Team Russia pulls out of Maccabiah Games
Russia will not be amongst more than 60 countries taking part in next month's Jewish sporting contest in Israel
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Maccabi Russia have withdrawn from the 21st Maccabiah Games taking place in Israel next month, Jewish News has learned.
The international Jewish sporting tournament will include delegations from more than 60 countries, but Russia will not be amongst them.
Maccabiah chiefs had initially intended to allow Russia to take part, despite President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
But organisers have now revealed that Russia withdrew months ago, ahead of the draw for events. Instead, Jewish athletes that made Aliyah from Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ukraine, United State and other countries to become Israeli citizens will compete as part of an “Olim” delegation under a special flag. It will have no association to Russia and the Russian flag.
Earlier this week, Jewish News revealed that a Russian open women’s beach volleyball team was listed to play with teams from Ukraine, USA and Israel. But that online listing has been described as an “administrative error”.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
