Photo by Dana Bar SIman Tov
1991
Jerusalem is known as one of the world’s holiest cities, sacred to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. And yet, if one were to measure devotion by numbers alone, football claims a following larger than any religion on earth. It is only fitting then, that a city of such global significance would have a stadium worthy of its people; a proper home for the game that commands such loyalty and passion.
Before Teddy Stadium was built, Jerusalem relied on a handful of outdated sports venues that no longer met the needs of a growing capital. The city lacked a modern, large-scale facility that could host professional matches and major athletic events. For years, proposals to build a new stadium stalled amid disagreements over location, funding gaps, and bureaucratic hurdles. The idea was widely supported in principle, but turning it into reality proved difficult.
The breakthrough came through determined municipal leadership and strategic philanthropy. Then-mayor Teddy Kollek championed the project as essential infrastructure for a modern capital city. He understood that sports were not peripheral to civic life, but central to it. Working closely with the Jerusalem Foundation, Kollek helped secure the necessary funding to move the project forward. The Jerusalem Foundation played a decisive role, raising approximately half of the stadium’s budget through donors. After years of effort and negotiation, construction finally began in the city’s southern development corridor. The stadium was completed in 1991, and per the request of donor Dame Vivien Duffield, it was named Teddy Stadium in honor of Mayor Teddy Kollek.
The success of Teddy Stadium was more than the development of a sports facility. For Jerusalem, it represented an investment in normalcy, vitality, and shared public life. In a city often defined by its political and religious weight, the stadium offered a different kind of gathering place, one rooted in teamwork, competition, and collective experience. It gave Jerusalem a venue capable of hosting international-level events and signaled that the capital was committed to providing its residents with the same quality of infrastructure found in other major cities.
Today, the stadium serves as the home ground for two of Jerusalem’s professional football clubs: Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Jerusalem. Their matches draw thousands of fans, turning the stands into a sea of color and sound. While football is at the heart of the stadium’s identity, its contribution to the city extends well beyond the pitch. In 1995, with support from the Jerusalem Foundation, a martial arts center was constructed beneath the stands. Operated by the Berlin Center for Culture, Youth & Sport, the facility provides classes in disciplines such as judo, aikido, and taekwondo, alongside special programs for children with disabilities and joint Jewish-Arab summer initiatives. Through these programs, the stadium functions not only as a venue for spectators, but as a year-round center for youth development, inclusion, and civic life.
After years of perseverance, Teddy Stadium now stands as a permanent feature of Jerusalem’s landscape, an institution born of persistence, partnership, and vision. It is a reminder that building a city requires more than preserving its past; it also requires investing in the everyday spaces where community is formed. The stadium’s existence is the result of sustained effort by Mayor Teddy Kollek and the Jerusalem Foundation, whose ability to mobilize philanthropic support made the project possible. In doing so, they ensured that Jerusalem would not only be a city of prayer and history, but also a city with a home for sport—perhaps the most universal religion of all.
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