| Maccabiah Games |
|---|
 |
| Main topics |
| Most recent games |
| Stadiums |
 Category |
TheMaccabiah Games (Hebrew:משחקי המכביה, or משחקי המכביה העולמית; sometimes referred to as the "Jewish Olympics") is an internationalmulti-sport event with summer and winter sports competitions featuringJews andIsraelis regardless of religion. Held every four years inIsrael, the Maccabiah Games is considered the foremost sports competition for global Jewry.
With over 10,000 competing athletes, the Maccabiah Games is the third-largest sporting event in the world by number of competitors, behind theOlympics and theFIFA World Cup.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] The Maccabiah Games were declared a "Regional Sports Event" by, and under the auspices and supervision of, theInternational Olympic Committee in 1961.[8][9][10]
Organized by theMaccabi World Union, the first games were held in 1932.[11][12][13]
The2022 Maccabiah Games were originally scheduled for 2021, but were postponed and held in 2022 due to the globalCOVID-19 pandemic, making it the first summer games to be postponed.[14]
The next Maccabiah Games were supposed to be held in Israel between July 1, 2025 and July 22, 2025,[15] but were postponed to the summer of 2026 due to theIran–Israel war.[16]
Originally, the Maccabiah was held every three years. Since the1953 Maccabiah Games, the event has generally been held every four years, in the year following theOlympic Games.
The Maccabiah Games are open toJewish athletes from around the world, as well as to all Israeli athletes regardless of ethnicity or religion.[13][17]
Competitions at the Maccabiah are organized into four divisions:[12][18] 1) Open (Seniors); 2) Juniors; 3) Masters; and 4) Disabled. The Games are organized by theMaccabi World Union.
The nameMaccabiah was chosen afterJudah Maccabee, a Jewish leader who defended his country from KingAntiochus.[19]Modi'in, Judah's birthplace, is also the starting location of the torch that lights the flames at the opening ceremony, a tradition that started at the4th Maccabiah.[9]
The Maccabiah Games were the result of a proposal put forward byYosef Yekutieli in 1929 at theMaccabi World Congress. Yekutieli, who heard about theStockholm Olympics, wanted to form a representation forEretz Yisrael. Following the appointment of the newBritish Palestine High Commissioner, SirArthur Grenfell Wauchope, the Maccabiah got the go-ahead.
The1st Maccabiah opened on March 28, 1932.[20] TheMaccabiah Stadium inTel Aviv, which was built with donations, was filled to capacity. Roughly 400 athletes from 18 countries took part in everything from swimming, football, and handball, to various athletics. In the first Games, the Polish delegation took first place.[20]
The Maccabiah Games were intended to take place at an interval of three years. Following the success of the first Games, the2nd Maccabiah was held from April 2 to 10, 1935, despite official opposition by the British Mandatory government. Over 1,300 athletes from 28 nations participated. The3rd Maccabiah, which was originally scheduled for spring of 1938,[9] was postponed until 1950 due to British concerns of large-scale illegal immigration,[9]World War II, and the1948 Arab–Israeli War.[21] It became the first Maccabiah to be held after the establishment of theState of Israel.
