The 22nd Maccabiah Games got underway in Jerusalem on July 1 with a grand opening ceremony held at Teddy Stadium, drawing thousands of Jewish athletes from across the globe to kick off two weeks of international competition.
Held under the theme “More Than Ever,” the event featured a traditional march of athletes, live musical performances, large-scale multimedia displays, and a fireworks show. According to organizers, approximately 5,000 athletes representing around 35 countries took part in the opening procession.
The Games run through July 13 and are expected to draw between 8,000 and 10,000 competitors from 55 countries, competing across more than 30 sports. Participants are divided into Junior, Open, Masters, and Paralympic divisions, and the competition also includes wounded Israel Defense Forces veterans.
Israeli television personality Assi Azar and dancer Anna Aronov served as hosts for the evening. The ceremony was directed by Eldar Gohar Grossman and included the ceremonial lighting of the Maccabiah torch.
Israel’s 2025 Eurovision Song Contest representative Yuval Raphael opened the night with a new musical arrangement. Netta Barzilai, who won the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest, performed a duet alongside singer and actress Anna Zak.
Musician Idan Raichel also took the stage, joined 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 production featured hundreds of dancers along with multimedia presentations shown on two massive LED screens.
Often called the “Jewish Olympics,” the Maccabiah is recognized as the world’s largest Jewish athletic competition. Organizers described this year’s edition as the biggest gathering held in Israel since October 7, 2023.
Rather than concentrating events at a single location, competitions will take place throughout northern, central, and southern Israel — with organizers characterizing the entire country as the event’s “Olympic village.” The program also includes community activities and “Days of Hope” events in communities near the Gaza Strip.
