Maccabiah Games

The Maccabiah Games (a.k.a. the World Maccabiah Games; Hebrew: משחקי המכביה‎‎ or Hebrew: משחקי המכביה העולמית‎‎; plural Maccabiot) first held in 1932, are an international Jewish multi-sport event now held quadrennially in Israel. It is the third-largest sporting event in the world, with 9,000 athletes competing on behalf of 78 countries. The Maccabiah, which is organized by the Maccabi World Union, was declared a "Regional Sport Event" by, and under the auspices of and supervision of, the International Olympic Committee and international sports federations in 1960. The Maccabiah is often referred to as the "Jewish Olympics".

The 19th Maccabiah, the most recent edition of the Games, was held in 2013. The next edition, the 20th Maccabiah, will be held in July 2017. The most recent Games brought together 9,000 athletes, making it the third-largest international sporting event in the world (after the Olympics and the Pan American Games). The 9000 athletes competed on behalf of 78 countries.

Originally, the Maccabiah was held every three years; since the 4th Maccabiah, the event is held the year following the Olympic Games. In contrast with other large multi-sport events such as the Olympics, competitions at the Maccabiah are organized into four distinct divisions – Juniors, Open, Masters, and Disabled.

Maccabiah is open to Jewish athletes as well as Israeli athletes regardless of religion. Arab Israelis have also competed in it. The Maccabiah is a forum for Jewish athletes to meet and convene, it also provides these athletes with opportunities to explore Israel and Jewish history.

The name Maccabiah was chosen after Judah Maccabee, a Jewish leader that defended his country from king Antiochus.Modi'in, Judah's birthplace is also the starting location of the torch that's used to light the flames at the opening ceremony, a tradition that started at the 4th Maccabiah.

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