The 2nd Maccabiade took place from May 13th to 16th in Duisburg Wedau.
The Maccabiah 2016 in Duisburg Wedau was a complete success. It was an indication from and for the Jewish community, but also a major sporting event for all Maccabi athletes and sports enthusiasts.
400 athletes, 8 sports, 25 disciplines:
Around 400 athletes from 20 Maccabi local clubs accompanied by numerous guests and spectators between Berlin and Düsseldorf, Bremen and Munich, but also from the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland came from May 13th to 16th in the largest German one sports school in Duisburg to take part in the largest Jewish sports event in 2016.
The competitions, accompanied by an extensive cultural program, were held in a total of 8 sports (soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis, table tennis, fencing, chess and target shooting) in around 25 disciplines.
More than just sports:
But not only sport was in the foreground this weekend: The supporting program began with a breathtaking opening ceremony and the Kabbalat Shabbat prayer, followed by a festive Shabbat dinner. Numerous interesting workshops followed on Saturday, in which both athletes and spectators could participate, followed by a harmonious Hawdalah in the evening on the main square. Further highlights were the poker tournament and the atmospheric Jom Haazmaut closing party on Sunday night, until finally the medals were awarded at the award ceremony on Monday morning.
Conclusion & balance sheet:
Due to the team sports of soccer, basketball and volleyball, a total of around 150 athletes were able to win a medal over the weekend, which they proudly wore around their necks on the return journey. The winner in the medal table was Makkabi Frankfurt, with around 6 gold medals, followed by Makkabi Rostock (5 gold medals) and Makkabi Berlin (4 gold medals) in third place.
After the first German Maccabiah in 1996, this was - 20 years later - the second Maccabiah in Duisburg. The executive committee of Makkabi Germany would like to thank everyone involved for this unforgettable event and is already considering – in 2018 – one Youth Maccabiah to bring into being.