The sixth Pan-American Maccabiah Games were inaugurated last night at the Ibira Puera state gymnasium here with all of the stadium’s 21, 000 seats filled and more than 5, 000 persons unable to gain admittance.
The pageant by contingents of Jewish athletes included two Israelis and a 34-member United States team, the first sent to the Pan-American Maccabiah. Among the high officials present for the inauguration were Cardinal Archbishop Dom Angella Rossi; Machado de Carvalho, the Sao Paulo Secretary of State; Major Silvio de Magalhaes Padilha, president of the Brazilian Olympic Committee; and Manuel Epstein, representing the World Maccabi Union.
Dr. Isaac Fischer, president of the Pan-American Maccabi Federation, greeted the athletes. Sao Paulo State Governor Laudo Natel declared the Maccabiah Games open. Brazilian and Israeli anthems were sung, the Maccabi flag was hoisted, the Olympic torch was lit, and the athletes took the oath of competition. A display of folklore from the different countries represented was held at the conclusion of the start of the biggest Maccabiah Games organized outside of Israel.
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