In this summer series, members of the women's basketball team provide a first-person perspective on the adventures they've experienced during the summer of 2017.

Orono, Maine -- "My name is Dor Saar, I'm almost 18 years old and I'm from Israel. I started to play basketball when I was in fourth grade, and I have fell in love with this game. Actually, I have liked to play many types of sports, like volleyball and soccer, but basketball is something special.
 
This summer I am part of the U18 Israel National Team. We are getting ready for the European Championship Division B in Dublin, Ireland. We had three preparation games against the U20 Israel National Team in Eilat and we also participated in the Maccabiah 2017, which takes place in Israel. In addition, we will have preparation games in Romania before the tournament.
 
Maccabiah is a big sporting  event which includes games and competitions between Jewish athletes around the world. The competitions take place in Israel.

State of Israel was established in 1948 as a home to the Jewish people that joined from all over the world. The early Jewish settlement existed in Israel for a long, long time. It is called the Zionist movement.

Today the population in Israel is about eight million, (without the West Bank and Gaza Strip), out of them six million are Jewish. Out of Israel, in countries around the globe, there are an additional seven million Jews. The largest community is in the USA, consisting of about five million.  

It is important to mention in this context that Israel is a secular Democratic state, accommodating all cultures and religions. We do believe in harmony and brotherhood among all nations and people.

So the Maccabiah is actually a global sporting event which connects all Jewish communities together at the state of Israel, as the Jewish center.

At the Maccabiah we played against Australia, Canada and USA in the U18 women's basketball category. It was a good and fun experience to play at the Maccabiah because I  enjoyed playing with my teammates and competing with other teams. Furthermore, it was very nice to connect with other Jewish athletes around the world and hear about their life at their countries. I feel that it is something unique."

-Dor Saar