Bethesda Teen Wins Gold at Maccabiah Games

Rising Bethesda senior Josh Fried earned a gold medal last week in the men's youth basketball competition of the 19th World Maccabiah Games in Israel, according to a news statement from Maccabi USA. 

Fried, a 6-foot, 8-inch center on Walt Whitman High School's varsity basketball team and who won a gold medal at the European Maccabi Games in Austria in 2011, "helped his team go undefeated [at this year's Maccabi Games] as they beat South Africa, Great Britain, Turkey, Canada and Brazil before defeating Israel in the gold medal game," the news release stated.

To prepare for the competition, Fried spent nearly a month in Israel training and touring the country.

"I played with some of the most incredible teammates, all of whom will be playing for top colleges this year," he said.  

"Winning the gold medal was amazing, but traveling around Israel and meeting people from all walks of life was just as important," he added.

Maccabi USA is a nonprofit organization "with an extensive history of enriching Jewish lives through athletic, cultural and educational programs," the statement added.

The organization is the official sponsor of the United States's team to the World Maccabiah Games, the Pan American Maccabi Games and the Maccabi competitions in Europe and Australia, and also is a sponsor of the JCC Maccabi Games for teens in North America.