In the beginning was "The Idea" conceived by a 15 year old Jewish youngster, Joseph Yekutieli, against the background of the 1912 World Olympics in Stockholm. For the next ten years, he mulled it over until he formulated a detailed plan. After another decade of intensive efforts, endless lobbying and tireless knocking on the doors of rulers, secretaries, government officials, authorities and close friends, the plan, which had appeared to many to be too daring and pretentious, finally took shape and became a reality.

In 1928 Yekutieli presented a proposal to Menachem Ussishkin, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Jewish National Fund, for the first convocation in Eretz Yisrael of Jewish athletes from all over the world, symbolically timed for the 1800 th anniversary of the Bar Kochba rebellion.

At that time the Maccabi Movement was in the process of setting up an internationally recognized body representing all Eretz Yisrael's sports, thereby paving the way for official participation in important international events. It was clear that the proposed Maccabiah could not be rganized without the approval of the international sports associations, which accepted only recognized countries into their ranks. Only in 1928, after Eretz Yisrael Soccer Association was founded and recognized by most of the international bodies, was the way paved for the organization of the first Maccabiah in Eretz Yisrael.

The organizers decided that the Maccabiada, as the Games were then called, would be held for members of the World Maccabi Federation, at designated intervals, patterned along the Olympic Games. The purpose of these worldwide Jewish competitions was to allow the various participating associations an opportunity to test their strength, preparethemselves for international and Olympic competitions and to glorify the sports achievements of Jewish youth. The path towards the Maccabiada, which, at the suggestion of the writer K. Silman, was Hebraized to Maccabiah, abounded with arguments and was strewn with stumbling blocks. Alongside the differences of opinion which emerged in World Maccabi over the conduct and content of the Maccabiah, events in Eretz Yisrael took a grave turn, throwing doubt upon whether the games would ever take place.

On the 9th of Av 5689 (summer of 1929) an anti-Jewish riot broke out at the Western Wall, spreading to all the Jewish communities in Eretz israel with the exception of Tiberias. Hundreds of Jews were murdered. Maccabi members volunteered for the Haganah, which was revealed in all its weakness during the riots. Lord Plumer, the High Commissioner in Eretz Yisrael was replaced by Sir John Chancellor of the British Colonial Service, who rapidly showed himself to be pro-Arab and blatantly hostile to Zionism. The Maccabiah was finally held on the intended date. Sir Arthur Wauchope had replaced Chancellor as High Commissioner in the autumn of 1931, beginning theׂGolden Age׃ of the Jewish community in Eretz Yisrael. Wauchope admired Jewish sports and the achievements of the Zionist movement in Eretz Yisrael and extended his patronage to the Maccabiah, on condition that it hosts Arab and English groups. Two delegations of Jewish motorcycle riders set out from Tel Aviv for a Propaganda Tour (today we use the term Promotional Tour) throughout Europe; the first in 1930 from Tel Aviv to Antwerp, and the second, a year later from Tel Aviv to London. Yekutieli himself participated in the delegation of young cyclists.

 

On the second tour which began on May 10 and ended on July 16, 1931, the riders covered 9,375 kilometers, from the Sinai desert through Cairo, Alexandria, Salonika, Gorna, Sofia, Belgrad, Novisad, Osijek, Zagreb, Vienna, Linz, Nuremburg, Frankfurt, Metz and Paris to London, Brighton, Leeds, Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham and Beirut. In all these cities, they announced the Maccabiah which would take place the following spring in Eretz Yisrael. Masses of enthusiastic Maccabi members proclaimed their desire to participate in theׂ Jewish Olympics׃

Twenty First Maccabiah

Twenty First Maccabiah

The 21st Maccabiah Games –A Celebration of Sport in Israel

July 14-26, 2022

Despite peaking preparations, the 21st Maccabiah Games, originally scheduled for 2021, were postponed to summer 2022 due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

Nonetheless, it was the largest Maccabiah ever, with over 10,000 athletes from 70 countries competing across 42 sports. Maccabi USA, Maccabi Argentina, and Maccabi Australia followed the largest Israeli delegation. The smaller yet surprising delegations included Japan, Zimbabwe, the Cayman Islands, and the Bahamas. 

