The Formation and Development of Maccabi in Moravia Until 1938

This paper deals with an integral part of the history of physical education in the Czech lands provided by Jewish sports organisations. The authors focus primarily on the formation and development of Maccabi – a physical training and sports organisation that became, during the time of its existence, the largest Jewish youth organisation in Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia. That is why the authors also addressed its organisational structure and international relations. For the sake of clarity, the paper is divided into two sections: the first one focuses on the development and characteristics of the Jewish community on the European continent; the second one follows the development of existential conditions of the Jewish community in Moravia.

From the very beginning, the European Jewish sports organisations had been requesting that the Jewish community obtain equal social status; later on, they often implemented the emancipatory efforts of the Jewish emancipation movement. Out of all Jewish sports and physical training organisations existing in the Czech lands back then, the Maccabi organisation had the largest number of members. However, its members were affected by World War II, during which the Jewish population was decimated. Even after this “failure of humanity”, the Maccabi organisation, well-known for its blue and white colours, clearly had to face the remnants of antisemitism in the European society. This was also the reason why full recovery of Maccabi was no longer possible after the war.