The Media Line: Israel Opens 22nd Maccabiah Games, Welcoming Jewish Athletes From at Least 35 Countries  

Israel Opens 22nd Maccabiah Games, Welcoming Jewish Athletes From at Least 35 Countries  

By The Media Line Staff  

The 22nd Maccabiah Games opened in Jerusalem on July 1 with a ceremony at Teddy Stadium, bringing together thousands of Jewish athletes from around the world for the start of the two-week international sporting event.  

Held under the theme “More Than Ever,” the opening ceremony featured the traditional parade of athletes, musical performances, large-scale multimedia displays and a pyrotechnic show. Organizers said roughly 5,000 athletes from about 35 countries participated in the opening procession.  

The Games, which run through July 13, are expected to include between 8,000 and 10,000 competitors from 55 countries competing in more than 30 sports. Athletes are participating in Junior, Open, Masters and Paralympic divisions, including wounded Israel Defense Forces veterans.  

Israeli television personality Assi Azar and dancer Anna Aronov hosted the ceremony, which was directed by Eldar Gohar Grossman and included the lighting of the Maccabiah torch.  

Israel’s 2025 Eurovision Song Contest representative Yuval Raphael opened the evening with a new musical arrangement. Netta Barzilai, winner of the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest, performed a duet with singer and actress Anna Zak.  

Musician Idan Raichel also performed, joined on stage by former hostages Daniella Gilboa and Edan Alexander. American actress, social media personality and Israel advocate Montana Tucker performed an original song and co-hosted the athletes’ parade with American-Israeli musician and content creator Michael HarPaz.  

The ceremony featured hundreds of dancers and multimedia presentations displayed on two giant LED screens.  

Often referred to as the “Jewish Olympics,” the Maccabiah is the largest Jewish athletic competition. Organizers described the 2026 edition as the largest gathering in Israel since Oct. 7, 2023.  

Competition will be held throughout northern, central and southern Israel rather than at a single venue, with organizers describing the entire country as the event’s “Olympic village.” The program also includes community events and “Days of Hope” activities in communities surrounding the Gaza Strip.  

Organizers selected “More Than Ever” as the theme for this year’s Games, which marked the opening of the 22nd Maccabiah.