The Charlotte Jewish News- February 2026- Page 30
Kids Corner
Skates, Sleds, and a Star of David: Watching the Winter Olympics Together
By Sara Solar
The Winter Olympic Games are being held this month in Milan and Cortina d’ Ampezzo, Italy, and I can hardly wait! In my house, watching the Olympics is practically a holiday. We always tune in for the opening ceremony and make a special dinner inspired by the host country.( When the Summer Games were in Paris, France, I even made coq au vin!) My favorite Winter Olympic sport is figure skating, so I’ m counting the days until the first skaters glide onto the ice.
Over the years, the Olympics have become a big tradition for our family. Even though my children are grown up now, they still look forward to watching together. The Games are an outstanding way to explore new cultures, learn about teamwork, and talk about good sportsmanship. During the parade of nations, we like to pull out a map and see where each country is located. The internet is also filled with fun facts that spark great conversations.
Did You Know?
• All Winter Olympic events take place on snow or ice.
• The first Winter Olympics were held in 1924 in Chamonix, France.
• At those first Games, women were only allowed to compete in figure skating.
• Only one person has ever won gold in both the Winter and Summer Olympics: An American, Eddie Eagan.
• Athletes in the skeleton and bobsled can zoom down the track at up to 87 mph!
And speaking of high-speed thrills: most people have heard of the famous Jamaican bobsled team, but did you know that Israel has both a bobsled team and a skeleton team competing this year? Led by skeleton athlete Jared Firestone and bobsledder
AJ Edelman, the Israeli team is hoping to bring home a medal.
You can follow their journey on Facebook at the Israeli Olympic Bobsled & Skeleton Federation. It’ s especially exciting to watch Jared Firestone rocket down the icy track wearing a helmet decorated with a bright Star of David.
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