukah Happening next Thursday December 29th between 12:15-14:30 at the Kiryat Shalom Training Facility. The event is limited to 350 participants ONLY.

Each person may register up to 3 participants which includes the person submitting the registration. Juts like when you make a reservation at a restaurant, you request a table for yourself plus 2 friends for a total of 3 ONLY.

IMPORTANT:
You may only register once per season and if you were at the last Community Day you may not register again.

If you registered for the last Community Day and weren’t able to come but didn’t give us notice, you will not be allowed to attend this coming Community Day. If you register for this upcoming Community Day and can’t come, please let us know in advance.

If weather conditions don’t permit the Community Day to take place, you will be notified a few hours prior to the event and you’ll be able to participate in the Community Day the following month.

All participants must arrive at the Kiryat Shalom Training Facility by 11:30. Should you be delayed, you may not be able to participate in the event.

In order to ensure that all fans meet all of the players, special greeting videos may not be recorded at the Training Facility.

Following your registration, a Maccabi representative will be in touch with you to get all of the participants necessary details.

Entrance to the Training Facility will be granted only after a full security check. Each participant will need to present their Teudat Tzehut ID Card, License or Passport in order to take part in the event. Entrance will not be granted to those whose names do not appear on the official registration list!
Participants are not allowed to bring with professional photographers or videographers. 

For the rules and regulations, please click on the following link.

Maccabi Tel Aviv captain Sheran Yeini was one of several players who visited Safra Children’s Hospital at Tel Hashomer on Wednesday where they brought ailing kids good wishes and gifts for Hanukkah. He talked about his own recovery from injury and the club’s form this season.

“There are patients here with difficult injuries and ailments and they will need a long period of recovery. They enjoy welcoming us but we also feel good about being able to make them smile a little,” Yeini said.

He talked about his own injury and said: “I had a muscle injury that required a long period of recovery, I then came back but re-injured myself. These things happen sometimes but it has required mental toughness to deal with the situation, so I’m really excited about getting back into action.

“It’s good to see that the team have managed without me and now there will be tough competition for places but I’m sure that we will all benefit from the rivalry.”

Yeini said that the past two draws would cause the players to pick up the pace and strive for better results.

“Maccabi are a good enough club to be able to deal with two consecutive draws. It’s not easy when we don’t achieve our aims but we are competitive and we know that even a draw will make us hungry for better results.”

Maccabi Tel Aviv’s “Special Maccabi” team for athletes with special needs that is sponsored by the Maccabi Tel Aviv FC Foundation in partnership with Bank Hapoalim, is in full swing. On Wednesday the team was joined by the Great Britain Special Olympics team for training.

The Brits are visiting Israel and the two sides were put through their paces at the club’s Kiryat Shalom training facility. The players were assisted by club supporters who volunteer to help and who have become a regular part of the special squad.

First team striker Nick Blackman joined the event and said: “It is a great honour for me to participate in the Foundation’s project today and to meet the British Special Olympics team. We play a game we all love and we face challenges of one sort or another during our career. If there is one thing I can share, it is that they must continue to work hard, persevere and enjoy playing.”

Maccabi Tel Aviv FC Foundation manager Yuval Shaham said: “The British Special Olympics team offered to join us for a joint training session and we said yes immediately. Part of our mission is to cooperate with other teams from around the world and we are very happy to host our friends here.”

Laura Baxter, the British Special Olympics Head of Network Development, praised the move and said: “It has been a wonderful experience to be a part of this project, which is worthy of praise. It is an opportunity for us to learn from others who run such projects and to see this great project that is sponsored by a great club such as Maccabi Tel Aviv. It has also been a fantastic experience for our players to meet Nick Blackman who is an inspirational role model.

The “Special Maccabi” team is one of the main projects of the Maccabi Tel Aviv FC Foundation for 2019-20. It has been established in partnership with Bank Hapoalim and the Special Olympics organisation. The team is made up of 18 special needs athletes and six club supporters who have volunteered to take an active part in training throughout the year.

The Maccabi Tel Aviv FC Fund on Monday inaugurated a new initiative in partnership with Bank Hapoalim and established a team for players with special needs which has been named “Special Maccabi.”

The launch took place at Maccabi’s PenguinPickUp training facility at Kiryat Shalom, with 18 adults with special needs joining in the fun. Six fans also became part of the group which is the first of its kind in Israeli soccer. 

The aim of the initiative is to give an equal opportunity to special needs athletes to compete under the club’s banner and they will hold regular weekly training sessions at Kiryat Shalom under the guidance of Fund coach Gil Ben Dahan who will devote his expertise to the team.

The players have prepared for the festive launch for a month and on Monday first team players Ophir Davidzada, Matan Hozez and goalkeeper Daniel Tenenbaum presented Maccabi uniforms to the new team’s players. 

Pizza Prego, one of Maccabi’s sponsors, also joined the festivities and laid on a tasty meal for the participants. 

“This is so important for us and it is particularly important for those present. I’m so happy to be here and be a part of this event and it’s great to see that sport can make people happy, it is truly moving,” Tenenbaum said at the launch.

This is the first of the Maccabi Tel Aviv FC Fund’s activities for the season and more are expected as the Fund looks to contribute and help local communities.

 

 

Maccabi Tel Aviv striker Matan Hozez rushed from training last week to meet up with some 20 junior players of the Boys C team of the club’s Youth Academy in an event organised jointly with the Maccabi Tel Aviv FC Fund. 

It was a particularly thrilling and motivational meeting, as Hozez talked about his experiences as a player with the full squad and the difficulties he has faced as a child and as he was growing up and how he has coped with school work while also devoting himself to becoming a professional footballer. 

Hozez answered lots of questions and told the boys they should persevere, work hard, believe in themselves and never give up on their dreams.

The Academy and the Fund from time to time organise meetings between Maccabi Tel Aviv’s current stars and the club’s young players to motivate them and help them aspire to greater heights.

As Maccabi Tel Aviv begin preparations to resume league action, and Saturday’s match with Hapoel Kfar Sava, players Ruslan Barsky, Eyal Golasa, Daniel Tenenbaum and Omer Atzili took time out on Tuesday and joined in the activities of the Maccabi Tel Aviv Foundation at the pediatric ward at Ichilov Hospital, also known as Dana Hospital, where they distributed gifts ahead of the Jewish New Year and wished  children Shana Tova.

Barsky said: “It’s truly heartwarming to come here and see the children’s reaction. Even a small smile from them makes us feel that we have done something good. It’s a praiseworthy and generous gesture by the club.” Watch the video.

Of the time off during the international break, Barsky added: We are continuing to work hard every day. The break has been brief and we are carrying on our tasks and preparing for the clash with Hapoel Kfar Sava as the game on Saturday is crucial.”

We all have dreams, but not everybody is fortunate enough to see them fulfilled, although in the case of Asher Ben Ziman, a Maccabi Tel Aviv supporter with autism, his dream was realized gloriously.

Asher asked the Maccabi Tel Aviv Foundation to help him fulfill his wish to train with the club before reaching his Bar Mitzva. Particularly, he asked to meet striker Eliran Atar. When Atar heard about the request, he wasted no time and invited Asher and prepared a surprise that Asher will never forget.