Super Jews unite! The Maccabe games are just like the Olympics but only for Jewish people. The games happen every four years, but the year after the Olympics. Unlike the Olympics, the Maccabe games are held in the same place every four years, which is Israel. Israel is the homeland for Jewish people all around the world, which is why the games are held there.

The creator of the games, Yosef Yekutieli, was 15 when he first came up with the idea. It took him ten years to develop and grow the Maccabe games. After those ten years, he took his idea to the JNF (Jewish National Fund) and they listened to his idea and helped him start the first Maccabe games. The initial games were called Yekutieli’s Maccabiada.

The First Games:

The original games were held on March 28 to April 6, 1932. The games were a huge hit. The next games had to be moved up a year because of the ongoing problems with Nazis and World War 2. After the second games in 1935, the Jewish community held off the games for fifteen years and was continued in 1950.

The Modern Games:

The modern games are not organized by Yosef Yekutieli. Instead, they are organized by the International Maccabiah Committee and are sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee and World Federation of Sports. On the Maccabe games website, they state that the purpose of the games is “to help Israel develop as a nation through physical education and sport, and to promote fitness and athletics among Jewish youth in the USA and in Israel.  The organization strives, through sports competitions, to provide American athletes with a Jewish experience – to enrich lives, to heighten their sense of Jewish identity and to strengthen their feelings of Jewish pride.”

One swimmer from the 2008 Olympic gold medal relay team came to a BBYO (B’nai B’rith Youth Organization) winter convention held in Colorado Springs and he told us that the main difference between the Olympics and the Maccabe Games was the sense of community. To summarize his speech he basically said that since everyone was Jewish they were able to connect through their religion and their common love for sports. On the other hand, the Olympics were mainly about competitions and being number one. He also said that the Maccabe games were more enjoyable than the Olympics and he had more fun.

The following are sports that the Jewish athletes can compete in:

Badminton, Baseball, Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Chess, Fencing, Golf, Gymnastics, Ice Hockey, Judo, Karate, Lacrosse, Open Water Swim, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Rugby, Soccer, Squash, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball, Water Polo

All sports have age categories that include open, masters, juniors, and disabled competitions and most sports have both a men’s and women’s categories.