The 2016 Olympics are underway. Here are ten fascinating facts about Jews and Israelis at the Rio Olympics.
Biggest Israeli Delegation Ever
Israel sent its largest ever delegation of athletes to the 2016 Olympics: 47 athletes, competing in 17 events.
In addition to the athletes and their coaches, an estimated 10,000 Israeli tourists are cheering their compatriots on in Rio.
Israel has competed in 16 Olympics and won seven medals. The country’s sole gold so far was won by windsurfer Gal Fridman in Athens in 2004.
Missing the Opening Ceremony
Miri Regev, Israel’s Minister of Culture and Sport, will be cheering on Israel’s athletes in Rio - but announced she would miss the opening ceremony because it conflicted with Shabbat.
Although she is not religiously observant, Ms. Regev explained, “Shabbat, our national day of rest, is one of the most important gifts that Jewish people have given to the culture of humanity…. As the representative of the State of Israel, the sole Jewish state on the planet, I unfortunately cannot take part in the opening ceremony of the Olympics because it would require me to break the holy Sabbath.”
Welcoming Jewish Visitors
Rio’s synagogues and Jewish organizations are stepping up, offering Jewish visitors to the Olympics and athletes kosher food, Shabbat services, and more.
Last year, the Edmond J. Safra Synagogue and community center opened with 20,000 square feet of space in Ipanema, a neighborhood of Rio. Catering to Jewish visitors during the Olympics was one consideration when planning its opening.
Chabad has opened three reception centers, even flying in staff from New York to help out with kosher meals and events during the games, and the Paralympics following the Olympic events.
Jewish Organizers
Three of the organizers of the 2016 Olympics are drawn from Rio’s 25,000-strong Jewish community.
Carlos Arthur Nuzman, a Brazilian sports star who started playing volleyball in the Brazilian Israelite Club as a child, is president of the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee. He’s assisted by Sidney Levy, a Brazilian businessman, who serves as the Rio 2016 committee’s CEO, and by Leonardo Gryner, a local communications and marketing director, as deputy CEO.
Omitting Israel’s Flag
Israel’s Olympic Committee complained after Israel’s flag was omitted from an online list of 206 countries and organizations that are competing in the Rio games.
Computer users trying to upload a picture of Israel’s flag with the Rio 2016 logo were unable to do so after Israel’s flag was unaccountably omitted from a list of national flags. Hundreds of nations and groups, including refugees, who are taking part in the Rio games saw their flags represented; only Israel’s was omitted.
The incident echoed the 2012 Olympic games in London, when the BBC listed Israel as having no capital. (Jerusalem, Israel’s capital, was listed by the BBC as capital of Palestine instead.) The BBC later changed their listing, recognizing Jerusalem as capital of Israel.
Marking the 1972 Massacre of Israeli Athletes in Munich for the First Time
After 44 years, the 2016 Olympics finally marked the murder of 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics in 1972, with a ceremony days before the opening, on August 3, 2016.
On September 5, 1972 eight Palestinian terrorists scaled the fence of the Olympic Village. They killed two Israeli athletes and took nine Israeli athletes hostage. When a rescue attempt the following day failed, all nine Israeli athletes were murdered.
At the time, the Olympics continued almost as if nothing had happened. Games continued; nations’ flags were lowered to half-mast, though when ten Arab countries objected to even that gesture, their flags were restored to full height.
For years, the International Olympics Committee (IOC) refused to memorialize the Israeli victims. Ankie Spitzer, the widow of murdered Israeli fencer Andre Spitzer, organized calls to honor the victims, but for decades her pleas fell on deaf ears; the IOC refused even to hold a moment of silence at the 2012 London Olympics, held on the 40th anniversary of the attack.
Finally, under leadership of new IOC director Dr. Thomas Bach, the IOC held a memorial and pledged to establish a permanent memorial in Munich.
“We waited for this for 44 years, to have this remembrance and recognition of our loves ones who were killed so brutally in Munich,” Ankie Spitzer said after the ceremony. “We wanted them to be really accepted as members of the Olympic family. Now that President Bach had a minute of silence in the Olympic village, calling out the names of our loves ones, this is closure for us.”
Granddaughter of Holocaust Survivors Representing Israel
One Israeli athlete competing in Rio is the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors - and wants the world to know. Golfer Laetitia Beck, 24, was born in Belgium to a traditional Jewish family, who moved to Israel when Laetitia was six.
“For me, it’s very important for people to know first that I am Jewish and that I come from Israel, and then next that I am a golfer” she has said. “Everywhere I go, I want people to know where I’m from, my background and where my family came from because of the struggle they had to go through…. Every week when I play and I see the Israeli flag, it brings me a lot of pride and I think it’s because of what my grandparents had to go through. Not just them but everybody during World War II and the Holocaust. That brings me anger but what I’m trying to do is bring the anger and do something meaningful.”
