Makkabi Helsinki is a Finnish Jewish sports club in Helsinki, Finland. It is the oldest Jewish sports club in the world that has an uninterrupted history. It was founded in 1906 with the name “Stjärnan”' (Swedish for ‘the star’). The current name was adopted in 1936.
In association football, the club played in the top-flight competition Mestaruussarja in 1930, after that on lower levels. These days the main sports are bowling, futsal, basketball and floorball. The club celebrated its centennial in November, 2006.
The president of the club, Dennis Mattsoff, has mentioned Elias Katz as the most celebrated athlete to have represented this club. Katz won gold in the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris with Paavo Nurmi and Ville Ritola in the 3000m team race. He also won a silver medal in the 3000 meter steeple chase race.
According to Mattsoff, the objective of the club is to strengthen the Jewish identity of the community in Helsinki, and to help the youngsters acquire also values other than those relating to competitive sports.
The club had its worst setback in history at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium on 21 June 1938, when its athlete Abraham Tokazier participated in a 100 metre race. He was officially declared to have come fourth, but on the basis of photographs and other pieces contemporary of evidence, it has been surmised that in reality he won the race. A possible reason for foul play on the part of the organisers was that among the spectators there was a delegation from Nazi Germany.Jouko Juonala: Oikeusmurha olympiastadionilla (‘Miscarriage of justice at the Olympic Stadium’). Ilta-Sanomat Plussa 22 Dec 2006, p.18, 19)
The Finnish Athletics Federation issued an apology for the incident 75 years later in September 2013, and the final result of the competition was corrected on 4 October 2013: Tokazier was chosen as the winner of the competition.
Season to season SeasonLevelDivisionSectionAdministrationPositionMovements1930Tier 1A-Sarja (Premier League)Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)7thRelegated1931Tier 3Piirinsarja (District League)Helsinki (SPL Helsinki)Qualifiers for B-Sarja19321933Tier 2B-Sarja (Second Division)Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)5th 1934-35District Leagues1936Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Province League)WestFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)Promotion Playoff1937-39District Leagues1940-44Did not participate1945-46Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Province League)Helsinki Group 2Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)6th1946-47Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Province League)Helsinki Group 2Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)4th1947-48Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Province League)Helsinki Group 1Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)5thRelegated1948Tier 4Piirinsarja (District League)Helsinki (SPL Helsinki) Promotion Playoff1949Tier 4Piirinsarja (District League)Helsinki (SPL Helsinki) Promotion Playoff1950Tier 4Piirinsarja (District League)West GroupHelsinki (SPL Helsinki) Promotion Playoff 19511952Tier 4Piirinsarja (District League)Helsinki (SPL Helsinki) Promotion Playoff1953Tier 4Piirinsarja (District League)Helsinki (SPL Helsinki) Promotion Playoff1954-56District Leagues1957Tier 4Aluesarja (Fourth Division)Group 1 HelsinkiHelsinki (SPL Helsinki)5thRelegated1958-71District Leagues1972Tier 5Piirinsarja (District League)Group 4Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki)5thPromoted1973Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 3Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)6th1974Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 2Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)6th1975Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 4Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)8thRelegated1976-80District Leagues1981Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 3Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)7th1982Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 1Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)10th1983Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 2Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)12thRelegated1984Tier 6V Divisioona (Fifth Division)Group 2Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki) 1 season in Tier 1 1 season in Tier 2 5 seasons in Tier 3 6 seasons in Tier 4 7 seasons in Tier 5 1 season in Tier 6
References
External links http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/jewish-ww.html#Finland https://web.archive.org/web/20070928031726/http://www.maccabiworld.org/ntext.asp?psn=8009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090312012054/http://www.jchelsinki.fi/yhdistykset/makkabi.htm