Athletes saddened by the postponement of the 2025 Maccabiah Games in Israel, but they agree with the reasons for the decision.

Elle and Sasha Hartje are sisters. Harry Glanz and Sydney Bierwirth are father and daughter.

Each was supposed to compete for the U.S. next month in the 22nd Maccabiah Games in Israel.

But the aptly named Jewish Olympics, held every four years, were postponed until the summer of 2026 last week by the Maccabi World Union because of security concerns and emergency measures created by Israel’s Operation Rising Lion’s offensive against Iran.

The Maccabiah Games were scheduled for July 8-22. More than 8,000 athletes from 55 countries were expected to compete in 45 sports across the country.

Detroit Country Day School grads Elle Hartje, 24, and Sasha Hartje, 26, of Bloomfield Hills and Bierwirth, 30, a Walled Lake Central High School grad and former West Bloomfield resident, are members of the U.S. women’s open ice hockey team. 

Each was a Jewish News High School Athlete of the Year: Bierwirth (then Glanz) in 2012, Sasha Hartje in 2017 and Elle Hartje in 2019.

Harry Glanz, 67, of West Bloomfield, is a member of the U.S. men’s grand masters (age 65 and older) golf team. 

All four athletes plan to compete in Israel next summer.

“It was 100% the right decision to postpone the Maccabiah Games, but I’m still a little bummed because this would have been the first trip to Israel for Elle and myself,” said Sasha Hartje. “I’m not frustrated or mad, just a little bummed.”

Elle Hartje said the trip was marked on her calendar for more than a year.

“We just got our hockey gear in the mail and our flight to Israel was leaving June 28,” she said. “It’s disappointing that we’re not going, but you can’t do anything about things you don’t control.”

The sisters were approached by U.S. women’s open ice hockey coach Justin Levin to be on the team at the 2022 Maccabiah Games — which were supposed to be held in 2021, but postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic — but were unable to work it into their schedules.

The last time they were teammates was when they were in high school (Elle was a sophomore and Sasha was a senior at Country Day). They were on the Little Caesars U19 girls travel hockey team.

Harry Glanz and his daughter each made the Team USA roster for the 2025 Maccabiah Games through tryouts held last year and have been looking forward to this summer’s Games since then.

“We thought it would be cool for a father and daughter to walk out together at the opening ceremony with our USA garb on,” Glanz said. “It would have been a cool moment to share with each other.”

Bierwirth, who lives in Colorado Springs, Colo., said she also was excited about walking with her dad at the opening ceremony, “and when it happens next year, it will be that much more special. 

“It was the right decision to postpone the Maccabiah Games. They’re supposed to be a celebration for Jewish people and the sports they love.”

She should know about the celebration. She’s experienced it.

Bierwirth, who played Division I club hockey for Michigan State University from 2012-16, was a member of the U.S. women’s open ice hockey team at the 2022 Maccabiah Games that won a silver medal. Canada beat the U.S. in the championship game.

She’s an attorney. After graduating from Michigan State, she earned a law degree at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law.

Her father is a co-founder of Bingham Farms-based Capital Mortgage Funding and a member of the board of directors of the Michigan Jewish Sports Foundation.

Elle Hartje recently completed her first season with the New York Sirens of the Professional Women’s Hockey League after a record-breaking career at Yale University.

Sasha Hartje was a Division I college athlete in two sports. She played four years of tennis at Emory University and one year of hockey at Long Island University.

Because of that experience, she doesn’t think the one-year postponement of the Maccabiah Games will diminish her hockey skills.

“I took four years off from hockey, came back, and was able to compete at a high level against the best college hockey players in the country,” she said. “As the Maccabiah Games get closer next year, I’ll train my butt off.”

Unlike her sister, hockey is not Sasha’s occupation. She’s the manager of the account management team at Fire Rover, a Farmington Hills company that offers remote fire detection and suppression technology.

Send sports news to stevestein502004@yahoo.com.

In Bustle’s The Pregame, we ask women athletes about their pregame rituals. How do they get in the zone? What do they wear for a big meet? Here, gymnast-turned-social-media star Livvy Dunne talks about getting ready for her infamous floor routines.

When you see Livvy Dunne flipping between the uneven bars, where she’s earned impressive high scores like 9.925, it’s easy to see how she became one of the highest-earning female athletes in college sports. Dunne joined the Louisiana State University gymnastics team in 2020 and helped them win the 2024 national championship last April.

After graduating with a degree in interdisciplinary studies that December, Dunne announced her retirement from collegiate gymnastics in April. “Thank you for everything, gymnastics,” she wrote on Instagram. “You were so good to me.”

