Maccabiad

Three thousand Jewish athletes from 27 countries last week paraded through Tel Aviv (''Hill of Spring") in Palestine, for the opening of the first Maccabiad. Wrongly described as the "Jewish Olympics," the Maccabean Games were organized by the World Maccabee Union, named for the Israelite hero, Judas Maccabaeus. The games began when 120 pigeons in flocks of ten--messengers to the Twelve Tribes of Israel--were allowed to fly to their homes in various parts of Palestine. Led by Tel Aviv's Mayor Dizengoff riding on a white horse, the 3,000 athletes, aged 5 to 60, marched to a huge new stadium that was crowded beyond capacity (25.000). The Maccabiad lasted four days. No supremely able Jewish athletes were entered, no world's records were broken. No official team score was compiled.

The Maccabiad was the first of the five international games to be held this year. Others are:

The Tailteann Games, in Dublin, June 29 to July 15. Named for Queen Taile, the games were legendarily started by Lugh the Long Arm in 600 B. C., held regularly till the Norman era. They were revived in 1924, include arts, crafts, drama, music as well as track and field competitions.

The Tenth Modern Olympiad, in Los Angeles, July 30 to Aug. 14. Olympic officials in the U. S. last week reiterated their intention of choosing the U. S. teams by trial competitions rather than, as was suggested, on their records in recent events. In Berlin, the International Amateur Athletic Federation voted to suspend famed Paavo Nurmi, pending an investigation of charges that he had become a professional.

The International Workers Athletic Meet, in Chicago, July 29 to Aug. 1, organized to conflict with the Olympic Games by the National Counter-Olympic Committee, of which famed Tom Mooney is honorary chairman. The Counter-Olympic Committee objects to the Olympic games because: 1) They will be held in the State where Tom Mooney is imprisoned; 2) the Soviet Union was not invited to send a team.

The Spartakiade, in Moscow, Aug. 5 to Aug. 20. to celebrate the conclusion of the Soviet Five-Year Plan, with political and athletic rites.

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