Ben Helfgott, a
concentration camp survivor and later an Olympian, won the weightlifting gold medal in the lightweight class for
Great Britain for the second Games in a row. In gymnastics, Olympian
Abie Grossfeld of the United States won six gold medals. In tennis, U.S. champion
Anita Kanter won gold medals for the U.S. in women's doubles with partner Toby Greenberg of the US, and mixed doubles with
Grant Golden, and the
silver medal in women's singles. Toby Greenberg also won the silver medal in mixed doubles with partner
Pablo Eisenberg.
Angela Buxton of
Great Britain, who three years later was to win the doubles title at
Wimbledon, won the gold medal in women's singles, defeating Kanter in the final. On the men's side,
Grant Golden, who was ranked # 2 in the US that year, captured three gold medals in the men's singles (over
South African Davis Cup player
Syd Levy), the men's doubles with partner
Pablo Eisenberg, and the mixed doubles with Kanter.
Eleazar Davidman competed in men's singles in tennis for Israel. In boxing, Abraham Rosenberg, a
concentration camp survivor, won the heavyweight division gold medal. Rozenberg fighting for France lived to that time in Germany, but Germany didn't have a team in that Maccabiah, so Rozenberg fought for France. American Olympic champion
Henry Wittenberg won a gold medal in wrestling. Olympian
León Genuth of Argentina won the middleweight wrestling championship for the second Games in a row. British Olympian and world champion
Allan Jay won three gold medals, in foil and epee (in the epee final, he defeated America's
Ralph Goldstein).
Ralph Cooperman was a medalist for Great Britain in fencing.
Harry Kane of Britain, a future Olympian, won the
400 meter with a games record time of 50.5. World record holder
Henry Laskau of the United States won a gold medal in race walking. American Olympic discus thrower
Vic Frank competed. American Olympian and world record holder in the hammer throw
Marty Engel won a gold medal in the hammer throw and a bronze medal in the shot put. Israeli Olympian
Arieh Batun-Kleinstub (Naveh) won the gold medal in the high jump. The US basketball team won a gold medal, with future NBA player
Boris Nachamkin and Ed Weiner playing, and coached by
Tubby Raskin of
Brooklyn College. In swimming, future Olympian
Shoshana Ribner of Israel won the gold medal in the 400 m crawl, defeating Olympian
Zsuzsa Nádor of Great Britain. American
Bernie Kahn won a gold medal in the 100 m backstroke. Israeli Olympian
Yoav Raanan won a gold medal in high diving, as two-time Olympian
Peter J. Elliott of Great Britain won the bronze medal. It was decided to change the duration after this Maccabiah to once every four years, to gain Olympic recognition. ==Participating communities==