90 Years Young

This December, Roy Salomon - MWU Honorary Vice President, former Co-Chair of the North American Confederation (1991-2001) and President of Maccabi Canada (1992-2000), also known as Canada's "Mr. Maccabi" following four decades of leadership – will celebrate his 90th birthday, making him the longest-standing Maccabi member today.

With Bob Spivak, at the end of their ten-year term as Co-Chairmen of the North American Confederation of Maccabi World Union

Born in Brooklyn on December 9, 1936, Salomon has been a pillar of Jewish sport in Canada and a visionary leader who has helped to shape both the Maccabi movement and the Maccabiah Games.

Memphis, 1982

His own Maccabiah journey began in 1969, when he represented Canada in basketball at the 8th Maccabiah. In 1983, he proposed including junior athletes in the Games. His proposal was accepted, and at the 12th Maccabiah in 1985, hundreds of young athletes competed, marking the beginning of a lasting legacy and establishing the junior program as an official and important part of the Games. Two decades later, in 2013, he served as Honorary Co-President of the 19th Maccabiah Games.

Number 4 on Canada's 1969 basketball team, during his first visit to Israel

Over the years, he has received numerous honors recognizing his contribution to Maccabi and Jewish sport, among them the prestigious Yakir Maccabi Award in 2001 and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.

As he approaches his 90th birthday, we asked Roy to look back on his remarkable Maccabi journey, share his memories from Maccabiah 2026, and offer a few words of advice based on his many years of experience.

 With former Israeli President Reuven Rivlin 

Which milestones or special moments stand out as particularly meaningful in your lifelong Maccabi journey?

"Throughout my many years as a member of MWU, one of the greatest highlights has been the friendships I have made with so many special people. We have always been there for one another, and these relationships have helped us overcome the challenges we faced along the way.

 

With Mark Spitz and his sister, 1969

One of my proudest and most meaningful accomplishments relates to junior athletes at the Maccabiah Games. Prior to the 1985 Games, junior athletes were not included in the main Maccabiah program. At an IMC meeting in 1983, I had a very strong feeling that the junior program should become part of the main Maccabiah Games.

There was serious opposition to the idea. The chairman asked me to organize a small group of experienced sportspeople and return with our recommendations. We did just that, and our proposal was approved by the full body of IMC members.

For the first time, junior-age athletes competed as part of the Maccabiah Games. The rest is history. The junior program has become one of the most important aspects of the Maccabiah Games. I am very proud of the role I played in making that happen".

What does the Maccabi movement mean to you personally, and what has kept you connected for so many years?

"When I first came to Israel in 1969 as a member of Canada's Maccabiah Games basketball team, I was already aware of everything this great nation had accomplished through courage, determination, and the will to fight. I loved what Israel represented. By the time I returned home, I had truly fallen in love with Israel.

Marching into Ramat Gan Stadium in front of 40,000 Jewish brothers and sisters, many thoughts came to mind. Here we were, together - our people having survived the Inquisition, pogroms, and the Holocaust, stronger than ever.

I thought to myself: if the experience of competing at the Maccabiah Games was so meaningful to me, I wanted to help make it possible for many other Jewish athletes to have that same experience. I have been involved with Maccabi, with that goal in mind, ever since". 

We were very happy to welcome you back to Israel for Maccabiah 2026. What made it so important for you to be here, and which moments will stay with you?

"Before coming to Israel, some doubts crept into my mind. Two long trips with connecting flights, the intense heat - and I am approaching 90, with a little less energy than I used to have.

 But then reality set in. I would be with Maccabi friends in Israel, some of whom I have known for a very long time. My chaverim who have bravely defended Israel in several wars. How could I not be there for them at a time when Israel most needed the support of fellow Jews in the Diaspora?

I wanted to be in Israel to say to my friends: I care about you very much. I think about your courage and determination every single day. I wanted to proudly join in with thousands of others as we emotionally sing Hatikvah at the opening ceremonies of our Maccabiah Games.

Whatever my expectations were before arriving, the reality exceeded them tenfold. We had the greatest Opening Ceremony in our history. The Yakir Maccabi Ceremony was also incredibly special and meaningful to me, especially seeing some of my closest Maccabi chaverim receive the Yakir Maccabi Award.

 

With Tommy Bacher, President of Maccabi Canada; Alex Brainis, Vice President of Maccabi Canada; and Bill Izso, recent Yakir Maccabi honouree

But I have never been prouder of my involvement in Maccabi than when I saw, during Amir Peled's presentation, the story of our movement's role in providing a safe home for those displaced by the October 7 massacre. It spoke volumes about who we are - the greatest and most caring Jewish organization in the world.

What I experienced during this Maccabiah will remain with me forever". 

As the longest-standing member of the movement, and one of Maccabi’s most experienced leaders, what message or advice would you like to share with our readers?

"One thing I learned very early in my involvement is that there are many smart and accomplished people within our organization. Some lead their own companies; others are experienced lawyers, doctors, and financial experts. When we enter MWU meetings, we must leave our egos at the door.

Have the patience to listen to what others have to say. We are all involved for one reason: to do the very best we can to further strengthen this already great organization.

We need to create an atmosphere where even the youngest members feel comfortable making suggestions. New ideas can lead to important developments, as our history has shown many times.

New leaders should seek out those who have many years of experience. The more they know about Maccabi’s history, the better equipped they will be to lead our organization.

My final piece of advice is for our relatively new leaders to always show respect for those who came before you. They worked long and hard to help make the Maccabi World Union what it is today".