Kfar HaMaccabiah

Kfar HaMaccabiah (literally "Maccabiah Village") is a unique sports-themed complex spread over roughly 80 dunams of green, quiet space in the Ramat Chen neighborhood of south-eastern Ramat Gan, in the heart of Israel's Gush Dan metropolitan area. It was conceived by Aharon Natanel, chairman of Maccabi World Union, as a central Olympic village for the Maccabi movement, and the first building was erected on land allocated by the Ramat Gan municipality in 1957, ahead of the Fifth Maccabiah Games. Three residential buildings, a dining hall, and a sports center were added for the Sixth Maccabiah. Today the complex brings together several complementary operations under one brand: a hotel and suites wing, a large members' sports club, the Jewish Sports Museum at Beit Maccabi, and a conference and events center. The hotel and suites operation includes about 270 suites and rooms — 138 upgraded hotel rooms plus a new wing opened in June 2008 with roughly 130 luxury suites — and hosts athletes participating in the Maccabiah Games. In 2019 the hotel was designated a heritage site at preservation level B. The sports club is described as the largest members' sports club in Israel, covering about 50 dunams of green space and sports facilities. It offers 14 tennis courts, a spinning hall, basketball and football courts, a basketball hall, a volleyball court, a professional table-tennis room, a gym, massage centers, a jacuzzi, wet and dry saunas, a play area and children's club, water slides, and multiple swimming pools, along with classes for children and adults. During the 1980s and early 1990s the basketball hall hosted the home games of the Maccabi Ramat Gan basketball team. The conference center is one of the most prominent in Gush Dan, with a range of halls that can host discussions involving hundreds of people and break out into smaller discussion groups. Its large hall also serves as an events hall, and the center is used as a hostel for training seminars. On 6 December 2023, a monument called the "Enveloping Israel Sculpture," created by Dina Rekanati, was inaugurated at Kfar HaMaccabiah to commemorate the victims of the 7 October massacre and the fallen of the Iron Swords War. The museum component has evolved over time. The Maccabi Museum, named after Pierre Gildesgame, was established in 1982 in the Beit Maccabi building at Kfar HaMaccabiah and operated until its demolition and the opening of the World Jewish Sports Museum in 2022. The Maccabi Museum was founded to commemorate the work of the Maccabi movement and the Maccabiah Games, as well as the activity of Jewish sports movements from the late 19th century onward. The initiative came from Arthur Hanak, who also served as its first director. The museum was named after industrialist and philanthropist Pierre Gildesgame, who chaired Maccabi World Union from 1957 to 1973 and was the only person to receive the title "Mr. Maccabi" for his work and contribution to the movement. It displayed historical items related to Jewish sports, including medals, trophies, flags, films, and various archival documents. The World Jewish Sports Museum, named after Iris Smith, opened in 2022 and deals with the history of Jewish sports and the story of the Maccabi World Union, from the late 19th-century "Muscular Judaism" speech through the development of the first Jewish sports clubs in Europe and Palestine to recent decades of Jewish sporting achievement, combining historical materials with displays, posters, and historical films. Kfar HaMaccabiah thus functions as a multi-purpose brand: a sports and wellness destination, a hospitality and conference venue, and a heritage and remembrance site tied to the global Maccabi movement.

