Gala concert to precede Maccabiah Games

TEL AVIV — A festive gala salute will help launch the 18th Maccabiah Games in Israel this summer.

The concert will feature the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by maestro Zubin Mehta together with solo pianist Murray Perahia. It will be held at the Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv on July 11, two days before the official opening of the Games.

Perahia is a respected and sought-after Jewish American pianist. In addition to being the principal guest conductor of the Academy of St. Martin, he has performed for more than three decades with the world’s leading orchestras. He is a multiple prize winner, capturing both Grammy and Gramophone awards.

The 18th Maccabiah Games will be the largest in history, with 5,000 Jewish athletes expected along with  2,000 Israeli athletes. This will make the Maccabiah the world’s third-largest sporting event, after the Olympic Games and the World Student Games.

Canada is sending a team that includes 450 athletes plus medical staff and other personnel.