US high school phenom Max Margolis played 101 holes on the Caesarea green, representing the number of hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza.

California high-school golf phenom Max Margolis, 17, played 101 holes on Sunday at the Caesarea Golf Club, in the baking sun, to raise money for Israeli victims of terror.

He originally planned to play an even 100 holes, but added the extra one to represent the 101 hostages still in Hamas captivity in Gaza.

Margolis, who is visiting Israel for the first time, told JNS that prior to the Oct. 7, he hadn’t felt connected to the Jewish state, but the massacre on that Simchat Torah holiday “spurred a religious revival in me, and I feel way more connected to Judaism. What happened here that day was really an attack on the Jewish people.”

His response was to launch a $1 million fundraising campaign to benefit the organization OneFamily, which has been assisting victims of terrorism and their families since 2001.

After hearing from his father, Michael—who visited Israel in February—about the devastating situation of the families in the south, the teenager decided that he, too, wanted to take a trip to Israel, and to use his passion and talent for golf to assist in some way.

Michael Margolis told JNS he was so inspired when he saw up close the kind of work that OneFamily does that he and his decided to get involved in the organization. They did this first by “adopting” a family from a community near the Gaza border whose matriarch was raped and murdered by Hamas in front of her two small children.

“Meeting the victims face to face breaks your heart, and it’s also life-changing. When Max heard about it, he was inspired to help in any way he could,” said Michael.

It is thus that on Sunday at around 6 a.m. Max Margolis teed up in Caesarea and played what he described was a “golf marathon,” finishing late in the afternoon.

As difficult and exhausting as that feat was, Margolis said that the highlight of his day, and of his entire Israel experience so far, was “after the 101 holes, OneFamily brought a group of victims of terrorism—children and adults—to the course, and I spent some two hours teaching them the game of golf.”

He added, “It was so touching and powerful to spend time with them, and to give them a joyful and fun afternoon. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

Following the golf lesson, OneFamily treated the victims of terror in attendance, along with the Margolises, to a barbeque at the Caesarea home of one of the organization’s donors.

Chantal Belzberg, OneFamily’s founder and executive chairman, told JNS, “It is incredible to see a young, athletic teenager say, ‘I’m going to dedicate my time for an important cause in Israel.’ I was totally blown away.”

She added, “No kid has ever said he wants to raise a million dollars. I’ve never seen anything like this before. Max is so special.”

Belzberg shared that Max arrived at the golf course on foot, while it was still dark outside, and spent the whole day playing and greeting people with grace and charm.

“He had so much patience and warmth, and took the time to talk to everybody,” she said. “He was also genuinely interested in hearing everyone’s stories. He did this like a champ. Unbelievable.”

Eric Rubin, president of Project Max [Nordau] and global ambassador for the Maccabi World Union, commented to JNS about Max’s initiative.

“Athletes have a big platform that can be used to effect positive outcomes,” he said. “Max Margolis, one of the top golf prospects in the United States, is using his platform to speak out for victims of terror—specifically those committed on 10/7.”

Rubin added, “I’m so proud of him for partnering with OneFamily, not only to raise awareness for the victims of 10/7, but for using his sport to raise funds for the people who continue to suffer from that tragic day.”

Utilizing the hashtag #SportSpeaksUp, Rubin and Maccabi USA have mobilized, leveraging the large online followings of influential members of the professional sports community to speak up and raise awareness about the plight of the Israeli hostages being held by Hamas.

Max Margolis on the Caesarea Golf Club course. Sept. 15, 2024. Credit: Meir Pavlovsky.

After high school, Margolis plans to play golf at Santa Clara University, an NCAA Division I program, with dreams of playing professionally after graduation from college.

He also holds the course record at California’s Stone Eagle Golf course, previously held by professional golfer Jason Day, winner of the PGA championship in 2015, one of tour’s four major tournaments.

But before he pursues those dreams, Margolis is planning a similar golfing event and dinner in California this winter towards his goal of raising the million dollars for terror victims.

“In California, we are too isolated and live very well, but as a Jews from the United States, we all have to our part as well to help,” he said.

Within 24 hours of his golf marathon in Caesarea, Margolis’s OneFamily campaign garnered $70,000. As he stated on his campaign page: “We take so much in our lives for granted, but giving is the greatest gift of all. My goal is to raise $1,000,000; an attainable goal and an opportunity for you to be part of the rehabilitation and reintegration so desperately needed by so many people in Israel. Open your hearts, then open your wallets.”