Starting from the4th Maccabiah, the games were changed to take place every four years in the year following theOlympics and since 1953, the Games have taken place every four years, with the exception of the 21st Maccabiah, which was postponed for one year due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. The15th edition was marred by what became known as theMaccabiah bridge disaster, when a temporary bridge built for the march of athletes at the opening ceremony collapsed, plunging about 100 members of the Australian delegation into the waters of theYarkon River. Four athletes were killed, and 63 injured.[22][23] More than 5,000 participants from over 50 countries competed in those Games.[23]
Over the last two decades, the number of participants grew to 9,000 athletes in the19th Maccabiah, from 78 countries, making it the 3rd-largest sporting event in the world and the second largest sporting event in 2013, behind the2013 Summer Universiade.[4][24] It is a forum for Jewish athletes to meet and convene, and provides the athletes with opportunities to explore Israel and Jewish history.[11]
Approximately 10,000 athletes, from 80 countries, were expected to compete in 42 sports categories in the21st Maccabaiah. It was reportedly the world's largest sporting event in 2022.[25]President of the United StatesJoe Biden attended the opening ceremonies, cheering on the U.S. delegation of 1,400 athletes—larger than the U.S. delegation to the2021 Tokyo Olympics.[26] This made him the first American president to attend the Maccabiah Games.[27]
The following is an overview of the Games:
| # | Year | Date | Main Venue | Nations | Athletes | Sports | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1932 | 28 March–6 April | Maccabiah Stadium | 27 | 390 | 16 | [28] |
| 2 | 1935 | 2–10 April | 28 | 1,250 | 18 | [29] | |
| 3 | 1950 | 28 September–11 October | Ramat Gan Stadium | 20 | 800 | 17 | [30] |
| 4 | 1953 | 22–29 September | 22 | 892 | 19 | [31] | |
| 5 | 1957 | 15–24 September | 20 | 980 | 19 | [32] | |
| 6 | 1961 | 29 August–5 September | 27 | 1,000 | 20 | [33] | |
| 7 | 1965 | 23–31 August | 27 | 1,200 | 22 | [34] | |
| 8 | 1969 | 28 July–7 August | 27 | 1,450 | 22 | [35] | |
| 9 | 1973 | 9–19 July | 26 | 1,500 | 23 | [36] | |
| 10 | 1977 | 12–21 July | 34 | 2,700 | 26 | [37] | |
| 11 | 1981 | 6–16 July | 34 | 3,450 | 30 | [38] | |
| 12 | 1985 | 15–25 July | 37 | 3,700 | 28 | [39] | |
| 13 | 1989 | 3–13 July | 45 | 4,400 | 32 | [40] | |
| 14 | 1993 | 5–15 July | 48 | 5,100 | [41] | ||
| 15 | 1997 | 14–24 July | 33 | 5,500 | 34 | [42] | |
| 16 | 2001 | 16–23 July | Teddy Stadium | 49 | 2,200 | [43] | |
| 17 | 2005 | 11–23 July | Ramat Gan Stadium | 55 | 7,300 | [44] | |
| 18 | 2009 | 13–23 July | 55 | 7,510 | 33 | [45] | |
| 19 | 2013 | 18–30 July | Teddy Stadium | 77 | 7,500 | 34 | [46] |
| 20 | 2017 | 4–17 July | 85 | 10,000 | 45 | [47] | |
| 21 | 12–26 July | 80 | 10,000 | 47 | [48] | ||
| 22 | 29 June–14 August | Teddy Stadium |
Prior to World War II there was an attempt to organize a winter Maccabiah. Due to the relatively warm temperatures in Palestine, the winter Maccabiot were organized in European nations. The1st Winter Maccabiah was held inZakopane,Poland, February 2 to 5, 1933.[49][50] The games were met with great opposition; theGazeta Warszawska newspaper encouraged Polish youth to intervene during the games to prevent the "Jewification of Polish winter sports venues".[49]
A second attempt at the winter games was relatively successful. The2nd Winter Maccabiah took place February 18 to 22, 1936, inBanská Bystrica (thenCzechoslovakia).[50] At the games, 2,000 athletes from 12 nations participated.[51][52]
For 85 years, these were the only winter Maccabiah games to be held and the only two Maccabiot that did not take place in theLand of Israel. During these years, theMaccabi did run smaller regional winter games. Then, the3rd Winter Maccabiah took place from January 1 to 9, 2023, inRuhpolding, Germany. At the games, 400 athletes from 20 nations participated.
