The Third Pan-American Maccabiah Games opened here Friday at the Hebraica Stadium with the participation of delegations from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador. Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, the United States, Uruguay and Venezuela, totaling almost 700 persons. The games, which end Thursday, mark the 20th anniversary of Hebraica, Cultural, Social and Sports Association which is affiliated with the World Maccabiah Union (WMU).
The inaugural parade was attended by the Israeli Ambassador, representatives of the participating countries’ embassies, government officials, World Zionist Organization and WMU representatives and community leaders. At the opening of the games, a memorial service was held for the 11 Israeli athletes who were slain by terrorists at the Munich Olympics in 1972.
As the games began, a torch brought directly from Modiin, the ancient Maccabiah village in Israel, was lit. The local news media provided wide coverage to the opening of the games. Samuel Bajtner, president of Hebraica, and his committee were credited with achieving a resounding success in organizing the Maccabiah. The Peruvian Jewish community comprises some 5000 persons.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