New Israeli Citizen
One of Israel’s most promising Rio Olympics athletes is also one of its newest citizens, 27 year old long-distance runner Lonah Chemtai.
Chemtai first came to Israel as a teenager when she worked as a nanny for a diplomat from her native Kenya. A serious runner, she was introduced to Israeli running coach Dan Salpeter whom she eventually married. She became an Israeli citizen in March 2016, in time to represent her adopted country in Rio.
Kenya’s ambasssador to Israel, Augostino Njoroge, said, as Chemtai became an Israeli: “Kenya and Israel are so good friends. We cannot hand you a metal, but we can give you somebody who can bring the medal…. That is what good friends are for.” Chemtai herself was more succinct: “Today I feel so happy” the new Israeli told her fans.
Israeli Company is Overseeing Security at the Rio Olympics
International Security & Defense Systems (ISDS), an Israeli company founded by a former Israeli colonel, is responsible for security at the Rio games.
Threats from the anti-Israel “BDS” (Boycott, Divest and Sanction) movement nearly scuttled the deal. After intense pressure from global anti-Israel activists, Brazil’s Justice Ministry claimed the Israeli company would not work at the Olympic games.
ISDS’s expertise overcame objections, however. The task is massive. ISDS is overseeing 85,000 security personnel at the games (double the number in London four years ago), coordinating intelligence from 100 different countries, and providing imagine from an Israeli high-resolution imaging satellite.
One Additional Point: Anti-Semitism at the Olympics
Even before the Olympics started on Friday, some participants made their disdain for Israeli athletes known. Lebanon's Olympic team refused to travel on a bus to the opening ceremony along with Israeli athletes, even barring the door and pushing the Israeli athletes off the bus.
The standoff was resolved only when the Olympic Committee sent a separate bus to ferry the Lebanese athletes. "It was anti-Semitism pure and simple," Udi Gal, a member of Israel's Olympic sailing team, noted.
(12) Anonymous, November 19, 2016 10:41 PM
Concerning the last point in the article, and on behalf of the remaining few civilized ones among my countrymen/women, I apologize for the bad-mannered and ill-natured behavior of our delegation. It is hideous and it saddens me.
Keep up the good work on this website, being a light to the nations. And keep up with your righteous fight.
(11) Bradley, August 21, 2016 3:01 AM
What a informative and lovely article. The Jews have overcome more than any nation in this world and yet they still are MAN enough to pull themselves together and compete on this sporting platform, peace to all ya'll. Running a smooth security set up at RIO is quite a task since you had to fight against the world and the Rio organizers in order to serve them. And the love affair between Kenya and Jerusalem is admirable too, wow.
(10) Benjamin Ben-David, August 12, 2016 6:00 PM
A simple bus ride turns into antisemitism
Once again the world is witness to open anti-Semitism by Muslims. They used to hide it and deny it. Why the big change? They are on the move around the world taking over countries one city block at a time. The bus ride to the opening ceremonies represents just one of those city blocks. The brainwashing of every Muslim child that grows into an adult with anti Jewish mind set has been in operation for over 2000 years, Now we even see it at the Olympic games supposedly man kinds ultimate gesture of peace towards one another even amongst enemies. Now this has changed. Muslims have to keep making their statements of hating Jews even in the Olympic games. The war continues for them. Every inch of earth where Jews and Muslims are is a war zone in the mind of Islam. The only way to turn this around for the IOC is too place sanctions on every Muslim country that practices these anti-Semitic behaviors. If they do then they should be banned until they change the way they behave at international sporting events.
(9) Ely Erlich, August 10, 2016 1:26 PM
Lebanon's team didn't know who they were dealing with...
We might not win gold at traditional sports, but how could the Lebanese think they would be successful in keeping the bus to themselves? The entire Israeli team have been training to push themselves onto buses since the age of 3, it's our national sport.
(8) Kathleen Dahnke Nottestad, August 7, 2016 8:44 PM
Grow in L❤️️VE ‼️
Who are some of these unbelievable uneducated morons, who think the behavior of these athletes who somehow believe they have the right of who can get on the bus. I can NOT understand the ignorance they share with the world of how small minded they are. One was from the south in the USA and I have no doubt still waves the flag that was no longer needed after the civil war which the south lost. As I have stated and these anti- symetic comments are proof - hate is handed down one closed mind after another!! Generation after generation.
