More than ever: Maccabiah 2026 officially launched

Maccabiah 2026 was officially launched this week at a celebratory rooftop event at Tel Aviv City Hall, held under the theme “More Than Ever.”

The Games, postponed last year due to Operation Rising Lion, will be the first Maccabiah since the October 7 massacre.

The launch was attended by Maccabiah Chairman Assaf Goren, CEO Roy Hessing, KKL-JNF Chairman Eyal Ostrinsky, and Acting Mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo Lior Shapira, along with Olympic athletes and ambassadors, including Artem Dolgopyat and Moran Samuel.

The evening featured the unveiling of the official Maccabiah anthem, performed by artists Nunu and Jimbo J. The pair created a new arrangement of Naomi Shemer’s iconic 1981 Maccabiah song, with a music video filmed at the Hadar Yosef Athletics Stadium.

Tel Aviv will host Maccabiah City, a large-scale sports and entertainment festival at Expo Tel Aviv open to the public. As a principal partner, KKL-JNF will lead a special program bringing athletes and volunteers together with Gaza border communities for a day of sports and community engagement.

The torch bearers for the opening ceremony at Jerusalem’s Teddy Stadium were also announced. They include Eviatar Zeitouni, a disabled IDF veteran severely wounded defending Kibbutz Kissufim on October 7; football captains Menashe Zalka and Sheran Yeini; and rhythmic gymnastics Paris 2024 silver medallist Ofir Shaham. The torch will be lit by Paralympic taekwondo gold medallist Asaf Yasur and World Judo Champion and Paris 2024 silver medallist Inbar Lanir.

Goren said the Maccabiah had become “a symbol of hope, recovery, and our determination as a people.” Acting Mayor Shapira called it “a long-standing tradition that connects communities, countries, and hearts,” while Ostrinsky described it as “more symbolic than ever… symbolizing the very best of the Israeli, Jewish, and Zionist spirit.”

Maccabi Australia withdrew from the Maccabiah.