FAQ

Maccabi is a worldwide Jewish youth movement dedicated to the promotion of amateur sports, cultural or social activities, and recreation. With its program of activities, it strives to develop an understanding of the spiritual values ​​of the Jewish faith and a higher appreciation of the Jewish cultural and national heritage in Jewish youth.
In recognition of its decades-long contribution to the promotion of competitive sport, the Maccabi World Union (Maccabi World Union) - the umbrella organization of the Maccabi Unions worldwide - was classified by the International Olympic Committee as an "International Sport Union of Olympic rank" as early as 1960. The only other body to be so honored is the International Student Sports Organization.
Maccabi's popularity in the ranks of Jewish youth stems both from the non-political and impartial nature of the movement and from the diversity of offerings for Maccabi members. Maccabi is often referred to as "The first Jewish youth organization in the world".

Enclosed in the movement's emblem in the form of a “Magen David” (Shield of David) are 4 Hebrew letters: Mem, Kaf, Beit and Yod, which are pronounced and spelled Maccabi (or Maccabi) (without the vowels).
There are different versions of the origin of this name, it is generally derived from the name of a family of priests who are said to have given the signal for the rebellion against the Syrian tyrant Antiochus in 170 BC. The army of the Syrian king had invaded the Land of Israel, desecrated the Holy Temple, enslaved the Jewish people and forbidden the preservation of Jewish religion and tradition.
The father of that Maccabi family, the priest Mattathias, had several sons. The bravest of them was called Yehuda, since then known as “Yehuda Ha' Maccabi”. Though greatly outnumbered by the invaders' army, he and his brothers preferred death in battle to surrender.
The story of their desperate but courageous struggle for freedom of conscience and religion has stood the test of time and become a legend in the civilized world. Their deeds became a source of excitement for many generations of Jews in the centuries that followed.

The founding of Maccabi is closely linked to discrimination on religious or racial grounds in late 19th century and relentless persecution in the pogroms of early 20th century Europe:
Jews with a sense of community felt compelled to found a movement that aimed to educate Jewish youth physically so that they could become capable of defending themselves in an emergency.
Before 1917, therefore, Maccabi clubs could be found throughout Europe (including Tsarist Russia), and in later years they could be found on every continent in the world where Jewish communities were relatively free from oppression. In 1921 a joint world organization was founded, the Maccabi World Union (MWU) based in Berlin.
With the spread of communism, the Maccabi clubs were banned from all areas that came under the influence of Soviet Russia. From the Nazi regime's rise to power in Germany in 1933, the Maccabi clubs were gradually closed and many thousands of members disappeared during the inferno. During World War II, a large number of Maccabi clubs in Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia, with all their indoor and outdoor sports facilities, were closed and their property confiscated. Clubs in Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia suffered the same fate.
Step by step, Maccabi clubs were and are being re-established or completely re-established in all parts of the world after the end of the Second World War, after the fall of the Iron Curtain and other political changes.

From 1921 to 1935 the headquarters of the Maccabi Wordl Union (MWU) was based in Berlin. Because of the suppression measures of the Nazi regime, the headquarters had to be moved to London, where it remained until 1946. Then it was moved to Palestine, which was under British mandate at the time. Today, the headquarters are based in Ramat Gan, Israel, on the grounds of Maccabi Village.
The MWU consists of continental associations to which country organizations are attached. Each country organization has a constitution that is adapted to local circumstances but fully compatible with the objectives of the MWU. Each country organization enjoys full autonomy provided that its activities are compliant with the MWU Constitution.
A country organization is administered by an elected National Assembly of Delegates. This is usually represented on the board of the confederation to which it belongs. Each Confederation is represented on the World Executive with a certain number of members. The members of the World Executives are elected every four years by the Maccabi World Congress.
The MWU currently has more than 400.000 members worldwide (as of June 2013).

The Maccabi Village in Ramat Gan is one of the greatest achievements of the MWU and at the same time an important material asset. It was founded in 1953 and has since grown into a large complex. It consists of sports halls, several swimming pools, tennis courts, a basketball court, a clubhouse and also a number of buildings for accommodating youth groups and tourists.
The Maccabi Village owes its creation to the idea of ​​accommodating the participants in a Maccabiah on a site - analogous to the Olympic Villages.
When the Maccabi Village housing options were originally planned, no one expected the number of foreign participants at Maccabiah to exceed 500. Over time, it became necessary to build further house complexes and also to accommodate athletes outside of the Maccabi village.

Modiin - the village where the Maccabi priests lived, fought and were buried - has become a destination for the pilgrimages of Israeli Maccabi youth, as well as Maccabi visitors from abroad.
The torch carried by runners that marks the opening ceremony of the Maccabiah, and which also burns at the annual Hanukkah relay race held in Israel, is traditionally lit at Modiin to remind us of the heroic deeds of the ancient Maccabees: to remember inside.