I understand wanting to keep the peace but those not wanting to ride on the bus meant for both groups to share - HE and those who are NOT open minded enough to understand the concept of sharing needed to get off the bus and find their own way wheather one misguided person or the whole bus - what ever the case is. Until we STOP empowering those on the less
educated to the ways of the world - they are the ones that need to be left behind because it is the only way to deal with hatred to reward hatred is to be a party to continueing hatred. It appears we definitely have a long way to go. Plus, sports is founded on conducting oneself on team spirit and putting ones polite side forward - this person or group showed bad sportsmanship and should have literally seat out of his or their competition - to reward them though it may have seemed the easiest way to handle - you either come to the games to put your best self to the test and if you lack true sportsmanship then YOU are the one that losses the chance to compete. Bottom line if you cater to hate it will only fester and grow it's time a lot of countries put their best foot forward and treat the games as they were intended to compete in an arena of mutual respect for ALL who attend those who can't do this stay home with those who see the world thru your warped veiw. So sad their will be no growth when hatred is rewarded and it's time we understand 4 it's now in your front yard!
(7) Lou Lantner, August 7, 2016 5:05 PM
Thanks, Dr Miller !
Again, Dr. Yvette Miller has provided us with a timely, interesting article. Obviously, people who do not understand the significance of the Shabbat cannot fathom Miri Regev's actions -- but that is of little import. Let's not concentrate on minor distractions -- on with the Games !
(6) Edna, August 7, 2016 4:28 PM
Roman has a point. As a Jew, i would ask you to please Stop equating every critique as being anti-Semitic
First and foremost it IS indeed time to discuss the Olympics, but
The fact that the Israeli flag was omitted is unacceptable.
The people responsible for grouping athletes in coaches should have been more careful, and put the refugee athletes with them, and nit the Israelis
The childish behaviour of the Lebanese is laughable!! It was the Israeli group that were provided with
coach, leaving the Lebanese to suck their thumbs, and have their diapers changed!!!
(5) Anonymous, August 7, 2016 3:51 PM
Did the Kenyan runner convert to Judaism?
My guess is that aish.com readers would care about that. Did the Kenyan runner convert to Judaism, or are we here to celebrate the victory of intermarriage and sports over Judaism?
Just asking.......
Heather, August 8, 2016 1:42 AM
More than Jews in Israel
In regards to the person questioning whether the Kenyan runner became jewish... Please don't tell me you are so uninformed that you do not know that there are Jews and Christians, and Muslims, and Hindus and Buddhists, and Druze, and Agnostics in Israel and all are citizens with full rights and privileges?
(4) Anne Bynum, August 7, 2016 3:23 PM
Olympics
These first few days are comprised of elimination rounds. I'm not familiar enough with Israel's athletes to know from which events if any they have been eliminated.
(3) Shelley, August 7, 2016 3:13 PM
Anti-Semitism at Olympics
When the Olympic Committee needs to send a separate bus to transport Lebanese Olympians to an event because they blocked the door to prevent Israeli athletes from boarding, something is terribly wrong. The Lebanese athlete demonstrated pure Anti-Semitism, and as a result of their actions, they should be banned from participating in the Olympics. The Olympics is supposed to be free from politics. By sending the second bus, the organization in enabling outright Anti-Semitism and tainting the meaning of the Olympics. No countries' representatives at the Olympics should be treated with disrespect. While allowing the Lebanese athletes to mistreat the Israeli athletes, the entire mission of the Olympics was destroyed. Shame on Brazil and the members of the Olympic Committee that decided that sending a second bus was the right thing to do. At a minimum, they should have asked the Lebanese athletes to arrange their own private transportation to events, get them off the bus, and have the Israelis board and get on their way. The Olympics is getting to be like the UN. Heavily biased by Anti-Isarael countries and their agenda.'
MARK LEWIS BRECKER, Esq., August 7, 2016 9:13 PM
I DON'T BELIEVE THOSE LEBANESE ARE SELF-HATERS.
TO SAY THOSE LEBANESE ACTED LIKE ANTI-SEMITES IS LIKE TELLING THEM THEY ARE SELF-HATERS AS, BY AND LARGE, THE LEBANESE POPULATION IS OVER-WHELMINGLY SEMITIC. ARABS MAKE UP SOME 85% OF THE WORLD'S SEMITES, THE NEXT LARGEST GROUP- ETHIOPIANS/ERITREANS BEING SOME 10%, WITH OUR PEEPS BEING A MAJOR PORTION OF THE REMAINING 5%.
MARK LEWIS BRECKER,
RETURNED PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER
ETHIOPIA III
Dvirah, August 8, 2016 4:29 PM
Better Solution
A better solution would have been to invite the Lebanese to get off the bus and then leave them behind, since they would not ride on the bus provided. The world must stop pandering to these psychotic toddlers!
(2) chava, August 7, 2016 2:55 PM
no results yet
Roman -- The games haven't begun. There aren't any results yet. We're all looking forward to seeing how everyone performs.
(1) Arin, August 7, 2016 2:10 PM
no compassion for Jews
Roman Sverdlov i can see you have no simpathy for Jews being mistreated