Maccabiah 2022 Opening In Jerusalem (Photo Essay)

By BJLIfe/Sharon Altshul
Posted on 07/17/22

Jerusalem, Israel - July 17, 2022 - The 2022 Maccabiah, the second largest sporting event in the world, is held every
four years. The 21st Games began on July 12 in Kfar Maccabiah near Tel Aviv and will last for two weeks.

The gala opening event was held in Teddy Stadium in the Malha neighborhood of Jerusalem, Israel on Thursday evening July 14, 2022.

Along with Maccabi World Union Chairman Amir Peled, and Israeli Minister of Culture and Sport Chili Tropper this year US President Joe Biden, President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Yair Lapid,  and Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion joined the 30,000 people, athletes, and international supporters from 61 countries in the Jerusalem sports stadium for a photo op.

President Herzog's address in the televised program, "Brothers and sisters, welcome to Israel! Welcome to Jerusalem, Israel's eternal capital! Welcome to the 21st Maccabiah Games!" he began his remarks.

"This is a day of celebration for the State of Israel and the whole Jewish People, a special moment of togetherness. A moment that embodies the shared values in which we believe: Zionism and excellence, faith and hope, solidarity and coming closer together.

That’s the marvelous power of sports: to make the individual, the group, and the nation better, more ethical, stronger, and more cohesive. In body and in spirit. You have come here from dozens of countries but you represent one single, special people: The Jewish People, the People of Israel.

The Maccabiah is a competition with a huge heart. And behind an event with as huge a heart as the Maccabiah stands a movement with a huge heart: the World Maccabi Union, whose leadership and activists I want to thank for strengthening the Jewish People around the world, and for strengthening Israel as the heart of the Jewish People.

Dear athletes, our land is your land. Our home is your home. My wish for you: win loads of medals, and smash loads of records! Good luck!"

Athletes will compete in dozens of sports and will be cheered by tens of thousands of support staff, spectators, and tourists during the next two weeks. Family members from around the world come to watch their relatives participate in each Maccabiah. There will be many sporting events taking place around the country that will be open to the general public under the slogan, ‘Israel Celebrates Sport." Also, a range of social events offers a unique and unforgettable environment for families and individuals from Israel and abroad. 

As BJL circled the stadium after arriving hours early to capture the postponed because of pandemic event, a minyan for Mincha started, though one gentleman up in the stands was spotted davening from his phone earlier.

Among the dozens of groups, the Bnei Brith Youth summer program had a large and excited contingent on the field and from Holland, the first young women under-16 soccer team was being filmed for a documentary. 

Israeli scouts and MDA EMT medical staff were on duty as well as hundreds of security personnel, both US and Israeli.

For the Israeli Maccabiah a Yizkor - remembering the murdered Israeli Olympic athletes is a feature of the opening ceremony as well as lighting a flame and parade of the participating delegations. Israel, the US, Canada, and France had large groups, but Singapore, Ukraine, and Cuba were among the smaller yet interesting countries represented. 

Maccabi World Union is the largest and longest-running international Jewish sporting organization, which recently celebrated 100 years since its establishment. The organization has 450,000 members in 400 clubs in 80 countries.

On the evening of July 18, a Jerusalem Night Race is to be held in conjunction with the Maccabiah and registration is open online to the public. And once again streets in Jerusalem will be blocked to traffic, not for a US presidential motorcade, but for thousands of people celebrating sport in Jerusalem.