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Message: <br /><br /> If you are having trouble reading this email, you may view this article online at: http://www.jweekly.com/39516/full/39516/want-more-maccabi-heres-what-you-didnt-see/ <br /><br /> <b>Want more Maccabi? Here’s what you didn’t see!</b> <br /> Tuesday, August 11, 2009 | by amanda pazornik <br /><br /><p>While most Maccabi Games' organizers were getting some much-deserved zzzzzz's on the morning of Aug. 7, Games director Jackie Lewis was wide awake.</p> <p>Stationed at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, Lewis was greeting host families dropping off their out-of-town athletes headed for the airport. At 3 a.m.</p> <p>Instead of yawns, droopy eyelids and disheveled demeanors, both the adults and teens expressed their graciousness to Lewis in the form of hugs and positive feedback.</p> <p>"Our host families came up to say what an incredible time they had," Lewis said. "It was worth waking up at 3 a.m. And I'm not a morning person."</p> <p>In addition to the words of gratitude, other adults approached Lewis voicing their intention to stay involved in the Jewish community. Many felt "a positive feeling about being Jewish and being a San Franciscan," Lewis recalled. Some asked, "Can we do this again next year?" Lewis added. </p> <p>For 15-year-old Sara Reaves, the Maccabi Games marked her first trip to San Francisco. A member of the New Orleans delegation, Reaves played volleyball on a combined team with players from York, Pa and Tucson, Ariz.</p> <p>Off the court, Reaves strolled Pier 39, saw Lombard Street, walked around downtown and enjoyed a ferry ride.</p> <p>"Coming from New Orleans, San Francisco seemed huge," Reaves said. "[The city] was really crowded, but it was beautiful. And I loved it."</p> <p>Joanna Botvin, an outside hitter with the Houston U-16 volleyball team, is already planning to have friends from the Atlanta and Chicago delegations to her home for Thanksgiving.</p> <p>Meeting new people was high up on her list of favorite memories from the Games, along with walking the Golden Gate Bridge and hanging out at the designated post-competition parties. </p> <p>"There were Jewish teenagers everywhere," Botvin said. "We'd go get frozen yogurt and there would be all these people from Maccabi. It was really cool."</p> <p>While her second visit to S.F. couldn't have been better, Botvin did have one minor complaint.</p> <p>"I wish the parties didn't start so early," she said. "They were fun, but nobody actually started dancing until the sun went down."</p> <p> </p> <p> </p>

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