| # | Year | Host | Athletes | Nations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1933 |  Zakopane | 250 | 8 |
| 2 | 1936 |  Banská Bystrica | 2,000 | 12 |
| 3 | 2023 |  Ruhpolding | 400 | 20 |
| # | Year | Host | Athletes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1929 | Prague | |
| 2 | 1930 |  Antwerp | |
| 3 | 1959 |  Copenhagen | |
| 4 | 1963 |  Lyon | |
| 5 | 1979 |  Leicester | |
| 6 | 1983 | Antwerp | |
| 7 | 1987 | Copenhagen | |
| 8 | 1991 |  Marseille | |
| 9 | 1995 |  Amsterdam | |
| 10 | 1999 | Stirling | |
| 11 | 2003 | Antwerp | |
| 12 | 2007 |  Rome | 1,800 |
| 13 | 2011 |  Vienna | 2,000 |
| 14 | 2015 | Berlin | 2,000 |
| 15 | 2019 |  Budapest | 3,000 |
| 16 | 2023 |
Latin American Maccabi's (CLAM), called Jorge Newbery Pan American Maccabi Games or Pan American Maccabiah from 1966:[53][54]
| # | Year | Host |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1966 |  São Paulo |
| 2 | ||
| 3 | ||
| 4 | 1979 |  Mexico City |
| 5 | 1983 |  |
| 6 | 1987 |  Caracas |
| 7 | 1991 |  |
| 8 | 1995 |  Buenos Aires |
| 9 | 1999 | |
| 10 | 2003 |  Santiago de Chile |
| 11 | 2007 | Buenos Aires |
| 12 | 2011 |  São Paulo |
| 13 | 2015 | |
| 14 | 2019 | Mexico City |
| 15 | 2023 |  Buenos Aires |
The Maccabi Junior Carnivals are a sporting event held for the Jewish youth ofAustralia orNew Zealand. It has been held annually since 1982, usually in January.[55]
Venues were:[56]
TheMaccabiah ceremonies are two ceremonial events that take place during the first and last days of theMaccabiah games. The ceremonies are an important part of theJewish culture in Israel and theZionist movement. The ceremonies of the Maccabiah trace their roots to the Olympic Games of the early 20th century. As such, they share many similarities.
The Maccabiah opening ceremony, which is organized by theMaccabi World Union, has recently been presented in English, Hebrew, and Spanish.
The opening ceremonies represent the official commencement of the Maccabiah. Some sports however, such as golf and rugby, might start prior to the opening ceremonies in order to finish on time.
The opening ceremony for the first Games was held at the newMaccabiah Stadium. The Stadium, which is located next to theYarkon River inTel Aviv, was finished just the night before. The Stadium also hosted the 2nd Maccabiah in 1935. For the3rd Maccabiah, the opening ceremony took place in a newstadium in Ramat Gan. The stadium has been hosting the opening ceremonies of the Maccabiah ever since, with the exception of the16th,19th, and20th Maccabiah Games which were held inTeddy Stadium,Jerusalem.
The ceremonies often start with the introduction of the active participants of theMaccabi youth movement. After the parade of nations, the opening ceremony continues on with a presentation of artistic displays of music, singing, dance, and theater representative of the Jewish culture. In recent games, Jewish singers from around the world participated in the opening ceremony. For example, in 2013,Grammy Award-winnerMiri Ben-Ari andX Factor USA finalistCarly Rose Sonenclar performed at the opening ceremony.[57]
Just like at the Olympics, the Maccabiah starts out with a "Parade of Nations", during which most participating athletes march into the stadium, country by country. The countries enter the stadium in accordance with theHebrew alphabet. The parade of nations, in contrast to some other games, include junior and disabled athletes who also partake in the competitions. In accordance with the Maccabiah's tradition, the Israeli delegation always enters last.
The closing ceremony of the Maccabiah Games takes place after all sporting events have concluded. Typically, a member of Maccabi or some other well-known figure makes the closing speech and the Games officially close. The ceremony includes large artistic displays of music, singing, and dance. Various Jewish singers perform during the closing ceremony. In recent years, the closing ceremonies included popular musicians and live music and dancing.
A medal ceremony is held after each Maccabiah event is concluded. The winner, second, and third-place competitors or teams stand on top of a three-tiered rostrum to be awarded their respective medals. Medals are awarded by an official Maccabi member.
| Year | Hosts (s) |
|---|---|
| 1981 | Azaria Rapoport [he] (Closing[as of?]) |
| 2005 | Becky Griffin andRodrigo Gonzales [he] |
| 2009 | Galit Giat [he] andMichael HarPaz [he] |
| 2013 | Miri Nevo and Dana Grotsky |
| 2017 |
|
| 2022 |
|
_-_The_Winners_of_the_10%2c000_M_Walk.jpg)
_-_Israeli_High_Jumping_Champion_Gideon_Harmat.jpg)
The Maccabiah Games recognize all 28 current Olympic sports, plus a number of other sports such aschess,cricket, andnetball. In contrast with theOlympic Games and other major international sporting events, the Maccabiah rules regarding accepting new sports are very lenient. New sports are accepted to the Maccabiah Games provided that competitions will only take place if at least four delegations bring competitors for that sport (three in the case of female sports, as well as the junior divisions).[58] As a result, the Maccabiah has held various unique competitions such asduplicate bridge.