This Maccabiah was characterized by several groundbreaking firsts…

For the first time, US President Joe Biden attended the opening ceremony of the Maccabiah held at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem with 30,000 participants. President Biden interacted closely with members of the American delegation, waving to the audience and exchanging smiles with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Yair Lapid. He expressed his strong support for Israel, stating to the delegation: "I'm proud of you, and I'm here because I support Israel'.

For the first time, this Maccabiah hosted delegations representing immigrants and Maccabi Europe.

For the first time, in this Maccabiah, we increased the number of participating teams in various sports, such as ice hockey, by forming teams with representatives from multiple countries.

For the first time, we introduced the Maccabiah Beach, a venue featuring beach sports, music, live performances, and culinary delights worldwide. This venue was open to the Israeli public and hosted the Maccabiah competitions in coastal sports.

For the first time, a ninja competition was featured at the Maccabiah Beach, showcasing Israeli Ninja Stars.

For the first time in Israel and at the Maccabiah, a spectacular motocross race took place at the Wingate Institute, featuring top riders from Israel, including children, and leading riders worldwide.

For the first time in Israel and at the Maccabiah, an extreme Super Indoro urban race was held. This two-wheeled motorsport event utilized existing natural urban routes, providing an enjoyable and spectator-friendly viewing experience. Approximately 150 riders from Israel and worldwide competed, offering the audience a unique sports experience unseen in Israel.

For the first time, we showcased cutting-edge sports technologies at the national velodrome, facilitating direct engagement with Israel's sports tech community. Israeli startups and ventures presented groundbreaking developments in sports medicine, performance enhancement, broadcasting and media, statistics, fan engagement, and merchandise.

For the first time in years, the Israeli audience was exceptionally engaged, present, and active in this Maccabiah. The sports facilities were filled with enthusiastic crowds from Israel and around the world.

For the first time in years, this Maccabiah introduced a new anthem titled 'Carnival,' performed by Israeli pop stars Static and Ben El. The accompanying music video brought together Israeli Olympic and Paralympic medalists alongside prominent athletes from Israeli sports. 

For the first time, a special photo exhibition titled 'Israel Celebrates Sports' was showcased at Ben Gurion Airport. The exhibition on the boulevard leading to the departure hall highlighted Jewish athletes with remarkable stories from the history of the Maccabiah Games.

The two standout athletes of this Maccabiah were Anastasia Gorbenko, a world champion swimmer and Olympic finalist, who set a new Maccabiah record in the 200-meter mixed individual medley with a time of 2:14:25, and Denis Petrashov, an Olympic swimmer from Kyrgyzstan, who won the 100-meter breaststroke in 1:00.46 minutes, also setting a new Maccabiah record.

At the vibrant opening ceremony of the Maccabiah, held at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem with 30,000 spectators, 10,000 athletes from 70 countries marched in a dazzling display. Acclaimed Israeli artists, including Eden Ben Zaken, Tamir Greenberg, Hanan Ben Ari, and Static and Ben El, filled the stadium with music, further elevating the atmosphere.

Olympic champions Artem Dolgopyat and Linoy Ashram lit the Maccabiah torch, joined by five other distinguished athletes: Olympic Taekwondo medalist Avishag Semberg, European swimming champion Anastasia Gorbenko, Paralympic swimming champions Ami Dadaon and Lyad Shalabi, and Jewish-American baseball player Ian Kinsler.

The closing ceremony of the 21st Maccabiah brought together athletes for a night of celebration at the Live Park Rishon LeZion complex. Hosted by Miri Nevo and Almaz Mengistu, the ceremony featured famous Israeli artists like Noa Kirel and Netta Barzilai, alongside captivating performances from Nono, Stephane Legar, Hatikva 6, Eden Darso, and Daniel Arison, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.

The 21st Maccabiah Chairman was Arik Zeevi, Olympic judoka. 

Fifth Maccabiah

Fifth Maccabiah

The Fifth Maccabiah: 5717

No doubt, the drop in the number of athletes participating in the Fifth Maccabiah was due, in part, to the Sinai Campaign the previous year.  Fewer states sent delegates this time -- twenty instead of the previous twenty two -- although Mexico sent a delegation for the first time.  Of the 980 athletes who competed in 19 events, 250 were from Israel.

