From Mark Spitz to Amar'e Stoudemire, the Maccabiah's biggest Jewish sports stars
The article looks back at the most prominent Jewish sports stars who came to Israel for the Maccabiah Games, often while at or near their athletic peak. Ahead of Maccabiah 2026, which opens on July 1 and runs through July 13, it recalls how these appearances brought world-class athletes to venues such as Yad Eliyahu, Wingate Institute and Teddy Stadium.
Among the most famous was Mark Spitz, who came to the 1965 Maccabiah at age 15 and won four gold medals. Twenty years later, at the 12th Maccabiah, he returned as the main star and lit the opening ceremony torch at Ramat Gan Stadium. Anthony Ervin, after his Olympic gold in Sydney and a long break from swimming, later won again in Rio at age 35, becoming the oldest individual Olympic swimming champion; he then came to Israel for the Maccabiah, coached young Israeli swimmers and competed there.
The article also highlights Fabien Gilot, whose Hebrew tattoo reading, "I am nothing without them," was seen worldwide when he won Olympic gold in London in 2012. He appeared at the 2017 Maccabiah torch-lighting ceremony in Jerusalem with Ervin. Jason Lezak, remembered for his decisive finish in Beijing 2008 and his eight Olympic medals, competed at the 2009 Maccabiah and returned in 2022 as head of the U.S. delegation, calling the experience "a very strong spiritual and national experience," as well as a sporting one.
Lenny Krayzelburg, a Soviet-born American backstroke champion, won four Olympic gold medals and then swept his events at the 2001 Maccabiah, where he carried the U.S. flag. He returned in 2013 to light the torch at the new Wingate pool. Amar'e Stoudemire, six-time NBA All-Star and soon-to-be Hall of Famer, came to the 2013 Maccabiah after researching his family roots and served as an assistant coach for Canada; he later moved to Israel and won an Israeli championship with Hapoel Jerusalem in 2017. The piece closes with Tal Brody, who came with the U.S. delegation in 1965, stayed in Israel after being recruited by Maccabi Tel Aviv, and became a symbol of Israeli basketball, and David Blatt, whose 1981 Maccabiah visit sparked his aliyah and eventual rise to EuroLeague and NBA coaching success. The article says Maccabiah 2026 will feature more than 8,000 athletes from about 45 countries in roughly 45 sports, after being postponed from last summer because of Operation "With the Strength of a Lion."
