The 9th Maccabiah

The Ninth Maccabiah took place one year after the Munich Massacre,  in which eleven Israeli athletes, coaches, and judges were murdered. The Games played a central role in the celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the State of Israel. At the Opening Ceremony, a tribute was paid to the fallen athletes, featuring a special Yizkor prayer written by Chief Rabbi Goren chanted, and the lighting of eleven torches in their memory. Basketball star Tal Brody carried the torch into the stadium, accompanied  by two survivors of the massacre: Israeli walking champion Dr. Saul Landy and sprinter Esther Roth Shachamorov.

Approximately 1,500 athletes from 26 countries participated, including athletes from Costa Rica and Spain. Turkey, which did not send a delegation, would not participate for the next 24 years. Of the 335 athletes in the Israeli delegation, several dozen were immigrants; the 38 athletes from the USSR excelled primarily in boxing, wrestling, fencing, and weightlifting. The athletes competed in 23 events, with squash introduced as a new sport. 

This Maccabiah was one of the most well-organized and heavily guarded Games in history. However, athletic performance was somewhat disappointing. Track and field, traditionally the "queen of events," lacked top-tier athletes. Swimming, usually a highlight of the Maccabiot, saw the American team "seemed rather tired," despite their strong lineup and multiple gold medals. The Israeli delegation's performance was poor, particularly in individual events like track and field and swimming. On the other hand, the tennis matches were of a relatively high standard, with strong performances from American and Australian players. Israelis found some success in basketball, where stars like Tal Brody, Barry Leibowitz, and the promising young Mickey Berkowitz led the Israeli all-star team to an impressive  victory over the United States (86:80). The basketball games took place in the upgraded Yad Eliahu Stadium, the Holon Enclosed Stadium, and Beit Barbour in Tel Aviv.

One of the reasons for the decline in the Jewish athletic performance worldwide was the inactivity of regional Maccabi Confederations between Games. In some cases, they had completely lost contact with Maccabi World Union centers. Many Maccabi clubs had become inactive, and Jewish athletic competitions in the Diaspora were nearly nonexistent. As a result, most of the delegations consisted of young athletes who had only begun training shortly before the Games. For them, the Maccabiah was more about  "a trip to Israel" than top-level competition. In this sense, however, the Ninth Maccabiah was a success: it brought together young Jewish athletes from around the world and served as an opportunity to promote Aliyah. 

To encourage future generations of Maccabiah participants, the organizers introduced the-first-ever Youth Jamboree, where Jewish youth from America and Israel mingled. From the perspective of Jewish identity, the Maccabiah was a triumph. Athletes were housed in five different locations: Kfar Maccabiah, the Ramat Aviv Hotel, Seminar Hakibbutzim, Wingate Institute, and Hakfar Hayarok. They participated in Jerusalem Day celebrations, toured the Old City, and visited the Western Wall, the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, the Knesset, Mt. Herzl, and Ammunition Hill. Each of the 120 delegation leaders received a commemorative album of the Western Wall.

As the opening day approached, the Ramat Gan Stadium underwent a complete renovation. Stadium lighting was increased to nine times its previous brightness, the Presidential booth was redecorated, and the grass was carefully groomed. For the first time, a special entrance was built for the press. The Closing Ceremony concluded with the traditional soccer match, this time between the Israeli and Uruguayan all-star teams (1:2). 

The Maccabiah budget stood at four million Israeli pounds, but the Games ended with a deficit of 200,000 to 300,000 Israeli pounds.

The Israel Broadcasting Authority, then a fledgling organization with just one channel, headed by Dan Shilon and Alex Giladi, was praised for its coverage of the Maccabiah. This was the largest production undertaken by Israel Television since the Munich tragedy. Approximately 400 journalists, photographers, and radio and television personnel from around the world joined them in covering the Games.

Notable Athletes, Winners, and Sports Achievements:

•  South African tennis player Elana Clos left the prestigious Wimbledon competition to participate in the Maccabiah.

• Kenyan track and field champion Amos Biwott, who competed in the 1968 Mexico Olympics.

• Swedish swimmer Anita Zarnovitsky, who participated with her twin brother, Bernot.

• American decathlete Carry Kering broke the Maccabiah record and won gold in the decathlon and pole vault.

• Gary Cohen set a new Maccabiah record in the 10,000-meter race.

• Dutch athlete Wilma Van Gol won the gold medal in the 100-meter dash, beating Esther Roth Shachamorov in a demonstration race.

• Mark Spitz, who had retired after the Munich Olympics, was unable to participate as a Guest of Honor due to a prior commitment, but his sister Nancy made the family proud by winning medals in her own right.

• The United States delegation came away with 76 gold medals, while the Israeli delegation won 66.

Say Hello: New Sports Competitions

• Squash