Thousands of athletes from around the world paraded in Jerusalem Thursday at the opening ceremony of the 20th Maccabiah Games, known as the "Jewish Olympics." President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended the ceremony. Organizers said the 2017 games are the largest ever, with some 10,000 athletes from 80 countries taking part. The games are an international competition for Jewish and Israeli athletes held every four years. Israel had the largest delegation this year, with 2,400 athletes. Maccabiah organizers say competitors including disabled athletes, juniors and seniors, will be participating in 45 different sporting events throughout Israel over the next 12 days. Run loosely along Olympic guidelines, the Maccabiah Games includes more traditional disciplines such as athletics, swimming, soccer, basketball and tennis as well as cricket, lawn bowls, chess, bridge, netball, ice hockey, baseball and softball. The first Maccabiah Games are named for the Maccabees, a family of Jewish warriors who defeated foreign rulers and won independence in the 2nd century BCE. The quadrennial games were founded in 1932 and have been held regularly, except between 1938 and 1950, the years corresponding with the Nazi Holocaust and Israel's War of Independence. The games are organized by the Maccabi World Union, an international Jewish sports organization spanning five continents and more than 50 countries, with some 400,000 members.
Credit: Reuters
Athletes marched and waved their national flags as music blasted from speakers at the packed stadium Thursday night.
