Europe's largest Jewish sporting event in Berlin
The Maccabi Games in Berlin have come to an end with a grand closing ceremony. At the largest Jewish sporting event in Europe about 2,300 athletes from 38 nations competed for medals in 19 disciplines.
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In addition to the European athletes, competitors from Israel, the USA, Canada, South Africa and Argentina took part. The German team headed the medal table, with 144 medals, followed by the USA team with 103. The British team finished in third place, and took home a total of 75 medals.
In Germany for the first time
This was the first time that the Maccabi Games have been staged in Germany. Seventy years after the Holocaust and 50 years after diplomatic relations were established between Germany and Israel, this was seen by many as a special sign of trust.
German Cabinet ministers acted as patrons for some of the 19 disciplines. Federal Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen was patron of the dressage event, while Federal Minister of Justice Heiko Maas lent his support to the triathletes.
Tirana, 08.07.15: Three countries in two days - Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama welcomes Chancellor Angela Merkel with military honours at the start of her visit to the Balkans.
At the official residence of the Prime Minister Angela Merkel and Edi Rama met for talks.
The Chancellor and the Prime Minister gave a press conference.
After speaking at the final session of the German-Albanian business conference the Chancellor travelled on to Serbia.
Belgrade, 08.07.15: In Serbia too the Chancellor was welcomed with military honours.
A display of traditional folk dances and dinner with Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić at Belgrade's Villa Bokeljka rounded off the first day of the visit to the Balkans.
Belgrade, 09.07.15: The second day of the visit kicked off with breakfast with representatives of Serbian civil society, before ...
... the Chancellor met with President Tomislav Nikolić for a brief exchange of views to end her visit to Serbia.
Sarajevo, 09.07.15: The In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Foreign Minister Igor Crnadak greeted the Chancellor at the airport.
Then the Chancellor met with Denis Zvizdić Chairman of the Council of Ministers and ...
... the Members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mladen Ivanic, Dragan Čović and Bakir Izetbegović.
A meeting with some of the Mothers of Srebrenica ended the Chancellor's visit to the Western Balkans. This month it will be twenty years since the massacre of Srebrenica, in which more than 8,000 Bosniaks were murdered.
A unique venue
"It is incredibly exciting to be here," said the 22-year-old hockey player Debora Rosenthal. She competed in the Games for the first time as a 16-year-old in Israel. The grand-daughter of the famous presenter Hans Rosenthal is very much aware that Berlin is a unique venue. "I grew up with this history." Obviously somewhere at the back of her mind is the fact that this is where Hitler barred Jews from competing. "But that makes it all the more moving that today we can stage Jewish Games here."
This year South Africa also sent a guest delegation, much to the delight of Sarah Poewe, patron of the swimming events. The former German professional swimmer grew up in South Africa and was the first Jewish athlete to win an Olympic medal for Germany since 1936. "The fact that the European Maccabi Games are being held in Berlin for the first time on German soil makes me really happy and very emotional. The history of Berlin just highlights this event in a very unique way," she said.
Federal President acts as patron
Federal President Joachim Gauck officially opened the Maccabi Games on 28 July 2015. He expressed his delight that the Games were being held for the first time ever in Berlin, partly "because this year we are celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Germany and Israel". For the official opening ceremony the teams from throughout Europe and other parts of the world gathered in the Waldbühne. The ceremony got off to a good start with the German Muslim singer Adel Tawil (of Ich+Ich fame) who performed with the Jewish American artiste Matisyahu.
Remembering history on the Maifeld
Before the opening ceremony a memorial event was held on the Maifeld (Mayfield) next to the Olympic Stadium. "I welcome more than 2,000 Jewish athletes who have come to Berlin from 36 countries," said Federal Minister of Justice Heiko Maas. "But in this country, and in this city, we cannot separate the joy of the present from the suffering of the past," he stressed in his speech. "The Olympic Stadium in Berlin should be a forum for fair play and international understanding, where it was once dominated by hatred, racism and anti-Semitism. This is where Jewish athletes were discriminated and humiliated."
International understanding
Before the Games began, Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed their importance in a welcome address. They strengthen the identity and the bonds within the Jewish community on the one hand. On the other they create a space for encounter and exchange between Jews and non-Jews. Both help foster international understanding, said the Chancellor.
Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier also welcomed the athletes most warmly to Berlin. The fact that Jewish athletes selected Berlin as the venue for the Games is not something that can be taken for granted 70 years after the Holocaust. "We are proud and grateful for the trust this demonstrates," he declared.
The 14th European Maccabi Games (EMG2015) were being staged in Germany for the first time in the history of the event. In Berlin’s Olympic Park, some 2,300 Jewish athletes competed for medals in 19 disciplines, including badminton, swimming, football, bridge and chess. The European Maccabi Games are held once every four years in a different European city. Admission to all competitive events at the European Maccabi Games 2015 was completely free. The world championships, the Maccabiah, are held ever four years in Israel, always two years after the European Maccabi Games. The Maccabi movement emerged at the start of the 20th century in response to growing anti-Semitism.