2009 Maccabiah Games

18th Maccabiah

לגעת ברגעים גדולים Touched by Greatness
Host city	Tel Aviv
Nations participating	55
Debuting countries	Grenada  Kazakhstan  Palau  Slovenia  Uzbekistan
Athletes participating	9,000
Opening ceremony	July 12
Closing ceremony	July 24
Officially opened by	Jason Lezak
Main venue	Ramat Gan Stadium
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The 2009 Maccabiah Games (Hebrew: המכביה ה-18 ישראל תשס"ט‎‎) were the 18th incarnation of the Maccabiah Games, being held in July 2009. According to the organizing committee these were the largest games held yet. These Games are the world's fifth largest sporting event, behind the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, World Police and Fire Games and Universiade. On the 13th of July, more than 6,000 Jewish athletes from all over the world joined Team Israel's 3,000 participants at the Ramat Gan Stadium in Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv District, Israel, for the opening ceremony.

The American delegation arrived two weeks prior to the games to hold practice sessions at a cost of more than two and a half million dollars.

Greco-Roman wrestler Lindsey Durlacher was the flagbearer for the US, and pole vaulter Jillian Schwartz was one of the US banner bearers. US swimmer Jason Lezak won four gold medals, while setting four Maccabiah records, and was named the most outstanding male athlete of the Games. Chess grandmaster Judit Polgár from Hungary was named the Maccabiah's most outstanding female athlete of the Games. American basketball player Dan Grunfeld led the US Open Men's Basketball team to a gold medal over Israel.

Israeli Laetitia Beck won an individual gold medal and a team gold medal in golf at the Games. Israeli swimmer Amit Ivry won a gold medal in the Women's 100m butterfly. Brazilian Felipe Kitadai won a bronze medal, beating Lindsey Durlacher along the way.