The 2005 Maccabiah Games were the 17th incarnation of the 'Jewish Olympics.' They attracted the largest attendance of any 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...

 to date, including more than 900 representatives from the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, almost 500 from Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, and more than 2,000 from Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

, bringing the total participants to more than 7,700 from 55 countries.

Israel ended the games at the top of the medal count with 228 gold medal

Gold medal

A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...

s. The United States was a distant second with 71 gold medals, while Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

 came in third with 15.

Selected results

Vadim Gutzeit

Vadim Gutzeit

Vadim Gutzeit is an Ukrainian Olympic sabre fencer.-World Championships:...

 of Ukraine

Ukraine

Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...

, an Olympic gold medal winner in team sabre, won gold medals in individual and team sabre. Two-time Olympic gold medal winner Sergei Charikov

Sergei Charikov

Sergey Aleksandrovich Sharikov , also known as Serguei/Sergei Charikov, is a left-handed Russian sabre fencer...

 of Russia won the silver medal in sabre. In fencing, two-time Pan American Games

Pan American Games

The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...

 gold medalist Dan Kellner

Dan Kellner

Daniel "Dan" Kellner is an American foil fencer.-Early life:“When I was 13, I had a video game called ‘Summer Games,’ with all the Olympic Sports on it, even fencing," said Kellner. "I couldn’t make the fencing game work very well...

 also won the silver medal in foil for the US.

In women's tennis, Sharon Fichman

Sharon Fichman

Sharon Fichman is a Canadian professional tennis player. Fichman was ranked No. 5 on the junior circuit in December 2006. Since turning pro, so far her career highs are No. 114 in singles and No. 83 in doubles. Fichman is currently Canada's highest-ranked women's doubles player.-Early life:Fichman...

 of 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...

 won the gold medal

Gold medal

A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...

 at the age of 14, and also won a bronze medal

Bronze medal

A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...

 in the women’s doubles, and a silver medal

Silver medal

A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....

 in mixed doubles.

In women's basketball, Shay Doron

Shay Doron

Shay Doron is an Israeli professional basketball player in the Israeli league. She plays for Elitzur Ramla.-Biography:Doron was born in Ramat Hasharon, Israel, to Yehuda and Tamari Doron...

, who two years later signed with the WNBA New York Liberty

New York Liberty

The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...

, led the USA to a 5–0 record and a gold medal, and was selected Maccabiah MVP.

In squash, Brian L. Roberts

Brian L. Roberts

Brian L. Roberts is Chairman/CEO of Comcast, an American company providing cable, entertainment, and communications products and services. He is the son of Comcast co-founder Ralph J. Roberts.-Life and career:...

, the Chairman and CEO of Comcast Corporation, won a gold medal with the US team in his fourth Maccabiah.

In soccer, Jonathan Bornstein

Jonathan Bornstein

Jonathan Rey Bornstein is an American soccer player who currently plays for UANL of the Primera División de México and for the United States national team.-Youth and College:...

, Benny Feilhaber

Benny Feilhaber

Benny Feilhaber is Brazilian-born American soccer player currently playing for New England Revolution in Major League Soccer.-Early life:...

, Leo Krupnik, Matt Reiswerg

Matt Reiswerg

Matt Reiswerg was an American soccer player. Currently, he is the goalkeeper coach at IUPUI.-College:...

, and Kevin Friedland

Kevin Friedland

Kevin Friedland is an American soccer player currently playing for NSC Minnesota Stars in the second division North American Soccer League.-Youth and College:...

 led the men's open soccer to their best finish ever with a silver medal. The US lost to gold medal winner Israel, which played with their U-20 National Team.

In karate

Karate

is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...

 the US Men's open team took several gold and silver medals. The youth team took one silver and one bronze. In judo, 17-year-old Alice Schlesinger

Alice Schlesinger

Alice Schlesinger is an Israeli Olympic judoka. She is a former World Judo Championships bronze medalist, and European junior champion.-Biography:...

 won a gold medal by defeating the world champion and former Israeli Daniella Krakower in the final.