Acting upon the suggestion of Aron Netanel, Chairman of Maccabi World Union who died of a heart attack approximately a month and a half before the Opening Ceremony, Maccabi decided to erect a permanent village for the athletes, Kfar Maccabiah near Ramat Gan, whose first building was officially dedicated at this Maccabiah.

In preparation for the opening day, the Maccabiah Stadium was completely renovated.  A new spectator section was constructed, bringing to 7,000 the number who could now be seated at the games.  Racing tracks were renewed and installed, dressing rooms redecorated and playing fields gotten into shape.  The grounds were groomed for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and the volleyball competitions.  Once again, Gan Avraham was prepared for the basketball games and seats were added at Galei Gal pool (in Haifa) for the swim meets.

At the Opening Ceremony 2,600 youngsters from all over Israel -- many of them not Maccabi Tzair members -- took part in the gymnastics exhibition.  Since not all of them could afford to buy sports shoes (the austerity years), they performed barefooted.  These enterprising youngsters had fashioned temporary ׂshoes׃ from rags and cardboard for the walk from their camp to the stadium grounds.  The veterans, led by the oldest Shomer Avraham Shapira, and the oldest gym teacher, Zvi Nishri, marched at the head of the Israeli delegation.

Track and field events, swimming, tennis and basketball games aroused the most interest and drew large crowds.  A surprising number of participants registered for wrestling, weightlifting and table tennis. The South African sprinter, Harold Brumberg set records in the 100 and 200 meter dashes and won the Eliahu Savislotsky Medal for Outstanding Athlete.  

Yitzhak Berger, Olympic medal winner in weightlifting, set a new world record at the Maccabiah.  Other outstanding competitors were Grossfeld, U.S. champion gymnast (7 Gold Medals) and South African and Australian tennis champions Abba Segal and Ava Dolzig.  Israeli David Kushnir won the broad jump once again and Deborah Turner from England the 100 meter dash.  Agnes Kelti, winner of 5 Olympic Gold Medals, gave two spectacular gymnastic performances after the Games, immediately adding her name to the list of over 71,000 Jews mainly from Poland, Hungary and Egypt who immigrated to Israel that year.

 

Twentieth Maccabiah

Twentieth Maccabiah

 

Twenieth Maccabiah: 5777
80 Countries – One Heart

Maccabiah was the largest and most successful set of Games with 10,000 athletes participating from 80 countries. For the first time we had participants from Barbados, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, China, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Korea, Suriname, Taiwan, Thailand & Vietnam.

Sport tournaments were held at 65 different venues all over Israel with thousands of spectators from Israel and abroad. Jerusalem was the Capital of the Maccabiah and hosted most of the competitions and main events such as the Opening Ceremony and the Gala evening. The most special venue was the Pais Arena in Jerusalem, a basketball arena that was transformed into an Ice Hockey venue. This attracted the largest audience during the hockey finals with more than 7,000 spectators.

The Opening Ceremony was held at Teddy Stadium with a total of 27,000 spectators including the President of Israel, the Prime Minister, the Mayor of Jerusalem, the Minister of Culture and Sport, Ambassadors, Businessmen, the Management of the Movement from Israel and abroad, Donors and Guests. Jerusalem also hosted the Gala evening in honor of the Maccabiah and celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the unification of the city. Other festivities included the Maccabiah Jerusalem half marathon, Kabbalat Shabbat & the Bnei Mitzvah ceremony at the Western Wall, along with tours of its sites and landscapes.

One of the main highlights was the Junior Maccabiah that was hosted for the first time in Haifa.

The city hosted 2,000 junior athletes with warmth and love. The HUB was located at the Sportan (a popular country club in Haifa) and was the center location for youth while not competing. At the HUB there were educational and cultural activities led by Maccabi Tzair Madrichim and other professionals. The Leonardo Hotel's beach became the Maccabiah Beach. There were joint parties held with various youth programs in Haifa, and local businesses in the area provided discounts to all the participants.

