Maccabiah Games open in Jerusalem

The opening ceremony of the “Jewish Olympics” was buzzing with Jewish pride and resilience as athletes and fans from more than 30 countries gathered in Jerusalem on Wednesday night.

After last year’s Maccabiah Games were postponed due to Israel’s June 2025 war with Iran, the kick-off of the two-week competition carried an extra level of symbolism and significance as Israel prepared to mark 1,000 days since the Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023 this weekend.

“We came here from Mexico with all of our family, because we are all family here,” said Katya, part of a delegation of about 300 visitors from the Latin American country who sat together in the capital’s Teddy Stadium wearing dark green T-shirts. “We are so excited to finally be here in Israel together.”

Kicking off the games, which will be held at sites around Israel through July 13, some 5,000 athletes marched through the sold-out stadium waving their countries’ flags ahead of a ceremonial torch lighting ceremony and performances by some of Israel’s leading entertainers.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog addressed the crowd in a mixture of Hebrew and English, speaking to both the Israelis in the audience and visitors from abroad.