Nineteenth Maccabiah Games open in Jerusalem

July 21, 2013 The nineteenth edition of the, one of the largest sporting events in the world, was inaugurated Thursday in 's. Jewish athletes from all over the globe take part in this event every four years. US gold Olympic gymnast lit the Maccabi cauldron.

The ceremony was attended by the President of Israel, Shimon Peres, along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jerusalem's mayor,. This year, over 40 sports are scheduled to be contested by more than 70 countries.