Anthony Ervin, the gold medalist at the Rio Olympics, who also lit the Maccabiah torch at the Opening Ceremony. This Elite Maccabiah team was accompanied by Israeli Olympic medalists Arik Zeevi, Yarden Gerbi, Ori Sasson, Neta Rivkin & our very own Israeli NBA player, Omri Casspi.

The media exposure that the Maccabiah received was unprecedented. The Israeli public came to watch the competitions and the responses on social media networks were overwhelming. The Opening Ceremony broadcast on Channel 2 (largest TV channel in Israel) during prime time received 25% ratings.

The year leading up to the Maccabiah – a variety of events took place all over Israel in various cities such as Jerusalem, Haifa, Netanya, Dimona, Ra'anana, Tel Aviv, and more all in conjunction with local programs from the various municipalities.

Events publicizing the Maccabiah abroad began in December 2016 starting with the launch of the Maccabi Torch relay from the Maccabim Tombs in Modi'in, to the residence of the President of Israel to the Maccabi TO's worldwide.

Avenue in New York, Niagara Falls in Canada, the Sydney Opera House in Australia, Wembely Stadium in London, Table Mountain in South Africa as well as Budapest, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and Rio (Brazil), Helsinki (Finland), Peru, Uruguay, Chile, Amsterdam, Perth and Melbourne.

The torch was also carried on a journey through Europe by Jewish cyclists who returned to the historic Maccabiah rally to recruit Jews to the first Maccabiah. The Journey began in England and finished at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem at the Opening Ceremony.

Nineteenth Maccabiah

Nineteenth Maccabiah

The Nineteenth Maccabiah: 5773

There was a prophetic quality in the colorful Maccabiah 2013 logo: An athlete running under a halo of Stars of David to the Games in Israel. Spectators in Jerusalem's Teddy Stadium were treated to a sensational Athletes Parade. Around 9000 athletes – so many that nearly half the Israeli Athletes went directly to their seats – in Delegations from a record-shattering 78 countries flew their national flags. It was like an atlas of global Jewish geography, created through the special 'Lost Communities' Project. Numerous countries made their first-ever Maccabiah appearance, bringing the crowd to its feet in thunderous applause, amazed to see athletes and flags of Albania, Bolivia, Cuba, Mauritius, Zimbabwe, and the lone tennis player from Ulan Bator, Mongolia.

One of the best events in an outstanding program that featured no less than 40 types of sport: an open-entry nighttime Half-Marathon with over 1500 runners on a loop course from Kfar Maccabiah through the streets of Ramat Gan.  Handball, Archery and Shooting reappeared on the program after very long absences. The 'Big 5' sports – Basketball, Golf, Football, Swimming and Tennis – and Finals matches again attracted much spectator and media interest. The star athlete of the Games (and its poster girl, and flame lighter) was USA Gymnast Aly Raisman, the London 2012 Olympics double gold medalist who reprised her hallmark 'Hava Nagila' floor exercise routine to the delight of Gala attendees.

Of many successful organizational innovations, the most important was staging virtually the entire Junior Maccabiah program at the sprawling Wingate Institute. All Athletes came there every morning and enjoyed every aspect of their schedules – training, competition, cultural, educational, meals, tours, everything – through the day and into the evenings. They were busy all day, transiting back only at night to their hotels.  By contracting some of Israel's largest establishments so that they were filled to capacity with Maccabiah participants, Maccabiah 2013 used far fewer hotels as Athletes Villages than in previous Maccabiot.

The spirit of the Maccabi Movement was seen in all aspects. One of the best sports examples: as expected, an Israel squad anchored by Euro 2013 Bronze medalist Donald Sandford and the USA's crack collegiate runners vied for Gold and Silver in the 4X100m Mens Open relay, but who might have imagined that running on guts alone, a cobbled-together 'Mixed' team from various Latin American 'Lost Communities' runners would snatch the Bronze from a squad that featured a 2012 London Olympics sprint finalist?  After the Closing Ceremony on July 30, thousands of happy athletes returned to their families filled with enthusiasm for Israel and modern Jewish life. Around 200 – including 17 of 51 Cubans – made Aliyah immediately.

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