European Maccabi Games in Vienna

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Held every four years in Israel, the Maccabiah is the Jewish world's biggest sports meeting. It has numerous parallels to the Olympic Games both in terms of its spirit and the format of the games. The European Maccabi Games are also held every four years, two years after the Israeli event. European delegations send their best Jewish sportsmen and women to compete.

From July 5 - 13, around 2,100 athletes from all 40 different nations will compete in a total of 19 disciplines at the 13^th European Maccabi Games in Vienna. According to the organizers, the Maccabi Games are also a great opportunity for people to forge new contacts, make new friends, and meet interesting new people.

Prague hosted the first ever European Maccabi Games in 1929, followed by Antwerp a year later. After a 30 year hiatus, the Jewish games finally returned to European soil as Copenhagen hosted the 1959 competition. The choice of the Austrian capital as this year's host city is highly symbolic as it is the first time since World War II that Jewish athletes from all over Europe will compete on the territory of the former German Reich.

13th European Maccabi Games

Jul 5-13, 2011
www.emg2011.eu