Part of the Maccabi World Union

Maccabi BY

We bring together sports, national identity, and the opportunity to represent Belarus on the international stage. We are building a strong national team to participate in the world's major sporting events.

About us

Maccabi BY is the official representative and the only national team of the Maccabi World Union in the Republic of Belarus. We bring together athletes who wish to represent our country on the international stage, sharing the values of sport, a healthy lifestyle and cultural diversity.

The initiator and driving force behind the project is the Jewish Religious Union in the Republic of Belarus, which acts not only as an organiser but also as a guardian of historical traditions and a facilitator of intercultural dialogue.

Maccabi is the largest international Jewish sports organisation in the world. Today, the movement unites over 400,000 members across 70+ countries on five continents. We are part of this global family and are proud to have the opportunity to represent Belarus within the world sporting community.

1921

year of foundation
74

countries
400,000

members

History

The history of the Maccabi movement dates back to the late 19th century, when the first Jewish sports clubs began to appear in Europe. The first such club – the Israelite Gymnastics Society of Constantinople – was founded in 1895 in Istanbul by Jews of German and Austrian origin who had been denied participation in other sports clubs.

The founding of these clubs was rooted in the concept of Muscular Judaism, articulated by Max Nordau at the Second Zionist Congress in 1898. The idea was to revive the physical strength of the Jewish people and to forge the image of a New Jew – strong, brave and proud – as a counterpoint to the image of the man of the ghetto. The clubs were named after heroes of Jewish history who embodied strength and valour: Maccabi, Bar Kochba, Shimshon (Samson), HaKoach (The Strength).

In 1921, at the 12th World Jewish Congress in Karlovy Vary (Czechoslovakia), the Maccabi World Union was officially established as the umbrella organisation for all Jewish sports associations. Its aims were defined as the development of physical culture, the cultivation of faith in Jewish heritage and nationhood, and active work for the revival of our own country and the preservation of our people.

In 1960, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially recognised the Maccabi World Union as an organisation of Olympic standing.

The Maccabiah: The Jewish Olympics

The Maccabiah (Maccabiah Games) is the second largest international sporting event in the world after the Olympic Games, held under the patronage of the IOC.

The idea of holding a Jewish Olympics belonged to Yosef Yekutieli, one of the leaders of Maccabi in Eretz Yisrael. Inspired by the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, he dreamed of creating a platform where Jewish athletes from around the world could come together and showcase their achievements. His plan was enthusiastically adopted at the Congress of the Maccabi World Union in Ostrava in 1929.

Key facts about the Maccabiah:

Status

The third largest sporting event in the world by number of participants (after the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup)
Participants

Over 10,000 athletes from 80+ countries
Categories

Open (professionals and amateurs), Juniors (15–18 years), Masters (veteran categories), as well as competitions for athletes with disabilities
Stars

Over the years, legends of world sport have taken part in the Maccabiah: swimmers Mark Spitz and Lenny Krayzelburg, gymnast Ágnes Keleti, tennis player Nicolás Massú, chess grandmaster Boris Gelfand, and many other Olympic champions

Key sports disciplines

We are open to athletes of all levels – both professionals and amateurs – who are ready to share the journey with us towards our main goal: taking part in the Maccabiah!

Football

Basketball

Basketball 3х3

Chess

Badminton

Tennis

Table tennis