The 15th Maccabiah

The 15th Maccabiah took place in a milestone year, marking 100 years of the Zionist Movement and the jubilee of the State of Israel. 5,500 athletes from 50 countries competed in 34 sports categories, including the traditional Maccabiah Games, the Masters' Maccabiah, the Junior Maccabiah, and the Paralympic Games. 

 

Among the delegations were teams from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), each marching under its national flag. Delegations from Paraguay, Yugoslavia, and Cuba also participated. Delegations from India, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, and Czechoslovakia managed to attend despite financial difficulties with support of Maccabi World Union and national institutions.

The Israeli delegation, consisting of 1,500 athletes, was once again the largest. Other major delegations came from the United States (594 athletes), Argentina (386), the United Kingdom (380), Australia (374), Canada (361), South Africa (268), and Mexico (203).

Tragedy at the Opening Ceremony

Sadly, this Maccabiah will also be remembered for the tragic bridge collapse during the opening ceremony as delegations were crossing the Yarkon River. Four members of the Australian delegation—Yetty Bennett z"l, Greg Small z"l, Warren Zines z"l, and Elizabeth Sawicki z"l—lost their lives.

 

Competitions were postponed by 24 hours, and a memorial ceremony was held in Maccabim, attended by athletes and officials. Every Maccabiah event began with a moment of silence. 

Despite the heartbreak, the Australian delegation courageously chose to stay and compete. Their lawn bowls team continued to play with only four players, and Maccabi Australia President Tom Goldman announced the establishment of a fund to raise money for those affected by the disaster.

The opening ceremony centred on Jewish heritage, combining modern visual effects with music and historical narratives. The event showcased key moments in Jewish history, from the destruction of the Second Temple to the First Zionist Congress, early settlement,  immigration and the establishment of the State of Israel. The ceremony portrayed a young nation calling upon its diaspora to return, settle, and participate in its development, with Jerusalem as its eternal capital. 

Renowned basketball player Miki Berkovich, voted "Israel's Greatest Athlete of All Time", was honored with the role of torchbearer, alongside American-Jewish gymnast Kerri Strug, a gold medalist at the Atlanta Olympics. Yael Arad, Barcelona's Olympic bronze medalist, lit the torch in Modi'in, from where it was relayed to Ramat Gan Stadium. where legendary goalkeeper Ya'akov Hodorov administered the athletes' oath. Legendary goalkeeper Ya'akov Hodorov administered the athletes’ oath, and Olympic windsurfing bronze medalist Gal Fridman carried the Israeli delegation’s flag.

The 15th Maccabiah featured competitions in 34 sports. Soccer remained the most popular sports (with over 500 participants), followed by basketball (420 participants), and tennis (nearly 300 participants), while golf (120 participants) and beach volleyball gained significant attention despite being relatively new additions.

During the 10-day event, the 7th Junior Maccabiah welcomed 900 young athletes from 26 countries competing in 11 sports. As part of the "Friend of the Maccabiah" initiative, junior athletes and their Israeli hosts participated in tours, social and educational activities, and cultural evenings. The Masters Maccabiah brought together 800 veteran athletes competing in nine sports, and the Paralympic Games saw around 70 participants competing in swimming and tennis.

In team competitions, Brazil won the men's soccer tournament, followed by Sweden, the Netherlands, and France. Canada won gold in men's basketball, followed by Great Britain and the United States, while Israel took gold in women's basketball. Australia secured gold in cricket, and Israel claimed first place in men's volleyball, men's judo, and men's table tennis. South Africa won gold in men's golf and men's field hockey, while the U.S. won gold in women's golf and Argentina in women's field hockey. Canada, as expected, took first place in ice hockey and softball. Great Britain won women's netball, Russia secured gold in men's futsal, and the U.S. took gold in rugby. Australia won men's squash, while Israel dominated women's squash.

In total, Israel won 69 gold, 55 silver, and 50 bronze medals, followed by the United States (28 gold, 23 silver, and 30 bronze),  South Africa  (9 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze), Canada (12 gold, 8 silver, and 2 bronze), and Australia (5 gold, 6 silver, and 2 bronze). 

To commemorate the Maccabiah, the Israel Philatelic Service issued a special stamp featuring an image of ice skating. As in previous years, the event was accompanied by cultural festivities, including the "Yakir Maccabiah" ceremony, held at the prestigious auditorium of the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv, where 11 distinguished individuals from around the world were recognized. Thousands of athletes toured the country’s sites and cities, experiencing the vibrant and diverse Israeli way of life throughout the 10 days of competition.

The closing ceremony at the Armored Corps Memorial Site in Latrun was an emotional finale, attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The ceremony featured dramatic visuals accompanied by music, Israeli folk songs, Palmach tunes, folkloric dances, a parachute performance, and a rendition of "Jerusalem of Gold" by singer Shuly Nathan. On July 24, 1997, the 15th Maccabiah Games – the last Maccabiah of the 20th century – came to a close, leaving behind unforgettable moments of triumph, resilience, and remembrance.

 

Notable Athletes, Winners, and Sports Achievements:

 

• Among the Maccabiah stars was Olympic medalist windsurfer Gal Fridman, who won gold in the Mistral competition. 

• The relay swimming team (4x100m freestyle) – Eitan Orbach, Yoav Bruck, Eran Groumi, and Oren Azrad – set a new Israeli record of 3:25.79 minutes. 

• American swimmer Jeffrey Weiss achieved the best swimming result of the competition with a 2:16.71-minute finish in the 200m breaststroke, a world-class achievement and personal best.

•  High jumper Konstantin Matusevich set a record of 2.28 meters, ranking as the fifth-best result in the world at that time.

• Merav Tarshish of Hapoel Lehavim won gold in the women's triathlon, while Haifa's Shiri Burstein retained her title as Maccabiah tennis champion.

• Dror Vaknin, an Israeli residing in the U.S., won the half marathon (21 km) with an impressive time of 1 hour and 12 minutes. 

• Rowers Eric Eldajim and Yoel Nahum from the Tiberias Sailing Club and the Israeli national team won gold in the doubles rowing competition held in Tiberias.

• Karate champion Yoel Ben Harush from Kiryat Motzkin secured a gold medal, and karate athletes from Lod won three additional gold medals. Israel's karate champion Michael Brown competed for the French delegation.

• Olympic kayaking medalist Judy Yerushalmi (gold medalist at the Atlanta Olympics) attended the Maccabiah as a guest. 

• American Jacob Glickman was crowned "The Fastest Jew" after winning the men's 100-meter race in 10.54 seconds. 

• Israel's Galit Mertzky won the women's 100-meter race in 12.23 seconds, earning the title of "The Fastest Jewish Woman."

• The standout junior athlete of the games was Israeli gymnast Erik Golov from the Jordan Valley, who accumulated 51 points, earning him the title of "15th Junior Maccabiah Champion."

Say Hello: New Sports Competition

• Ice hockey

• Beach volleyball (held at the Canada Center in Metula with teams from Canada, the U.S., Israel, and the CIS)

• Taekwondo

• Girls' netball (with four teams in addition to eight adult teams)

• Masters soccer

• Masters basketball

• Masters table tennis

• Masters swimming