Club History
Maccabi was founded at the turn of the century in Central and Eastern Europe. Following rising anti-semitism, Jews were excluded from local sports and social clubs. So they decided to form their own.
The clubs concentrated on developing their members' physical fitness, primarily for reasons of self-defence.
Maccabi now has over 400,000 members in 55 countries throughout the world. In the UK alone there are 10,000 members.
Early Maccabi clubs were based around sports but soon became social, cultural and sporting centres for the community. This continues today with many sports including badminton, basketball, bridge, cricket, football, golf, gymnastics, hockey, karate, lawn bowls, netball, rugby, softball, squash, swimming, table-tennis, tennis, tenpin bowling, track & field, triathlon, volleyball and water polo. There are also 25 youth clubs spread throughout the country, with many hundreds of young members regularly attending for social, educational and sporting events.
The clubs aim to teach members about being Jewish and to produce the next generation of Maccabi, and community, leaders. It isn't a rigid, textbook kind of education. Its informal, modern and very upbeat. It includes our government-approved leadership training schemes, our Israel tours and Programmes and the Maccabi Street Project.
Maccabi clubs have also become places for young culture: for music, arts and drama, including Le'an, Maccabi's own theatre company.
Manchester Maccabi Cultural & Sports Club
Brooklands, Bury Old Rd., Prestwich M25 0EG.
Manchester Maccabi is a registered British charity, no. 521228..
Affiliated to Maccabi GB