The 22nd Maccabiah Games opened in Jerusalem on July 1, according to europesays.com. The opening ceremony took place at Teddy Stadium, was directed by Eldar Gohar Grossman, and was hosted by Israeli television personality Assi Azar and dancer Anna Aronov, according to europesays.com. The ceremony’s theme was “More Than Ever,” and it included the lighting of the Maccabiah torch, both reported by europesays.com.

Approximately 5,000 athletes are participating in the Games, which run for two weeks through July 13, confirmed across multiple outlets. Athletes from about 35 countries took part in the opening procession, according to europesays.com. Competitors are participating in Junior, Open, Masters and Paralympic divisions, including wounded Israel Defense Forces veterans, as reported by europesays.com. Europesays.com also noted that the Games are expected to include between 8,000 and 10,000 competitors from 55 countries competing in more than 30 sports.

According to timesofisrael, the Games have been shrunk to half the size of the 2022 edition because of geopolitical tensions and were delayed by war.