The 5th Maccabiah

The decline in the number of athletes at the Fifth Maccabiah was partly due to the Suez Crisis the previous year. Fewer countries sent delegations—twenty instead of twenty-two—though Mexico participated for the first time. Of the 980 athletes competing in 19 events, 250 were from Israel

Following the suggestion of Aron Netanel, Chairman of Maccabi World Union, Maccabi decided to establish a permanent athletes' village, Kfar Maccabiah, near Ramat Gan. The first building was officially inaugurated during this Maccabiah.

In preparation for the opening day, the Maccabiah Stadium underwent a complete renovation. A new spectator section was built, increasing seating capacity to 7,000. The running tracks were refurbished, dressing rooms redecorated, and playing fields meticulously prepared. The grounds were carefully groomed for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as for the volleyball competitions. Once again, Gan Avraham hosted basketball games, and additional seating was added at Galei Gal Pool in Haifa for the swimming competitions.

During the Opening Ceremony, 2,600 youngsters from across Israel—many of whom were not members of Maccabi Tzair—participated in a gymnastics exhibition. Due to austerity measures, many could not afford sports shoes and performed barefoot. Resourceful as they were, some crafted makeshift "shoes" from rags and cardboard for the walk from their camp to the stadium. Veteran athletes, led by Avraham Shapira, the oldest Shomer, and Zvi Nishri, Israel’s most senior gymnastics teacher, proudly marched at the head of the Israeli delegation.

Track and field events, swimming, tennis, and basketball drew the largest crowds and generated the most excitement. Wrestling, weightlifting, and table tennis also saw higher-than-expected participation. 

Notable Athletes and Winners:

• South African sprinter Harold Brumberg set records in the 100m and 200m dashes and won the Eliyahu Savislotsky Medal for Outstanding Athlete.

• Israeli weightlifter Yitzhak Berger, an Olympic medalist, set a new world record at the Maccabiah. 

• Abe Grossfeld, the U.S. champion gymnast, won seven gold medals.

• South African and Australian tennis champions Abba Segal and Ava Dolzig - seven gold medals

• Israeli David Kushnir once again claimed victory in the broad jump.

• Deborah Turner from England won the 100m dash.

• A special highlight was Ágnes Keleti, a five-time Olympic gold medalist, who delivered two spectacular gymnastics performances after the Games. Immediately afterward, she joined the wave of over 71,000 Jewish immigrants, primarily from Poland, Hungary, and Egypt, who made Aliyah to Israel that year.