Sports

The sports featured at the 2005 Maccabiah Games are listed below.

Athletics (track and field) Badminton Baseball Basketball Cricket Cricket at the 2005 Maccabiah Games The cricket tournament at the 2005 Maccabiah Games started on July 10. Cricket had not been an event at the Maccabiah since the 1997 Maccabiah, and for the first time was played both as a senior tournament as well as a youth tournament... Fencing Football Golf Gymnastics

Hockey Judo Lawn Bowling Rowing Rugby Softball Squash Swimming Swimming at the 2005 Maccabiah Games Swimming at the 2005 Maccabiah Games was held between July 10 and July 14. Heats were held in the mornings while finals were held in the early evenings. All swimming events took place at the Wingate Institute in Netanya.-Men's events:-Women's events:...

Taekwondo Ten pin Bowling Tennis Triathlon Volleyball Water polo Wrestling

Participating Communities

Not all Jewish communities participated in the 2005 Maccabiah, as has been the case since 1950. Jewish communities in Arab

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...

 countries (Morocco

History of the Jews in Morocco

Moroccan Jews constitute an ancient community. Before the founding of Israel in 1948, there were about 250,000 to 350,000 Jews in the country, but fewer than 7,000 or so remain.-Under the Romans:...

, Tunisia

History of the Jews in Tunisia

The history of the Jews in Tunisia goes back to Roman times. Before 1948, the Jewish population of Tunisia reached a peak of 110,000. From the 1950s, half this number left for Israel and the other half for France...

, etc.), as well as the community in Iran

Persian Jews

Persian Jews , are Jews historically associated with Iran, traditionally known as Persia in Western sources.Judaism is one of the oldest religions practiced in Iran. The Book of Esther contains some references to the experiences of Jews in Persia...

, did not send delegations. The number in parentheses indicates the number of participants that community contributed.

Argentina History of the Jews in Argentina The history of the Jews of Argentina goes back to the days of the Spanish Inquisition and Portuguese Inquisition, when Jews fleeing persecution settled in what is now Argentina. Many of the Portuguese traders in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata were Jewish, but an organized Jewish community...  Australia History of the Jews in Australia The history of the Jews in Australia dates back to 1788, when a number of Jews were among the convicts brought to the country aboard the First Fleet to establish the first European settlement on the continent, on the site of present-day Sydney. Today, an estimated 120,000 Jews live in Australia...  (500) Azerbaijan Azerbaijani Jews Azerbaijani Jews are Jews who live in Azerbaijan.-Distribution:...  Belarus History of the Jews in Belarus The Jews in Belarus were the third largest ethnic group in the country in the first half of the 20th century. Before World War II, Jews were the third among the ethnic groups in Belarus, and in cities and towns comprised more than 40% of the population. The population of cities such as Minsk,...  Belgium History of the Jews in Belgium Jews and Judaism have a long history in Belgium, from the 1st century CE until today. The Jewish community numbered 100,000 on the eve of the Second World War, but after the war and the Holocaust, is now less than half that number.-Early history:...  Bolivia Bolivia Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...  Bulgaria History of the Jews in Bulgaria The history of the Jews in Bulgaria dates to at least as early as the 2nd century CE. Since then, the Jews have had a continuous presence in the Bulgarian lands and have played an often considerable part in the history of Bulgaria from ancient times through the Middle Ages until...  Brazil History of the Jews in Brazil A Brazilian Jew is a Brazilian person of Jewish ancestry or a Brazilian who has converted to Judaism....  Canada Chile Chile Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

