The 18th Maccabiah Games, popularly known as the "Jewish Olympics", began on Monday with a burst of song, dance and fireworks, and tight security for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Organisers said the 12-day Games are their biggest ever, with about half the 7,000 competitors coming from 65 countries.
Seven decades after Adolf Hitler sought to stop Jews from competing in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, more than 2,500 Jewish competitors will take part in the 14th European Maccabi Games from Wednesday.