1933 Maccabiah Games

1st Winter Maccabiah
Host city Zakopane, Poland[1]
Nations participating 8[1]
Athletes participating 250[1]
Opening ceremony February 2
Closing ceremony February 5
Main venue Wielka Krokiew, Zakopane
Summer:
<  1st Maccabiah 2nd Maccabiah  >
Winter:
2nd Winter Maccabiah  >

The 1st Winter Maccabiah (Hebrew: מכביית החורף הראשונה‎; Polish: Pierwsza zimowa Makabiada) was held in Zakopane,[2] Poland from February 2 to 5, 1933.[1] Coincidentally, the opening ceremony took place two days after Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor (30 January 1933).

History

Following the successful games of the 1st Maccabiah 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.[3] 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;[4] the Gazeta Warszawska newspaper encouraged Polish youth to intervene during the games to prevent the "Jewification of Polish winter sports venues".[5]

Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony for the games took place at the Stadium in Zakopane on February 2, 1933.[1] 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 through the ages[1]

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.[1]

Games highlights

Poland received the most medals in the first winter Maccabiah;[3] Some of the wins include I. Wahrenhaupt (Men's 18 km cross-country skiing), Szwarcbard (Women's 8 km cross-country skiing), M. Enker (Male Luge), R. Enker (Women Luge), G. Bergler (figure skating), H. Mückenbrun (Downhill), and Women's 3×5 kilometer relay.[3]

The 1st Winter Maccabiah also hosted the first international Maccabiah hockey tournament.

Medal count

Poland led the medal count in the first Maccabiah.

 Rank  Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1  Poland[3] ? ? ? ?
2  Czechoslovakia[3] ? ? ? ?
3  Austria[3] ? ? ? ?

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 נישטו לורד מלצ'ט! [Nicht Lord Melchett!] (in Yiddish). 1933. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  2. ↑ Anna Pollak-Fass (May 8, 2006). "JEWISH LIFE IN THE PODHALE DISTRICT". Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Rokicki, Jarosław (November 24, 2008). "Makabiady" (in Polish). Rzeczpospolita. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  4. ↑ "Maccabi Movement". YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  5. ↑ Mendelsohn, Ezra (March 31, 2009). Jews and the Sporting Life : Studies in Contemporary Jewry XXIII. Oxford University Press. p. 26. ISBN 978-0195382914.