China History of the Jews in China Jews and Judaism in China have had a long history. Jewish settlers are documented in China as early as the 7th or 8th century CE, but may have arrived during the mid Han Dynasty, or even as early as 231 BCE. Relatively isolated communities developed through the Tang and Song Dynasties Jews and...  Colombia Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...  Costa Rica Costa Rica Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....  Croatia History of the Jews in Croatia The Jewish community of Croatia dates back to at least the 3rd century AD, although little is known of the community until the 10th and 15th centuries. The community, over 20,000 strong on the eve of World War II, was almost entirely destroyed in the Holocaust. After the WWII half of the survivors...  Cyprus History of the Jews in Cyprus - Ancient :Cyprus is the large island located in the east Mediterranean Sea. The first inhabitants of Cyprus were most probably, Carians; in historical times, Phoenicians; and later, Greeks. The first Jews settled during the last age of Greek occupancy. The Jews had close relationships with many of...  Czech Republic Denmark History of the Jews in Denmark The Jewish community of Denmark constitutes a small minority with a known history back to the 17th century.-Origins:Medieval Danish art contains depictions of Jews – visibly wearing pointed hats – but there is no evidence any Jews actually lived in Denmark during that time...  Finland History of the Jews in Finland Finnish Jews are Jews who are citizens of Finland. The country is home to approximately 1,500 Jews, who mostly live in Helsinki. Jews came to Finland as traders and merchants from Europe.-History :...  France History of the Jews in France The history of the Jews of France dates back over 2,000 years. In the early Middle Ages, France was a center of Jewish learning, but persecution increased as the Middle Ages wore on...  Georgia History of the Jews in Georgia (country) The history of the Jews in Georgia dates back more than 2,000 years. Georgian Jews have been living in this area for centuries.-History:The Georgian Jews have traditionally maintained a distinct community, separate not only from the Georgian Christian population but even from the Ashkenazi ...

Germany History of the Jews in Germany The presence of Jews in Germany has been established since the early 4th century. The community prospered under Charlemagne, but suffered during the Crusades...  Greece History of the Jews in Greece There have been organized Jewish communities in Greece for more than two thousand years. The oldest and the most characteristic Jewish group that has inhabited Greece are the Romaniotes, also known as "Greek Jews"...  Guatemala Guatemala Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...  Hungary History of the Jews in Hungary Hungarian Jews have existed since at least the 11th century. After struggling against discrimination throughout the Middle Ages, by the early 20th century the community grew to be 5% of Hungary's population , and were prominent in science, the arts and business...  India Israel Israel The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...  (2,000) Italy History of the Jews in Italy The history of the Jews in Italy goes back over two thousand years. Jews have been present in Italy from the Roman period until the present.-Antiquity:-Pre-Christian Rome:...  Latvia History of the Jews in Latvia The History of the Jews in Latvia dates back to the first Jewish colony established in Piltene in 1571. Jews contributed to Latvia's development until the Northern War , which decimated Latvia's population...  Lithuania History of the Jews in Lithuania The history of the Jews in Lithuania spans the period from the eighth century to the present day. There is still a small community in that country, as well as an extensive Lithuanian Jewish diaspora in Israel, the United States and other countries. For more detail, see Lithuanian Jews.-Early...  Luxembourg

Republic of Macedonia Mexico History of the Jews in Mexico Jews have lived in Mexico since the Spanish conquest. Today the community numbers around 68,000, concentrated primarily in Mexico City. Other communities are found in the state of Jalisco, mainly in Guadalajara and surrounding cities, and in Monterrey, Veracruz, Culiacán, and...  Moldova History of the Jews in Moldova The History of the Jews in Moldova reaches back centuries in history. Bessarabian Jews have been living in the area for quite some time.-Early history:* 1889: There were 180,918 Jews of a total population of 1,628,867 in Bessarabia....  Netherlands History of the Jews in the Netherlands Most history of the Jews in the Netherlands was generated between the end of the 16th century and World War II.The area now known as the Netherlands was once part of the Spanish Empire but in 1581, the northern Dutch provinces declared independence...  New Zealand History of the Jews in New Zealand The history of the Jews in New Zealand has its origins in Jewish traders which arrived during the 1830s. Before New Zealand became a British Colony in 1840, the Jewish population consisted of fewer than 30 people, including noted early settler Joel Samuel Polack...  Panama Panama Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...  Paraguay Peru Peru Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....  Poland History of the Jews in Poland The history of the Jews in Poland dates back over a millennium. For centuries, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Jewish community in the world. Poland was the centre of Jewish culture thanks to a long period of statutory religious tolerance and social autonomy. This ended with the...  Portugal History of the Jews in Portugal The history of the Jews in Portugal reaches back over two thousand years and is directly related to Sephardi history, a Jewish ethnic division that represents communities who have originated in the Iberian Peninsula .-Before Portugal:...

