Two Kansas Citians, Zachary Lerner and Dean Scicchitano, are in Jerusalem as members of the United States Weightlifting Team for the 21st Maccabiah Games.
Approximately 10,000 athletes from 80 countries are competing in the Games, which are sometimes referred to as the “Jewish Olympics.” With 42 categories of competition, it is the world's third largest sporting event for 2022.
Lerner was invited by Maccabi U.S.A. to be the head coach of the American weightlifting team. He is officially registered as a coach and judge for U.S. Weightlifting and has served as medical staff for lifting competitions. He recently earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Kansas (K.U.).
The son of Dr. Bruce and Devra Lerner, Zack Lerner grew up in Kansas City and has participated in competitions on national and international levels. He has been involved with Olympic weightlifting since he was 13 years old.
Some of Lerner’s accolades include winning gold and silver medals at the A.A.U. Junior Olympic Games, medaling at the Junior Pan American Games and the U.S.A. Weightlifting American Open, competing on the U.S. National Weightlifting Team for ages 22 and under, and being invited to train with the U.S. Olympic Weightlifting Team at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Lerner and his family will move back to Kansas City this fall. He will be practicing at University of Kansas Medical Center in Overland Park, Kansas. His wife, Dr. Krista Lerner, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, will join the practice of Kansas City Dental Implants and Oral Surgery. Their three children will be attending the Child Development Center at The J and Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy this fall.
Scicchitano, a 22-year-old weightlifter at the Games, attended Blue Valley North and is the son of Frank Scicchitano and Zvia Zadock-Scicchitano, who are both attending the games in Israel.
Scicchitano began his weightlifting training in 2012 with Boris Urman and currently trains with Jim Rutter. He has competed at all levels — winning three national championships — and was a member of Team U.S.A. twice. He was a team member at the Junior Pan American Games and also trained at the U.S. Olympics Training Center. Dean is a senior at K.U. and is studying exercise science.
President Joe Biden attended the Maccabiah Games’ opening ceremonies and visited with Team U.S.A. during his diplomatic trip to the Middle East. According to the Associated Press, Biden told the athletes, “I’m so damn proud of you. You demonstrate to the world that we can do anything.”