1957 Maccabiah Games

Last updated
5th Maccabiah
1957 Maccabiah logo.jpg
Host city Tel Aviv, Israel
Nations21 [1]
Debuting countriesFlag of Mexico (1934-1968).svg  Mexico
Athletes980
OpeningSeptember 15, 1957 [1]
ClosingSeptember 24, 1957 [2]
Opened byIsraeli President Yitzhak Ben Zvi
Main venue Ramat Gan Stadium

Twenty-one countries sent 980 athletes to compete in the 1957 5th Maccabiah Games , an international Jewish athletics competition similar to the Olympics. [1] The opening ceremony on September 15, 1957, was held in Ramat Gan Stadium, with athletes parading before Israeli President Yitzhak Ben Zvi. [1]

Contents

The presence of many world-class Jewish athletes elevated the quality of competition. The athletes were housed in the newly built Maccabiah Village. The closing ceremony on September 24, 1957, was attended by 50,000 people, and Prime Minister David Ben Gurion addressed the crowd, saying: "Be strong. Be unified. Be proud and conscious of your Jewishness and send your youth to Israel to restore the glory and greatness of our people." [2]

History

The Maccabiah Games were first held in 1932. [3]

Notable competitors

Female runners at the Games. Flickr - Government Press Office (GPO) - RUNNERS PARTICIPATING IN THE 5TH MACCABIA GAMES.jpg
Female runners at the Games.

Olympian Abie Grossfeld of the United States dominated the Games, winning seven golds in seven gymnastics events: AA, R, PH, FX, HB, PB, & V. Ágnes Keleti (born Ágnes Klein), Olympic and world champion artistic gymnast, competed for Israel in the Games. [4]

In fencing, British Olympian and world champion Allan Jay won three gold medals, fencing foil and epee. [5] [6] American Olympian Byron Krieger, two-time Pan American Games gold-medal winner, won individual gold in sabre and individual bronze in foil. [7] [8] American Olympian Albert Axelrod, who won a bronze medal at the Olympics in foil three years later, won the gold medal in individual foil. [7] [9] Krieger and Axelord won gold medals in the foil team championship for the United States. [7]

In track, British Olympian Harry Kane won the 400 meter hurdles, won a gold medal in the quarter mile run, and took a silver medal in the 200 meter hurdles, with a time of 25.3 seconds. [7] [10] [11] World record holder Henry Laskau of the United States won a gold medal in 3,000 m race walking. [12] [13] American Olympian Marty Engel won a gold medal in the hammer throw, and a bronze medal in discus. [14] [9] [15] Israeli Olympian David Kushnir won a gold medal in the broad jump. [15] British Olympian Harry Kane won a gold medal in the 400 m hurdles, and a silver medal in the 200 m hurdles. [10] [16] Israeli Olympian Arieh Batun-Kleinstub (Naveh) won the gold medal in the high jump. [17] Reuven Helman competed in shot-put, javelin, the decathlon and weightlifting. Helman came in second in the Games.

In weightlifting, Israeli-born American Olympic champion Isaac Berger, a future world champion, became the first athlete to establish a world record in the State of Israel, pressing 258 pounds (117 kg) in featherweight competition for the US, and won a gold medal, a year after winning an Olympic gold medal. [2] [18] Ben Helfgott, a concentration camp survivor and later an Olympian, won the weightlifting gold medal in the lightweight class for Great Britain for the third Games in a row. [19]

In swimming, Jane Katz, a 14-year-old future Olympian, competed for the United States, winning the 100m butterfly, winning a bronze medal in the 400 m, and winning a silver medal in the medley relay. [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] Israel's Olympian Shoshana Ribner won a silver medal in the 400 m. [21]

In tennis, Australian Eva Duldig won a gold medal. [25] [26]

Al Seiden won a gold medal with Team USA in basketball, and was the top scorer in the tournament. [9] [27] The team was coached by Harry Litwack, a future member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. [28]

Participating communities

Mexico sent its first contingent of athletes. The number in parentheses indicates the number of participants that community contributed. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Axelrod</span> American fencer

Albert "Albie" Axelrod was an American foil fencer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allan Jay</span> British fencer (1931–2023)

Allan Louis Neville Jay MBE was a British five-time-Olympian foil and épée fencer, and world champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2001 Maccabiah Games</span>

The 16th Maccabiah Games, the Opening Ceremony was held in Jerusalem at Teddy Stadium, while the re-building process of the collapsed bridge and investigations into the collapse continued. The 16th Maccabiah attracted more than 5,000 athletes from 46 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1961 Maccabiah Games</span>