“It’s very exciting [to retire], because I feel like the world is now my oyster,” the 22-year-old tells Bustle. As any Dunne fan will know, she’s been busy building her online brand, which stems from her star power on social media. Her TikTok following just surpassed 8 million, and she has more than 5 million followers on Instagram, where she shows off her strength, travel pics, and enviable red carpet outfits.

In the few short months since retiring, Dunne has modeled for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit and worked with major brands like Invisalign. “My smile is my favorite part of any outfit,” she says. Dunne also frequents Pittsburgh Pirates games to watch her boyfriend, pitcher Paul Skenes. The two have been dating for three years.

“We met at LSU, and I’ve been with him ever since,” she says. “It’s been pretty crazy being his girlfriend alongside him going through the minor leagues, and now he’s one of the best pitchers in the MLB. Whenever he’s pitching, I try to go and watch the same way he would try to come and support me while I was competing.”

Here, Dunne looks back on her gymnastics career, including how she coped with nerves at big competitions, and the one treat she had to have before every meet.

How did you get in the zone before a meet?

My trick to feeling confident was to calm down. I would listen to chill music, do my makeup alone, and take deep breaths. I would call this my “hourglass.” You have all this outside noise, but you narrow it down to your own little moment before getting back out there.

Did you ever meditate to get in the right frame of mind?

We always did a team meditation. Our mindset coach from LSU would come in and we would all lie down in a room and visualize our routines to gain confidence.

What was your go-to makeup and skin care for competing?

I would always go for flawless skin — something that would glow under those big arena lights. I’d also use hairspray on my face as a setting spray. It was a trick I learned from the LSU cheerleaders, who had to be outside in the sun.

You recently did a split on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit runway. Tell me more about that moment.

I felt a little nervous at first because I’ve never walked a runway — I’ve only ever run down a runway and vaulted — so it was really exciting to get out there. I got to open the show, so I figured why not have fun with it and do a split? I like to think that even though I’m done with gymnastics, gymnastics will never leave me. I will always be a gymnast at heart.

Had you practiced your model strut before?

Totally. Every girl at some point does a runway walk, whether it’s in the privacy of her own home or just having fun with friends. It was pretty surreal to be able to go out there and do that.

When you started at LSU, did you ever expect to have so much success on social media?

You know what? I never doubted it.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Two impaired driving charges against Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Jordan Dumais were dismissed Friday in Halifax, Nova Scotia, when the arresting officer failed to show up for the start of Dumais’ trial in Halifax provincial court, according to the Chronicle Herald newspaper.

Dumais, 21, pled not guilty to impaired driving and having a blood-alcohol level higher than 0.8 percent when he stopped by Halifax police on March 1, 2024.

According to the Chronicle Herald, both Dumais and defense attorney Stan MacDonald declined comment after the hearing.

Dumais, a third-round pick (No. 96 overall) of the Blue Jackets in 2022, missed more than a year of hockey with hip and abdominal injuries that required surgery. He made his pro debut midway through last season and finished with four goals and seven assists in 21 games with AHL Cleveland.

(Photo: Bjorn Larsson Rosvall / TT News Agency / AFP via Getty Images)

WILKES-BARRE — The Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority (WVSA) has completed a major streambank restoration project along Mill Creek near the border of Wilkes-Barre and Plains Township.

Known as the Mill Creek “The Bog” project, the work repaired about 300 feet of badly eroded streambank that had begun to damage nearby backyards and exposed important sewer infrastructure.

Erosion had become a serious problem, with parts of the streambank washing away and threatening homes and public utilities. WVSA stepped in to fix the damage and prevent future problems by reshaping the streambank, adding erosion control features like rocks and protective vegetation, and securing an exposed and compromised sewer system.

“This project represents not just an infrastructure improvement, but a commitment to our residents, our environment, and the long-term health of our community,” said Andrew Reilly, chief executive officer of WVSA. “With the restoration now complete, we’ve reduced the risk to public infrastructure, protected private property, and restored the health and function of this important waterway.”

Because the stream runs behind private homes and near public utilities, the project required close coordination with homeowners and the City of Wilkes-Barre. WVSA worked closely with residents to gain access to the streambank, maintain open lines of communication, and address concerns about construction impacts. Similarly, the City of Wilkes-Barre provided essential help and logistical support to manage regulatory issues, infrastructure coordination, and right-of-way access.

“This site presented a unique set of technical challenges, but we approached it with a comprehensive plan and strong local support,” said Jeff Colella, stormwater division manager at WVSA. “By working closely with property owners and city officials, we’ve shown what strong partnerships can accomplish.”

Reilly said this project reflects WVSA’s broader mission — to protect local communities and the environment by providing high-quality, cost-effective stormwater services. He said the success of the Mill Creek restoration shows how WVSA continues to invest in long-term solutions that benefit both people and the environment.