In advance of the sporting action, 200 junior members of the British squad for the Maccabiah volunteered at UJIA projects in northern Israel.
They joined up with 350 Israeli children in the deprived Galil region to socialise, learn about the charitable work they benefit from and run sports activities.
Participants included Grace Alexander, 16, who organised a wheelbarrow race and other activities in Shfar’am, where UJIA administers a football and educational programme. “The highlight for me was getting to know the kids,” she said. “It was a challenge to get over the language barrier but we succeeded by using simple words in English and Arabic, along with actions and hand gestures.”
Lior Tapnack, 17, added: “It’s been great to spend time with kids who may not be as fortunate as we are. It’s amazing to see how football can unite us all.”
