Montana Tucker to Headline 2026 Maccabiah Games Opening Ceremony With New Song

As athletes from around the world prepare to gather in Israel for the 2026 Maccabiah Games, award-winning entertainer and activist Montana Tucker will take center stage to perform her upcoming song, “We’re Not Strangers,” in what will no doubt be one of the defining moments of the Opening Ceremony on July 1.

Known as a singer, dancer, actress, philanthropist, and one of the most recognizable Jewish voices on social media, Tucker has a giant audience of nearly 14 million followers across her platforms. In recent years, she’s become a leading advocate against antisemitism, using entertainment and digital media to educate millions while promoting unity across communities.

For Tucker, this performance is deeply personal.

Tucker is the granddaughter of the Holocaust survivor and has dedicated much of her career to preserving Jewish history, combating all forms of hate, and strengthening the connection between Jews around the world. That mission aligns with the spirit of the Maccabiah Games, which celebrate Jewish identity, excellence, and the bond between Israel and the Jewish communities worldwide.

The 2026 Games carry even more significance after the 2025 Maccabiah was postponed due to the security situation in Israel. Come July 1, thousands of athletes from dozens of countries will once again march into Jerusalem to compete.

Montana Tucker | Courtesy of Montana Tucker

Tucker’s new song, “We’re Not Strangers,” reflects that moment with a message that speaks to Jews arriving from every corner of the world as strangers in geography but united by a shared history, resilience, identity, and hope. Her performance is designed to celebrate that connection.

Tucker is no stranger to big stage, beginning her career as a child performer where she became a World Hip Hop Champion at age 12 before working alongside artists including Ashanti, Ashlee Simpson, Jennifer Lopez, Ciara, Pitbull, Flo Rida, Paula Abdul, Gloria Gaynor, Jason Derulo, Lance Bass, Anitta, Alex Rodriguez, and Terry Crews. She has also performed at major sporting events, too, including Super Bowl festivities, Miami Heat games, and Florida Panthers games, while her music has appeared in films and NFL broadcasts.

Her advocacy, however, has become the defining chapter of her career.

In 2023, Tucker released the Webby-nominated Holocaust education series How To: Never Forget, documenting a journey to Poland with her mother that ended at Auschwitz, where all four of her great-grandparents were murdered and her grandmother, Lilly, survived.

Following the October 7, 2023, attacks, Tucker traveled repeatedly to Israel, meeting with President Isaac Herzog, released hostages, Nova Music Festival survivors, and families affected by the attacks. She later produced and hosted the documentary The Children of October 7, featuring conversations with seven children whose lives were forever changed by Hamas. The film became the No. 1 streamed title on Paramount+ following its U.S. release.

She has since continued documenting events firsthand, including reporting from inside Gaza on humanitarian aid efforts, while speaking at major Jewish and interfaith events around the world.

Tucker believes music, storytelling, and social media can reach audiences that traditional conversations often cannot.

“I’ve seen firsthand how powerful social media can be — for better or worse,” Tucker said. “The Social Accords is about using those same platforms to bring people together instead of pushing them apart. If we can change even one person’s perspective, that’s how real change begins.”

That is why her appearance at the Maccabiah Opening Ceremony carries meaning beyond the performance itself.

As athletes from across the Jewish world gather in Israel, Tucker’s performance of “We’re Not Strangers” will not only celebrate the opening of the Games, but also the resilience, unity, and enduring connection of the global Jewish community — a message that reflects both the spirit of the Maccabiah and the mission that has come to define her work.

Montana Tucker | Robert Hanashiro / USA TODAY NETWORK

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