Squash at the Maccabiah Games
The game of international softball squash first became an official Maccabiah Games sport in the 10th Games, which were played in 1977. The competition was held at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which had two courts that were covered by a tin roof and were open to the air. With the temperature in Jerusalem often reaching 90 °F+ (32 °C) in July, the inside temperature of the courts exceeded 100 °F (38 °C) on some days.
10th Maccabiah Games (1977)
The United States team consisted of the top Jewish hardball squash players in the country. The team was led by Glenn Whitman, former captain and number one player at Harvard University. Other players included Len Bernheimer, a top ranked amateur who previously played in college at Williams, Roger Alcaly, and Bill Kaplan, the recent captain of Harvard's varsity squash team.
The U.S. team was a heavy underdog, because none of the players had ever played any competitive softball squash, which is played on a wider court with a higher tin on the front wall and a much slower ball. Nevertheless, the U.S. team managed to earn a Silver Medal by upsetting both England and Australia before losing to South Africa in the finals.
11th Maccabiah Games (1981)
Captained by Bill Kaplan, now a world-ranked squash player on the World Professional (hardball) Squash Tour (WPSA), the U.S. Squash Team eked out upsets again to earn a Silver Medal, falling to South Africa in the finals. This time, the team included another Harvard freshman squash standout, David Boyum.
12th Maccabiah Games (1985)
Fielding its strongest team ever yet still with almost no competitive experience in the international softball game, the U.S. Team this time consisted of three professionally ranked WPSA hardball players, including captain Bill Kaplan, David Boyum, and Stewart Grodman, former #1 player at StonyBrook College. Unfortunately, Stew Grodman sustained heat exhaustion in an early round match in the 100+ degree courts and had to be taken to a hospital for intravenous therapy. South Africa again prevailed over the U.S. in the finals, leaving the U.S. with another hard fought Silver Medal.
Another notable player on the team was Brian Roberts, former #1 player at the University of Pennsylvania, who would go on to turn his father's growing cable TV business, Comcast, into the leading player in the industry.