hanukkah, max nordau, maccabi games and the new jew
TRANSCRIPT
Israel, New Jew, Max Nordau, the Maccabi Games, and Chanukah
Rabbi Arnold D. Samlan
MAX NORDAU• Early Zionist thinker and
leader• Created idea of Muscular
Jew• Fought against the
stereotype of the European Jew
European Jewish Stereotype, defined by Nazis, past and present
The Maccabees and the Maccabi Games
• Taking their philosophical lead from Nordau, Jewish sports leagues sprang up across Europe in the early 1900’s
• Nordau and others looked to biblical characters such as King David and to post-biblical characters, such as Maccabees for inspiration
• Sports clubs began to use the name Maccabi
The New Muscular Jew Appears in Zionist Posters 1930 - 1950
Result
Modern Israel:• Revived Jewish agriculture• Built armed forces• Created respect for sports and fitness
(curiously enough, a Hellenistic value)• Gained world respect for physical and military
strength