1950 Maccabiah Games
Encyclopedia
Scheduled to be staged in 1938, political events in Europe, Arab
violence in Palestine
, and British Mandate authorities’ concern that a Maccabiah Games would create huge illegal immigration resulted in cancellation of the Games.
In 1950, the Maccabiah Games resumed with the 3rd Maccabiah Games
, this time in the independent State of Israel. Nineteen countries sent a total of 800 athletes. The opening parade and track and field events were held in the new 50,000-spectator stadium in Ramat Gan, a suburb of Tel Aviv
.
Israel
i President Chaim Weizmann
opened the Games, and Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion
told the competitors: “Existence in our ancestral home requires physical might no less than intellectual excellence.”
Eight countries entered the competition for the first time, among them:Argentina
, Canada
, India
and Sweden
were first-time entries.
Gold medals were earned by Americans Henry Wittenberg
in wrestling, Frank Spellman
(who two years earlier had won a silver medal at the Olympics) in weightlifting, and 3-time Pan American Games gold medalist Allan Kwartler
in fencing.http://www.maccabiusa.com/history.htm
Ben Helfgott
, a concentration camp survivor, won the weightlifting gold medal in the lightweight class for Great Britain
.
Canada earned 14 medals in its first Games.
countries (Morocco
, Tunisia
, etc.) did not send delegations. The number in parentheses indicates the number of participants that community contributed.
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
violence in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, and British Mandate authorities’ concern that a Maccabiah Games would create huge illegal immigration resulted in cancellation of the Games.
In 1950, the Maccabiah Games resumed with the 3rd Maccabiah Games
Maccabiah Games
The Maccabiah is an international Jewish athletic event similar to the Olympics held in Israel every four years under the auspices of the Maccabi Federation, affiliated with the Maccabi World Union. The Maccabiah Games is the third largest international sports competition in the world...
, this time in the independent State of Israel. Nineteen countries sent a total of 800 athletes. The opening parade and track and field events were held in the new 50,000-spectator stadium in Ramat Gan, a suburb of Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
.
Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i President Chaim Weizmann
Chaim Weizmann
Chaim Azriel Weizmann, , was a Zionist leader, President of the Zionist Organization, and the first President of the State of Israel. He was elected on 1 February 1949, and served until his death in 1952....
opened the Games, and Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion
David Ben-Gurion
' was the first Prime Minister of Israel.Ben-Gurion's passion for Zionism, which began early in life, led him to become a major Zionist leader and Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization in 1946...
told the competitors: “Existence in our ancestral home requires physical might no less than intellectual excellence.”
Eight countries entered the competition for the first time, among them:Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
were first-time entries.
Gold medals were earned by Americans Henry Wittenberg
Henry Wittenberg
Henry Wittenberg was a prodigious American wrestler and Olympic champion in freestyle wrestling. He won two Olympic medals and was the first American wrestler after 1908 to achieve this feat. He at one point in his career wrestled 300 matches without losing...
in wrestling, Frank Spellman
Frank Spellman
Frank Isaac Spellman was an American weightlifter who set several Olympic records and earned a gold medal in 1948...
(who two years earlier had won a silver medal at the Olympics) in weightlifting, and 3-time Pan American Games gold medalist Allan Kwartler
Allan Kwartler
Allan S. Kwartler , born in New York City, was an American sabre and foil fencer.He was Pan-American sabre champion, 3-time Olympian, and twice a member of sabre teams that earned 4th-place in Olympic Games .-Fencing career:Kwartler began fencing at Wayne State University under Bela de Tuscan at...
in fencing.http://www.maccabiusa.com/history.htm
Ben Helfgott
Ben Helfgott
Ben Helfgott is a British Holocaust survivor and former champion weightlifter.He was a guest on the BBC Radio 4 Desert Island Discs programme on 1 April 2007...
, a concentration camp survivor, won the weightlifting gold medal in the lightweight class for Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
Canada earned 14 medals in its first Games.
Participating Communities
Not all Jewish communities participated in the 1950 Maccabiah. Jewish communities in ArabArab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
countries (Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, etc.) did not send delegations. The number in parentheses indicates the number of participants that community contributed.