The 6th Maccabiah Games were held in Tel Aviv, Israel in 1961, with 1,100 athletes from 27 countries competing in 18 sports. The Games were officially opened in an Opening Ceremony on August 29, 1961, in Ramat Gan Stadium by Israeli President Yitzhak Ben-Zvi before a crowd of 30,000. The closing ceremony took place on September 5, 1961, at the stadium before a crowd of 40,000, with Israeli Prime Minister David Ben Gurion telling the crowd that he hoped that in the future athletes from North Africa, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and the Soviet Union would also compete. The United States won 58 gold medals, Israel won 28 gold medals, and South Africa was third with 11 gold medals. American sportscaster Mel Allen narrated a film about the 1961 Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1977 Maccabiah Games</span>

At the 10th Maccabiah Games in Israel, more than 2,800 athletes from 34 countries participated in 26 different sports, including chess and bridge and for the first time badminton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1950 Maccabiah Games</span> International Jewish multi-sport event

The 3rd Maccabiah took place during Sukkot from September 27 to October 8, 1950, with 17 countries competing. It was the third edition of the Maccabiah Games and the first held since the independence of the State of Israel; 15 years after the previous Maccabiah. Israel won the 1950 Maccabiah Games, Great Britain was second, South Africa third, the United States fourth, Canada fifth, and Austria sixth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1953 Maccabiah Games</span> International Jewish multi-sport event

Eight hundred ninety athletes representing 23 countries competed in the 1953 4th Maccabiah Games, held September 20 to 29, in 18 branches of sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1981 Maccabiah Games</span> 11th Edition of Maccabiah Games

The 11th Maccabiah Games brought 3,450 athletes to Israel from 35 nations. The Opening Ceremony was held on July 7, 1981, before a crowd of 53,000 and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in Ramat Gan Stadium, with 3,500 Jewish athletes parading past him. Representative Jack Kemp and a supporter of Israel, marched with the United States team. Israel won the most medals (199), with 65 gold. The United States won 188 medals, 85 gold. South Africa, Britain, and Canada had the next-most total medals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1965 Maccabiah Games</span> Maccabiah games

The 7th Maccabiah Games in 1965 saw 1,500 athletes from 29 different countries compete in 21 sports. It was the first Maccabiah Games for Iran, Jamaica, Peru, and Venezuela. The United States delegation won the most gold medals, followed by Israel, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Mexico and the Netherlands, Southern Rhodesia, Australia, Argentina and Italy, and Brazil, Canada, Denmark, and Sweden with one each.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1969 Maccabiah Games</span> Multi-sport event in Israel

At the 8th Maccabiah Games from July 29 to August 7, 1969, 1,450 athletes from 27 countries competed in 22 sports in Israel. The final gold medal count was the United States in first place (64), Israel second, and Great Britain third (11).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1997 Maccabiah Games</span>

The 15th Maccabiah Games are remembered for being marred by a bridge collapse that killed several participants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1973 Maccabiah Games</span>

The 9th Maccabiah Games, which were held from July 9 to 19, 1973, were opened in Ramat Gan Stadium, Israel. Spain and Costa Rica made their debuts in the Games. A total of 1,800 athletes competed on behalf of 27 countries in 20 branches of sport, in 30 venues across Israel. The Games took place ten months after the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, where 11 Israeli athletes and coaches were slain during the Munich Massacre. The United States won 76 gold medals, and Israel was next with 60 gold medals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1989 Maccabiah Games</span>

The 13th Maccabiah Games brought 4,500 athletes to Israel from 45 nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Wittenberg</span> American wrestler

Henry Wittenberg was an American New York police officer, coach, competitor and Olympic champion in freestyle wrestling. He won two Olympic medals in freestyle wrestling, becoming the first American wrestler since 1908 to achieve this feat. After Army service in the early 1940s, he served with commendations as a New York City Police Officer until around 1954, worked as an instructor and college wrestling coach at Yeshiva and then City College of New York from 1967 to 1979, competed in, coached, and helped to organize the Maccabiah Games, and served as an American Olympic coach in 1968 at Mexico City.

Irving "Moon" Mondschein was an American track and field athlete and football player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Maccabiah Games</span>

The 19th Maccabiah were held during July 18 to 30, 2013.

Harry Kane is a British former Olympic hurdler. Born "Harry Cohen" to a Jewish family in England, he set British and Maccabiah Games records during his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Maccabiah Games</span> 20th Maccabiah Games

The 2017 Maccabiah Games, also referred to as the 20th Maccabiah Games, were the 20th edition of the Maccabiah Games. They took place from 4 to 17 July 2017, in Israel. The Maccabiah Games are open to Jewish athletes from around the world, and to all Israeli citizens regardless of their religion. A total of 10,000 athletes competed, a Maccabiah Games record, making the 2017 Maccabiah Games the third-largest sporting competition in the world. The athletes were from 85 countries, also a record. Countries represented for the first time included the Bahamas, Barbados, Cambodia, the Cayman Islands, Haiti, Malta, Morocco, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, and Trinidad. The athletes competed in 45 sports.

