Israeli sports fanatics go crazy for soccer and basketball, but ice hockey? It’s not exactly the first thing that comes to mind when conjuring up images of athletics in a country known for long, hot summers and short, rainy winters. That, however, is not deterring the Israeli Ice Hockey Federation from hosting the country’s first-ever World Jewish Hockey Championship. Scheduled to take place July 13-20 at the Canada Centre in Metulla, the tournament features teams from Canada, France, Israel and the United States. The athletes, all of whom are at least 18 years old, are elite-level players recruited from junior hockey leagues, universities and professional teams.

Last year, the Israeli Ice Hockey Federation planned a World Junior Championship, but the event was canceled because of the war against Hezbollah.

“It’s important to show the world and the International Ice Hockey Federation that Israel is not just about war and bloodshed, and that we can put together a world-class tournament,” said Alex Voihanski, general manager of Team Canada and chair of marketing and public relations for the Israeli Ice Hockey Federation. “We also want to show the world that there’s a lot of Jewish hockey talent.”

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis of the crisis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

According to Voihanski, the organizers hope to hold similar tournaments every two to four years. The upcoming event will end with a final gold medal game, but the chances of the home team coming out on top seem pretty slim.

“It’s a coin toss between Canada and the United States,” Voihanski said.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you move on, I wanted to ask you to support the Forward’s award-winning journalism during our High Holiday Monthly Donor Drive.

This year, we have stood together in strength and sorrow. Our Forward team has worked around the clock to help you find clarity amid the chaos.

If you’ve turned to the Forward in the past 12 months to better understand the world around you, we hope you will support us with a gift now. Your support has a direct impact, giving us the resources we need to report from Israel and around the U.S., across college campuses, and wherever there is news of importance to American Jews.

Make a monthly or one-time gift and support Jewish journalism throughout 5785. The first six months of your monthly gift will be matched for twice the investment in independent Jewish journalism. 

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount