With colorful ceremonies watched by 50,000 spectators, and the participation of 1,400 Jewish athletes from 29 countries, the seventh Maccabiah opened tonight in the stadium at Ramat Gan, near this city. President Zalman Shazar welcomed the Jewish athletes from around the world, declaring that their presence here symbolizes the links between the Jewish youth in this country and in lands abroad. The largest contingent is the American, comprised of 197 Jewish men and women. Pierre Gildesgame, of Britain, international chairman of the Maccabiah Games Committee, formally opened the proceedings.
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