WATCH: A 1956 display of youthful Israeli fitness
16,000 gathered, according to the British newsreel announcer, 'to unite all the youth of the nation'
According to this British newsreel, in 1956 the Jewish State hosted young people from Israel and abroad for a mass display of physical fitness.
“Sixteen countries were among them,” the narrator informs us, as representatives from Great Britain and Switzerland parade across the screen. “But the majority were boys and girls from the Negev Desert areas, shortly to carry out their service with the army.”
Many of the Israeli youth had recently made aliyah. On screen, they dance, wave flags, and perform gymnastics in what the narrator calls “an impressive display.”
“The idea behind this big rally,” the announcer’s voice concludes, “was to unite all the youth of the nation. Whatever their country of origin, they are now Israelis, every one of them.”
(The Associated Press and Movietone News recently released their vast video archives on YouTube, allowing the public to freely access a million minutes worth of historical news clips dating back to 1895 — including many iconic scenes from Israel’s history featured in this Times of Israel series.)