Maccabiah 2026

The Maccabiah is the MOE’s national theme for all Jewish schools in Israel for the current school year.  Students will be educated about the Maccabiah in a wide range of subjects, and as English is the primary language connecting Israeli Jews with Jews in the Diaspora, our students will participate in a variety of interactive, relevant, and meaningful projects throughout the year.  

This website is a treasure trove of resources for teachers at all levels;  here you will find sample lesson plans, clips, quotes, project suggestions and much more.  If you want to send in photos or clips of children, you will need their parents' authority beforehand.  

The Maccabiah is the world’s largest Jewish athletic competition in the tradition and values of Maccabi, emphasizing the centrality of the State of Israel in the life of the Jewish people. The Maccabiah takes place every four years in Israel - "The Jewish Olympics" as they are often called - are Maccabi World Union's largest and most famous enterprise.  These spectacular sports and cultural extravaganzas unite close to ten thousand Jewish athletes from all over the world in Israel every four years.

We hope that, by educating and motivating our students to learn about the Maccabiah,  many of them will attend the various Maccabiah sports' events during their summer vacation in July 2026. 

The dates of the 22nd Maccabiah Games are June 30 to July 14, 2026.  The events will take place mainly in Jerusalem, Haifa, Netanya and Tel Aviv.  Entrance for spectators is free!

For more information, write to:

Nicole Broder, National Counselor

nicolebro@mehad.education.gov.il