Today’s game sees 10th play 16th in the NOFV Nord (tier V), although only 2 games have been played.
Makkabi Berlin is a Jewish football club (though open to all faiths) founded in the German capital in 1970. Although, as with all German clubs, it’s history goes back much further. Feast your eyes on this:
This painting is entitled ‘Bar Kochba’ and was painted by Arthur Szyk in 1927 (NB Szyk was a fierce political artist and cartoonist – quote, “his brush was his sword” – whose story is well worth checking out in it’s own right).
The ‘Bar Kochba’ revolt was an uprising against Roman rule (led by Simeon Bar Kochba – “son of a star”) which began in Rome around 132 CE. Although they briefly took Jerusalem, the result was eventual failure, involving the massacre of many Jews, the killing of Bar Kochba himself, and the execution of their other religious leaders. Fast forward ⏩️In the late 19th Century the ‘Bar Kochba’ movement is designed to promote both physical health education, and Jewish heritage & culture. In 1898 ‘Bar Kochba Berlin’ is founded as part of this movement – well as football, it promotes gymnastics & athletics. In 1929 Bar Kochba Berlin, in typical German football fashion, merged with Hakoah Berlin..
…to form ‘Bar Kochba Hakoah’. In the 1930’s Jewish sports clubs were first excluded, and then banned.
These clubs (including Hakoah, in 1945) along with attendant cultural organisations, gradually re-emerged after the war ended. Fast forward ⏩️In 1970, TuS Makkabi Berlin is formed from the union of Hakoah Berlin (football) Bar Kochba Berlin (gymnastics) Makkabi Berlin (boxing). Apart from a brief-ish defection to FV Wannsee (1987-1987) Makkabi have oscillated between divisions ever since, largely occupying the Verbandsliga Berlin (VI) and Landesliga (VII). They returned to the Berlin Liga in 2016, then won that division in 2022 to achieve promotion to the Oberliga NOFV Nord (V) which is where we find them today, playing against SC Staaken.
NB the Hebrew word ‘Makkabi’ refers to the rebel Jewish warriors who freed Israel from the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd Century BCE. So now you know where The Maccabees (4 albums between 2007 & 2015) got their name from.
Football Time!
