Not surprisingly, sports and fitness are important in Jewish culture. Overall, sports in Israel are performed both in competitive atmospheres, as well as for leisure and
relaxation. There are a wide range of athletic activities common among Jewish
culture including football, basketball, handball, boxing and wrestling. In
addition, beach and water sports are particularly popular which include
swimming, diving, surfing and sailing.
Historically, however, sports and Judaism did not really mix well together. Back in the third century, when the Greeks ruled in the Land of Israel, the Jews viewed sports and any type of athletic activities as an ‘alien’
Greek concept, and Jewish men and women rarely took part in the Olympic Games
because participants were required to offer a gift to the Greek god Hercules
for their participation. Likewise, during the Roman period, sports were often
associated with cruelty and violence because of gladiatorial combat which was
popular during that time. As a result, for many centuries Jews saw sports as a “Hellenistic”
evil and often rejected them. While opinions concerning sports are vastly
different today, there are still some ultra-orthodox Jews who still maintain
these original beliefs.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Maccabi movement was established which was ultimately the first organized Jewish sporting enterprise. By 1914, there were over 100 Maccabi and other clubs
established and in 1932 the first Maccabiah, or international Jewish Olympics,
was held in what was then Palestine. This event attracted 500 Jewish athletes
from 23 countries and in 1997, during another Maccabiah event, a
record-breaking 5,500 Jewish sportsmen and sportswomen participated from Jewish
communities in 54 countries. The Maccabiah is now the third largest sporting
event worldwide and the biggest Jewish event of any kind.
Israel’s most popular spectator sports are basketball and soccer, but it has been most successful in basketball. The national team regularly reaches the quarter finals of the European Basketball Championships
and many of the teammates have enjoyed their own personal successes due to
their talents and abilities. In addition, women’s basketball is also becoming
popular and has been known to attract several thousands of people to their
games. Because Israel is surrounded by four bodies of water, it is also no surprise
that swimming is the most popular sport for individuals to participate in.
There are hundreds of public swimming pools and almost every kibbutz and moshav
have pools. Not to mention, 50% of the country’s residents go swimming at least
several times a year. And with over 40,000 qualified divers, Israel also has
the most number of divers in the world.
In addition, track and field and volleyball are also common sports among Jewish culture. There is also shooting, weightlifiting, and parachuting. To date, Israel has won 7 Olympic medals since its first win in
1992, including gold medals in windsurfing and canoeing, and over 100 gold medals in the Paralympic
Games.
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