Maccabi Games Berlin

27th of July - 5th of August 2015

This year's European Maccabi Games take place in Berlin for the very first time. More than 2000 athletes are set to participate in Europe's biggest Jewish sporting event.

Maccabi Games Berlin

The European Maccabi Games (EMG), which are held in a different country every four years, are the biggest Jewish sporting event in Europe. More than 2000 athletes, coaches and counselors from over 30 European countries are set to participate in this year's EMG in Berlin.

Maccabi Games in Germany for the First Time

Seventy years after the end of the Shoah and the Second World War and 50 years after the establishment of the German-Israeli relations, the European Maccabi Games take place in Germany for the very first time. The EMG 2015 are held at the Olympic Park next to the Olympic Stadium in Berlin- the same location where German Jews were forbidden to participate in the 1936 Summer Olympics. With the EMG, its organizers also want to promote tolerance and openness and take a stand against anti-Semitism and racism.

Maccabi Games Opening Ceremony at the Waldbühne

The opening ceremony of the Maccabi Games on the 28th of July at the Waldbühne starts off with a speech from Joachim Gauck, the President of the Federal Republic of Germany. After that, this year's participating athletes are set to arrive on site. A joint musical performance by German singer Adel Tawil and Jewish-American artist Matisyahu and a fireworks display conclude the festive opening ceremony.

Sports at the Maccabi Games Berlin

The following sports make up the European Maccabi Games 2015 official programme: badminton, basketball, bridge, chess, dressage, fencing, field hockey, football, futsal, golf, half marathon, squash, swimming table tennis, tennis, ten pin bowling, triathlon, volleyball and water polo.

Supporting Programme at the Maccabi Games

Aside from the sporting events at the Maccabi Games, there is a diverse supporting programme for the spectators. Among them are exhibition games between Maccabi Games participants and professional atheletes, a Shabbat programme as well as an educational programme. The closing ceremony includes a concert by Berlin-based band Jewdyssee, a speech by Berlin's current mayor, Michael Müller, and a party.