Karate, not yet on the Olympic schedule, made its debut in 1977 at the 10th Maccabiah Games. The requisite number of initial countries signed on and agreed to send delegations. Since 1977, karate has participated uninterrupted. Although at the beginning karate was only contested in the fighting orkumite category, forms orkata was included in 1981. In 1985, women's karate was added. Junior and youth categories made their debut in 2009. TheWorld Karate Federation, a member of theInternational Olympic Committee (IOC), oversees and supervises the rules of karate competition at the Maccabiah.
The Maccabiah Games are organized into four divisions: Open, Junior, Masters, and Paralympics.
In recent Maccabiot there has been a renewed interest in introducing new sports to the Maccabiah. In the15th Maccabiah Games,ice hockey was first introduced. Ice hockey was not included in immediately subsequent games, but returned in the19th Maccabiah.Squash became an official sport in the10th Maccabiah Games in 1977. The 19th Maccabiah was also granted provisional approval fordressage andjumping competitions from theFEI.[59]
Athletes who have competed in the Maccabiah Games include many Olympic gold medalists, world champions, and world record holders. Among them have beenMark Spitz,Lenny Krayzelburg,Jason Lezak,Marilyn Ramenofsky, andAnthony Ervin (swimming);Mitch Gaylord,Abie Grossfeld,Ágnes Keleti,Valery Belenky,Kerri Strug andLinoy Ashram (gymnastics);Ernie Grunfeld,Danny Schayes, (coaches);Larry Brown,Nat Holman, andDolph Schayes (basketball);Carina Benninga (field hockey);Lillian Copeland,Gerry Ashworth, andGary Gubner (track and field);Angela Buxton,Brad Gilbert,Julie Heldman,Allen Fox,Nicolás Massú, andDick Savitt (tennis);Angelica Rozeanu (table tennis);Sergey Sharikov,Vadim Gutzeit,Soren Thompson, andMariya Mazina (fencing);Isaac Berger andFrank Spellman (weightlifting);Lindsey Durlacher,Jason Goldman,Fred Oberlander, andHenry Wittenberg (wrestling);Max Fried andDean Kremer (baseball);Donald Spero andMichael Oren (rowing);Bruce Fleisher, Oren Geri, Ron “Racehorse” Smith (golf);Adam Bacher,Dennis Gamsy,Neil Rosendorff,Marshall Rosen,Bob Herman (cricket);[60]Boris Gelfand andJudit Polgár (chess);Irwin Cotler (ping pong);Marcelo Lipatin,Jeff Agoos, andJonathan Bornstein (association football);Steve March Tormé (fast-pitch softball);Shawn Lipman (rugby);Dov Sternberg (karate); andOri Sasson (judo).[61][62]
The Maccabiah Games have grown into one of the world's largest sporting events, with 85 participating countries in the current edition of the Maccabiah. Below is a list of countries that participated in the most recent games in 2017. Scroll down for participating nations from the 2014 edition and other games[63]
AlbaniaArgentina
AustraliaAustria
Azerbaijan
Barbados
BelarusBelgium
BoliviaBrazil
Canada
Cayman IslandsChile
China
Costa Rica
Cuba
CuracaoCzech RepublicDenmark
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
FinlandFrance
GeorgiaGermany
GibraltarGreat Britain
Greece
Honduras
Hong KongHungary
India
Ireland
IsraelItaly
Jamaica
Japan
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
LithuaniaMexico
Moldova
MoroccoNetherlands
Nicaragua
North Macedonia
Norway
Panama
Paraguay
PeruPoland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Russia
Scotland
Serbia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
Ukraine
United StatesUruguay
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
VietnamEarly games featured many delegations from theArab nations.Iran, a Muslim, but not Arab country, which debuted at the7th Maccabiah, stopped participating after theIranian Revolution.
Armenia
Aruba
Bahamas
Bermuda
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia
Ethiopia
Grenada
Guam
Guatemala
Guinea-Bissau
Iran
Kenya
Lebanon
Libya
Luxembourg
Malta
Mauritius
Monaco
Mongolia
New Zealand
Palau
Romania
Samoa
Syria
U.S. Virgin Islands
Zambia
ZimbabweFormer entities:
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
