The 1st Winter
Maccabiah
The Maccabiah Games (a.k.a. the World Maccabiah Games; he, משחקי המכביה, or משחקי המכביה העולמית; sometimes referred to as the "Jewish Olympics"), first held in 1932, are an international Jewish and Israeli multi-sp ...
( he, מכביית החורף הראשונה; pl, Pierwsza zimowa Makabiada) was held in
Zakopane,
Poland from February 2 to 5, 1933.
Coincidentally, the opening ceremony took place two days after
Adolf Hitler was
appointed chancellor (January 30, 1933).
History
Following the successful games of the
1st Maccabiah
The 1st Maccabiah (aka The Maccabiah and the White Horse Olympics) ( he, המכביה הראשונה or he, המכביאדה) was the first edition of the Maccabiah, which was held in Mandatory Palestine from March 28 to April 2, 1932. The games ...
in 1932, there was a growing interest in winter sports among the European nations. The
Maccabi federation of Poland was in charge of organizing the Winter Maccabiah.
In the 1930s, that federation was strongest pillar of the
Maccabi World Union, consisting of 30,000 Jewish athletes members. The games were met with great opposition;
the
Gazeta Warszawska newspaper encouraged Polish youth to intervene during the games to prevent the "Jewification of Polish winter sports venues".
Opening ceremony
The opening ceremony for the games took place at the Stadium in Zakopane on February 2, 1933.
Lord Melchett, honorary president of the World Maccabi Organization, did not attend the ceremony; instead he sent his blessing and an apology - a large statue depicting the persecution of Jews resistance to
anti-semitism
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism.
Antis ...
through the ages.
Participating communities
Jewish athletes from 8 nations participated; most notably, no athletes from
Eretz Yisrael took part in the games. The number in parentheses indicates the number of athletes in the delegation.
Games highlights
Poland received the most medals in the first winter Maccabiah;
Some of the wins include I. Wahrenhaupt (Men's 18 km
cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreation ...
), Szwarcbard (Women's 8 km
cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreation ...
), M. Enker (Male
Luge
A luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine (face up) and feet-first. A luger steers by using the calf muscles to flex the sled's runners or by exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh for s ...
), R. Enker (Women
Luge
A luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine (face up) and feet-first. A luger steers by using the calf muscles to flex the sled's runners or by exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh for s ...
), G. Bergler (
figure skating), H. Mückenbrun (
Downhill
Downhill may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Downhill'' (1927 film), a British film by Alfred Hitchcock
* ''Downhill'' (2014 film), a British comedy directed by James Rouse
* ''Downhill'' (2016 film), a Chilean thriller directed by Patrici ...
), and Women's 3×5 kilometer relay.
The 1st Winter Maccabiah also hosted the first international Maccabiah hockey tournament.
Table
Nowy Dziennik. 1933, nr 39
/ref>
References
{{Maccabiah Games
Maccabiah Games
Maccabiah Games
The Maccabiah Games (a.k.a. the World Maccabiah Games; he, משחקי המכביה, or משחקי המכביה העולמית; sometimes referred to as the "Jewish Olympics"), first held in 1932, are an international Jewish and Israeli multi-sp ...
Maccabiah Games
The Maccabiah Games (a.k.a. the World Maccabiah Games; he, משחקי המכביה, or משחקי המכביה העולמית; sometimes referred to as the "Jewish Olympics"), first held in 1932, are an international Jewish and Israeli multi-sp ...
Maccabiah Games
The Maccabiah Games (a.k.a. the World Maccabiah Games; he, משחקי המכביה, or משחקי המכביה העולמית; sometimes referred to as the "Jewish Olympics"), first held in 1932, are an international Jewish and Israeli multi-sp ...
Multi-sport events in Poland