Romania History of the Jews in Romania The history of Jews in Romania concerns the Jews of Romania and of Romanian origins, from their first mention on what is nowadays Romanian territory....  Russia Serbia Singapore History of the Jews in Singapore The first Jews to settle in Singapore were of Bagdadi origin, mainly from India, who migrated to Singapore soon after Sir Stamford Raffles established Singapore as a trading post in 1819....  Slovakia History of the Jews in Slovakia Before World War II, 135,000 Jews lived in Slovakia. Some emigrated before the war, but most were killed in deportation. After the Slovak Republic proclaimed its independence in March 1939 under the protection of Nazi Germany, Slovakia began a series of measures aimed against the Jews in the...  Spain History of the Jews in Spain Spanish Jews once constituted one of the largest and most prosperous Jewish communities under Muslim and Christian rule in Spain, before the majority, together with resident Muslims, were forced to convert to Catholicism, be expelled or be killed when Spain became united under the Catholic Monarchs...  South Africa Sweden History of the Jews in Sweden The History of the Jews in Sweden probably began with arrivals from the Hanseatic League in medieval times, but there are no records. In Elizabethan times it was common for European royalty to have Jewish doctors at court, and there is a record of a Jewish doctor who served Gustav Vasa in the 16th...  Switzerland History of the Jews in Switzerland Jews and Judaism have been present in the territory of what is now Switzerland since before the emergence of the medieval Old Swiss Confederacy.In contemporary Switzerland, the official census of the year 2000 reports close to 18,000 adherents of Judaism living in Switzerland . About half of them...  Turkey History of the Jews in Turkey Turkish Jews The history of the Jews in the Ottoman Empire and Turkey covers the 2,400 years that Jews have lived in what is now Turkey. There have been Jewish communities in Asia Minor since at least the 5th century BCE and many Spanish and Portuguese Jews expelled from Spain were welcomed to the...

Ukraine History of the Jews in Ukraine Jewish communities have existed in the territory of Ukraine from the time of Kievan Rus' and developed many of the most distinctive modern Jewish theological and cultural traditions. While at times they flourished, at other times they faced periods of persecution and antisemitic discriminatory...  United Kingdom British Jews British Jews are Jews who live in, or are citizens of, the United Kingdom. In the 2001 Census, 266,740 people listed their religion as Jewish. The UK is home to the second largest Jewish population in Europe, and has the fifth largest Jewish community worldwide...  United States History of the Jews in the United States The history of the Jews in the United States , has been part of the American national fabric since colonial times.Until the 1830s the Jewish community of Charleston, South Carolina was the most numerous in North America. With the large scale immigration of Jews from Germany in the 19th century,...  (900) Uruguay Uruguay Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...  Venezuela History of the Jews in Venezuela The History of the Jews in Venezuela dates to the middle of the 17th century, when records suggest that groups of marranos lived in Caracas and Maracaibo. The Jewish community, however, did not become established in Venezuela until the middle of the 19th century...

Medal count

1	Israel Israel The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...	226	192	171	589
2	United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	71	81	67	219
3	Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...	15	18	18	51
4	South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...	12	8	8	28
5	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...	11	15	21	47
6	Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...	5	2	3	10
7	Venezuela Venezuela Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...	4	3	2	9
8	Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...	4	1	5	10
9	Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...	3	7	25	35
10	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...	3	4	6	13

External links

Official

• Maccabiah XVII

Unofficial

• Summaries of each of the Games
• Jewish Virtual Library
• "The 17th Maccabiah Games – July 2005"
• “The Miracle in Israel”