In one of the biggest television specials in Israel's history, JLTV joined forces with the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) in producing the live broadcast of the 18th Maccabiah Games earlier this week.  The over three-hour spectacular included the parade of athletes by country, greetings from Israel's President Shimon Peres and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and leading Israeli entertainers. In an emotional moment, Barbra Streisand greeted JLTV's Maccabiah audience along with a message and her singing of Israel's national anthem Hatikvah. Twenty-one cameras captured the emotions generated in the Ramat Gan Stadium, which holds 45,000.  This is the first time that the Games were broadcast outside of Israel, which gave JLTV another milestone in the network's history. JLTV reaches over 100 million homes across the United States, Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

The JLTV Special was hosted by Mitch Gaylord Olympic and Maccabiah Gold Medalist, JLTV's Entertainment Editor, Keren Ahroni, Steve Grad (KNX Radio sportscaster) and the network's founder, Phil Blazer.  "I am so very proud of the outcome of this production thanks to the cooperation of IBA and our Israeli and satellite distributor RRSAT.  JLTV's North American based crew includes Brad Pomerance (Producer) Roxanne Mehrian (Broadcast Engineer and Producer), Igal Hecht (Producer), Jamie Grant and Todd Segal (Editors), as well as our JLTV Israeli crew.  I also want to thank our staff in Los Angeles headed-up by my son Adam. We are one big family." stated Phil Blazer. The Games continue through Thursday, July 23.   


This Sunday, July 19, the Opening Ceremonies will be re-broadcasting on JLTV at noon and 5:00 pm (EDT).

JLTV received hundreds of thousands of hits on its website www.jltv.tv and as a result received hundreds of congratulatory comments:

I only discovered your channel by chance whilst trying to watch my daughter who is part of team GB in the Maccabiah. I have been itching, positively itching, to see such a channel born...because my strong feeling has been that we Jews and supporters of Israel were losing the argument to the other side by default.  And now, finally, something to redress the balance.
                                                          .... Jeremy Josephs, France

You are in my home!! Shalom from Norway! Thank you, I found JLTV, and like it. I am a very pro Israel, and we will go to Jerusalem in October
                                                           .... Audun Gravdal, Norway

Congratulations on the globalization of JLTV. I receive it on channel 366 [DIRECTV] ... I cannot turn it off. It's sensational and so valuable. The stories from the Holocaust to the AMAZING comedy of Myron Cohen... Myron Cohen, in my life! Not too many people funnier.