Kfar HaMaccabiah was established following the vision of Aharon Natanel, chairman of Maccabi World Union, to create a central Olympic village for the movement. The Ramat Gan municipality allocated a plot for this purpose, and in 1957, ahead of the Fifth Maccabiah Games, the first building was erected on the site. Ahead of the Sixth Maccabiah, three residential buildings, a dining hall, and a sports center were added. Over the decades the complex grew into a multi-purpose sports, hospitality, and conference destination. The Maccabi Museum, named after Pierre Gildesgame, was established in 1982 in the Beit Maccabi building at Kfar HaMaccabiah. It commemorated the work of the Maccabi movement and the Maccabiah Games, as well as Jewish sports movements from the late 19th century onward. The initiative came from Arthur Hanak, who also served as its first director. The museum was named after industrialist and philanthropist Pierre Gildesgame, who chaired Maccabi World Union from 1957 to 1973 and was the only person to receive the title "Mr. Maccabi." It displayed historical items related to Jewish sports, including medals, trophies, flags, films, and archival documents. In June 2008 a new wing of the hotel opened with about 130 luxury suites, complementing the existing 138 upgraded hotel rooms and bringing the total to about 270 suites and rooms. In 2019 the hotel was designated a heritage site at preservation level B. The Maccabi Museum operated until its building was demolished and the World Jewish Sports Museum, named after Iris Smith, opened in 2022. The new museum deals with the history of Jewish sports and the story of the Maccabi World Union, from the late 19th-century "Muscular Judaism" speech through the development of the first Jewish sports clubs in Europe and Palestine to recent decades of Jewish sporting achievement, combining historical materials with displays, posters, and historical films. On 6 December 2023, a monument called the "Enveloping Israel Sculpture," created by Dina Rekanati, was inaugurated at Kfar HaMaccabiah to commemorate the victims of the 7 October massacre and the fallen of the Iron Swords War. Throughout its history, the sports club has been a major recreational hub. During the 1980s and early 1990s, the basketball hall hosted the home games of the Maccabi Ramat Gan basketball team. The club is described as the largest members' sports club in Israel, covering about 50 dunams with 14 tennis courts, a spinning hall, basketball and football courts, a basketball hall, a volleyball court, a professional table-tennis room, a gym, massage centers, a jacuzzi, wet and dry saunas, a play area and children's club, water slides, and multiple swimming pools, along with classes for children and adults. The conference center is one of the most prominent in Gush Dan, with halls that can host hundreds of people and break out into smaller discussion groups; its large hall also serves as an events hall, and the center is used as a hostel for training seminars.

• 2023

  On 6 December, the "Enveloping Israel Sculpture" by Dina Rekanati inaugurated to commemorate victims of the 7 October massacre and fallen of the Iron Swords War.

• 2022

  World Jewish Sports Museum named after Iris Smith opened, replacing the Maccabi Museum.

• 2019

  Hotel designated a heritage site at preservation level B.

• 2008

  New hotel wing with about 130 luxury suites opened in June.

• 1982

  Maccabi Museum named after Pierre Gildesgame established in the Beit Maccabi building.

• 1957

  First building erected at Kfar HaMaccabiah ahead of the Fifth Maccabiah Games.

• 1957

  Pierre Gildesgame begins his chairmanship of Maccabi World Union (until 1973).

A unique sports-themed complex in the heart of Gush Dan combining hospitality, sports, wellness, conferences, and Jewish sports heritage.

• Kfar HaMaccabiah Hotel & Suites

  About 270 suites and rooms, including 138 upgraded hotel rooms and a new wing of about 130 luxury suites opened in June 2008; hosts Maccabiah athletes.

• Kfar HaMaccabiah Sports Club

  The largest members' sports club in Israel, covering about 50 dunams with 14 tennis courts, spinning hall, basketball and football courts, basketball hall, volleyball court, professional table-tennis room, gym, massage centers, jacuzzi, wet and dry saunas, play area and children's club, water slides, and multiple swimming pools.

• Kfar HaMaccabiah Conference Center

  One of the most prominent conference centers in Gush Dan, with halls for hundreds of people and breakout rooms; the large hall also serves as an events hall and the center as a hostel for training seminars.

• World Jewish Sports Museum

  Opened in 2022, named after Iris Smith, dealing with the history of Jewish sports and the Maccabi World Union from the late 19th century to recent decades.

1. 1כפר המכביה - מקום אחד אינסוף אפשרויותkmc.co.il
2. 2Kfar HaMaccabiah - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3כפר המכביה - Wikipedia (Hebrew)he.wikipedia.org