Marty Engel was an American athlete. He competed in the men's hammer throw at the 1952 Summer Olympics.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Teams From 21 Nations Parade At Maccabiah Opening in Israel". The New York Times.
  2. 1 2 3 "Berger Sets Weight-Lift Record In Finale of Maccabiah Games; Emigrated to U.S. in 1949 Athletes Hear Premier". The New York Times.
  3. "The 20th Maccabiah Games: A brief History (Part 1)," The Canadian Jewish News.
  4. Arbesfeld, Atara (15 August 2012). "One of World's Most Decorated Olympic Gymnasts Lives In Israel, Still Does Her Splits". The Algemeiner. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  5. "The Canadian Jewish Chronicle". google.com.
  6. "Allan Jay". jewishsports.net.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "U.S. Team Annexes Men's Track and Field Laurels as Maccabiah Games End; OVER-ALL HONORS GAINED BY ISRAEL Host Team Has 226 Points --Kiwitt, Relay Quartet Help U.S. Tally 197 Heat Bothers Athletes Aussie Takes Title". The New York Times.
  8. "Ex-Fencing Champion Dies in Havdalah Candle Fire". The Forward. November 10, 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 Israel Digest: A Bi-weekly Summary of News from Israel. Israel Office of Information. 1955.
  10. 1 2 "2 U.S. ATHLETES SCORE IN ISRAEL – Engel Is First in Hammer Throw-Laskau Retires After Winning Walk Israeli Team Leads Matza Misses 800-Heats". The New York Times. 18 September 1957. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  11. "America sets mark". The Leader-Post. 19 September 1957. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  12. "Henry Laskau". jewishsports.net.
  13. "LASKAU IN ISRAEL MEET; Enters 1950 World Maccabiah Games Sept. 27-Oct. 8". The New York Times. August 6, 1950.
  14. "2 U.S. ATHLETES SCORE IN ISRAEL; Engel Is First in Hammer Throw--Laskau Retires After Winning Walk Israeli Team Leads Matza Misses 800-Heats". The New York Times.
  15. 1 2 "ISRAEL LEADS U.S. IN TEL AVIV GAMES; Host Forces Ahead, 59-40, in Maccabiah--Herman Captures Pole Vault 1950 Record Falls Kushnir Sets Mark". The New York Times.
  16. "American sets mark". The Leader-Post. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  17. "Americans Take 5 Events in Maccabiah Games; U.S. TEAM LEADS IN MEN'S DIVISION Stieglitz, Rittenberg, Engel and Herman Triumph for Americans in Israel Coach Urges Switch Rittenberg Double Victor". The New York Times.
  18. "Jewish featherweight champion Isaac 'Ike' Berger dead at 85". The Jerusalem Post.
  19. "Ben Helfgott". jewishsports.net.
  20. "WOLK OF U.S. FIRST IN TEL AVIV SWIM; Takes 200-Meter Butterfly and Places Second in 1,500 at Maccabiah Games". The New York Times.
  21. 1 2 "WOLK, U.S., TAKES MACCABIAH SWIM; Colgate Star Captures Gold Medal in 400 Free-Style, Gains Butterfly Final Jane Katz Places Third Ash Betters Lifting Mark". The New York Times.
  22. "Ishof.Org | Dr. Jane Katz".
  23. "Jane Katz Competing in Maccabiah Games 60 Years After Her First," Swimming World Magazine.
  24. "Swimmer Laments Old Age at 14; Miss Katz Believes She Was a Better Athlete at 12". The New York Times.
  25. "Eva Duldig Match Results, Splits, and Analysis". Tennis Abstract.
  26. "U.S. Gains Four Gold Medals In Maccabiah Games Swimming; Abramson, Zakim and Misses Miller and Chesneau Score -- Herman Sets Mark in Retaining Decathlon Crown". The New York Times. September 2, 1961.
  27. "Page 1". stjohns.edu.
  28. "Americans Capture Basketball Title at Maccabiah Games; U. S. FIVE DOWNS ISRAELS, 79 TO 62 Wins Championship for Third Straight Time--Israel Takes Swim Crown American Bid Fails New Yorker Fifth". The New York Times.
  29. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Eva de Jong-Duldig. "The wheel comes full circle". Australian Jewish News.
  30. "5th Maccabiah 1957". Maccabi Canada.