Maccabiah, Jewish Olympics 2005 Stamp

The stamp issued in July 2005, depicts the Maccabiah emblem. The words “17th Maccabiah” are written in Hebrew, Arabic and English on the tab. The Maccabiah, named after the national Jewish hero Judas Maccabeus, are the largest international Jewish-Zionist Sports events, the greatest function of “Maccabi World Union.” The games are the world’s third-largest sports events after the Olympics and World University Games. As shown on the stamp, Maccabiah 2005 is the seventeenth in this series of sports festivals held in the Land since 1932, and every four years since 1953. Over the years many Jewish visitors have immigrated into Israel as a result of their attendance at the Games. An Organizing Committee plans and arranges the event between Israelis andparticipating Diaspora athletes; competitions are organized by Israeli Sports Associations. High standards and fair play of the games are assured by responsible personnel; training and competition venues are selected in accordance with international standards. The stamp with an information sheet are enclosed in a plastic protection sheet.