Over 80 years have passed since the first Maccabiah took place, decades during which the traditions and spirit of one of the world’s largest sporting events were formed and re-formed.
Much has changed: The number of participants has grown drastically; dozens of new countries send teams — while Egypt, Syria and other Arab nations no longer do; a competition mostly between amateurs is now an event for world champions and Olympic medalists.
But much remain the same. One of the most important moments of the games, according to many past participants, is the opening ceremony. And though it looks slightly different now than it did in the ’50s, the basics have prevailed.
As the 19th Maccabiah opens, these pictures showcase opening ceremonies of the previous “Jewish Olympics.”
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Delegations marching at the opening ceremony
From around the globe, the athletes proudly carry their national flag — making sure the entire Jewish world knows their community exists and is part of the tribe.
The US’s Maccabiah delegation marches at the 17th Maccabiah, 2005 (photo credit: Maccabi Archive)
The Italian delegation at the 17th Maccabiah, 2005 (photo credit: Maccabi Archive)
The Estonian delegation at the 14th Maccabiah (photo credit: Maccabi Archive)
The Greek delegation at the opening ceremony of the ninth Maccabiah in 1973. (Alexander Suskind/Maccabi Archive)
The Argentinian delegation at the seventh Maccabiah opening ceremony, August 1965 (photo credit: Maccabi Archive)
Team Turkey marches at the second Maccabiah’s opening ceremony, April 1935 (Maccabiah Archive)
The South African delegation marches at the first Maccabiah, 1932 (photo credit: Maccabi Archive)
The Czechoslovakian delegation marches at the 1935 Maccabiah Games opening ceremony (Wikimedia Commons)
The Indian delegation marches at the fifth Maccabiah, September 1957 (photo credit: Maccabi Archive)
The artistic performances at the opening ceremony
Hours of rehearsals are put into the opening ceremony’s performances. Dancers and musicians perform a rigorously choreographed show before the torch is lit.
The 13th Maccabiah opening ceremony, 1989 (photo credit: Aryeh Kanfer/Maccabi Archive)
The opening ceremony of the eighth Maccabiah (photo credit: Maccabi Archive)
The opening ceremony of the 16th Maccabiah, 2001 (photo credit: Maccabi Archive)
The opening ceremony of the 18th Maccabiah (photo credit: Maccabi Archive)
The opening ceremony of the 10th Maccabiah, 1977 (photo credit: Maccabi Archive)
The ninth Maccabiah torch is lit, 1973 (photo credit: Maccabi Archive)
The torch is lit at the sixth Maccabiah (photo credit: Maccabi Archive)
The 16th Maccabiah flame, 2001 (photo credit: Maccabi Archive)
The 3rd Maccabiah’s opening ceremony (photo credit: Wikimedia commons)
The 1997 bridge tragedy
On July 14th, 1997, the night of the 15th Maccabiah’s opening ceremony, a footbridge collapsed with dozens of athletes on it. Four Australians were killed and many more were injured in the Games tragic moment.
The memorial for those killed in the 1997 bridge collapse (photo credit: Avi1111/Wikimedia Commons)
A temporary memorial built after the 1997 Maccabiah disaster (photo credit: Maccabi Archive)
The rebuilt Maccabiah Bridge, Ramat Gan (photo credit: ~Ori/Wikimedia Commons)