Congregation sponsors Macciabiah games FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP - The religious school of Congregation Kol Am held its fifth annual Macciabiah Games at the West Freehold School Dec. 17. This year's event, however, was not the "run of the mill" celebration of relay races and donuts (although both were part of the festivities). What made the event different this year was an attempt by the event organizers to educate as well as entertain the students from kindergarten to high school by creating games that would capture the spirit of Hanukkah and be fun, too. The teams did not merely compete to win games and accumulate points. Each game or race had a specific theme from the story of the Maccabees and the participants' progress was charted on a scoreboard that did not reflect points, but restoring rituals and culture to the Jewish people, culminating in the rededication of the temple. The participants raced around gathering pure oil for a menorah, rebuilt a temple from ruins scatted around the room, a treasure hunt for gelt, eating dangling donuts and many other games that challenged their minds and competitive spirit. Rabbi Brooks Susman summed up the day saying, "Never in my rabbinate have I seen a more complete, creative and exciting program. I marvel at the fact that every one of our kids found a place in the competition. It was so age appropriate that no one felt left out or too young or even too old. Programming so often is taken for granted by those who attend. "They do not appreciate the time, effort and thought that goes into making a successful program. I know all of the talent that combined to make those hours the best I have ever seen. Our kids loved it and that is the reason for our existence," Susman said.