Two important items from the early days of “Maccabi” in Eretz Israel.
Participant card for the First Maccabiah, 20–29 Adar II, 5692 – March 1932.
Circular Letter A of the “Maccabi” Gymnastics Federation in Eretz Israel, Central Committee – Heshvan 5680 (October 1919) – a double-sided letter sent to members, marking the expansion of “Maccabi” from a local movement to a broad national organization. It was distributed following a large assembly of the movement held in Jerusalem, which marked its transformation into a countrywide movement.
With the end of World War I and the beginning of the British Mandate, the “Maccabi” societies operating in various cities throughout Eretz Israel united under a single body: The Gymnastics Federation of Maccabi in Eretz Israel. The federation’s goal was to cultivate both body and spirit among Jewish youth in the land. “Maccabi” was not merely a sports movement, but also a Zionist one with a clear national message – aspiring to shape a new Jewish identity: strong, proud, and engaged in pioneering activity. “Maccabi” societies operated across the country, engaging in gymnastics, popular sports, and competitions, while cooperating with the institutions of the Jewish Yishuv and establishing the first national frameworks for Hebrew sport.
Very good condition.
