Day 2 at the 2015 European Maccabi Games

Ahead of the start of competitive action on Tuesday, Team Maccabi GB’s Delegation continued their pre-camp programme on Monday as they took in some of Berlin’s landmark monuments and memorials.

The first stop of the day was at the Berlin Grunewald Station, where the delegation learnt about the rise of German/Nazi National Socialism and how the station was used as a deportation site for 40,000 Berlin Jews. An emotional memorial service was then held on Track 17.

Following lunch at Tiergarten, the delegation visited a number of sites, including the Memorial to the Sinti and Roma victims of National Socialism, the Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism and a visit to the ‘Memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe’, which included a programme on the German reaction to the Holocaust.

One of the highlights of the day then saw the squad walk to Brandenburg Gate – which many consider to be the symbol of German Identity. Exploring German Nationalism & Pride and the Brandenburg Gate through the ages, this visit, for most of the squad, signalled the culmination of their European Maccabi Games pre-camp.

The final squad – masters – arrived in Berlin on Monday, with athletes, managers and staff spending the rest of the day resting at their venues and training ahead of their first competitive action. Monday evening also sees the EMG2015 ‘Welcome Party’ for all 2,500 participants.

You can follow the progress of Team’s GB here at www.jewishnews.co.uk while an online stream of tomorrow night’s Opening Ceremony at the Olympic Stadium will be available at: www.emg2015.org, www.hauptstadtsport.tv and www.bild.de