Maccabiah Stadium, Sports stadium in Tel Aviv, Israel

Maccabiah Stadium stood on the southern bank of the Yarkon River, within the grounds of the old Tel Aviv exhibition area. Its wooden stands held about 5,000 seated spectators, with room for some 15,000 more standing. The field and running track served athletics and football, and the stadium was demolished in April 2012.

Architect Genia Averbuch designed the facility in the early 1930s on sandy ground provided by the British Mandate administration. The structure was completed in just days and became the host venue for the first major Jewish sporting event.

The stadium's name comes from the Maccabiah Games, first held there in March 1932; the opening ceremony filled it to capacity. The continuation of Ben Yehuda Street was paved to connect the built-up city to the ground, and athletics events of the Games kept returning there until the seventh edition.

The stadium no longer exists: it was demolished in April 2012 as part of Tel Aviv-Jaffa's development plans for the coastline, the old exhibition grounds and the Yarkon banks. A children's playground and a parking lot now occupy the site near the Yarkon's mouth, on the river's southern bank. Look for the spot where Ben Yehuda Street was extended to reach the grounds.

The stadium was built in just ten days, which was remarkably fast for a major construction project in the early 1930s. This speed was made possible by the flat sandy terrain and organized planning.