Cap: Aly Raisman light the Maccabiah flame at the opening ceremonies.

NEW YORK – Olympic gold medalist and Massachusetts native Aly Raisman and NBA basketball star Amar’e Stoudemire boarded an El Al flight to Israel this week to join more than 9,000 Jewish athletes from around in the 19th World Maccabiah Games, which kicked off in Israel on Wednesday, July 17 and will run for two weeks.

Raisman, a member of the gold medal-winning USA women’s gymnastics team in the London 2012 Summer Olympics, will lead Team USA in the opening Maccabiah ceremony. She will also light the Maccabiah flame and perform in a special gymnastics exhibition. Stoudemire, famed forward of the New York Knicks and now part owner of Israeli basketball team Hapoel Jerusalem, will coach a Canadian Maccabiah team.