Barack Obama spoke here yesterday and it was a really strange experience. Earlier in the day we went to The Jewish Museum, which was quite beautiful. They do an incredible job of painting the beauty and depth of Jewish history, including highlighting prominent people and their place in society.
The museum was designed in the shape of a lightning bolt and had a really cool modern art theme throughout. Museums and exhibits like this make me really proud to be Jewish. It also makes me happy to know that it celebrates the vastness of Jewish life throughout, not only talking about the Holocaust. Definitely a great experience visiting there.
After that, we prepared for Obama's speech. We took the train and wandered a bit to where the government buildings are. There were a lot of people hanging out on the lawn in front of the Reichstag. It was a cool scene. As we walked closer and closer to the street that is between the Brandenburg gate and the Liberty Tower, we were able to see an incredible amount of people. It was a really jovial atmosphere and it made me laugh that they were selling beer all over the place along with sausage. It reminded me of a cross between a state fair and a concert. People were selling Obama '08 gear, which seemed ordinary. There were also people in the crowd registering American citizens living abroad to vote, which also seemed ordinary. We walked closer to the Liberty Tower and it got increasingly more crowded. I have never been to a comparable political rally/speech in the United States, so I have some trouble comparing. I have heard countless politicans speak at closed breakfast, briefings and events. I attended the large pro-Israel rally in Washington, DC in 2002. The mood there was happy, yet somber, given the topic and the constant violence.
I found it weird how playful the crowd was, drinking beer and hot dogs. There was a man standing behind me in the crowd, who at one point, said, "Oh, Barack, you are a great man!"
I feel very privileged to have been at this speech and in Berlin at this time, though. Obama made some beautiful references to breaking down the barriers that separate people. It was a nice almost mid-point for my program, where we had been learning about the Berlin Wall and all that it represented. I just honestly wonder if Europeans understand the complexities of American politics and realize that Obama's ideals will be more difficult to actualize, if he is even elected. I want to believe him, too, but I'm not sure Europeans see the real picture.
The museum was designed in the shape of a lightning bolt and had a really cool modern art theme throughout. Museums and exhibits like this make me really proud to be Jewish. It also makes me happy to know that it celebrates the vastness of Jewish life throughout, not only talking about the Holocaust. Definitely a great experience visiting there.
After that, we prepared for Obama's speech. We took the train and wandered a bit to where the government buildings are. There were a lot of people hanging out on the lawn in front of the Reichstag. It was a cool scene. As we walked closer and closer to the street that is between the Brandenburg gate and the Liberty Tower, we were able to see an incredible amount of people. It was a really jovial atmosphere and it made me laugh that they were selling beer all over the place along with sausage. It reminded me of a cross between a state fair and a concert. People were selling Obama '08 gear, which seemed ordinary. There were also people in the crowd registering American citizens living abroad to vote, which also seemed ordinary. We walked closer to the Liberty Tower and it got increasingly more crowded. I have never been to a comparable political rally/speech in the United States, so I have some trouble comparing. I have heard countless politicans speak at closed breakfast, briefings and events. I attended the large pro-Israel rally in Washington, DC in 2002. The mood there was happy, yet somber, given the topic and the constant violence.
I found it weird how playful the crowd was, drinking beer and hot dogs. There was a man standing behind me in the crowd, who at one point, said, "Oh, Barack, you are a great man!"
I feel very privileged to have been at this speech and in Berlin at this time, though. Obama made some beautiful references to breaking down the barriers that separate people. It was a nice almost mid-point for my program, where we had been learning about the Berlin Wall and all that it represented. I just honestly wonder if Europeans understand the complexities of American politics and realize that Obama's ideals will be more difficult to actualize, if he is even elected. I want to believe him, too, but I'm not sure Europeans see the real picture.
Standing Behind many people, 200,000 people and I listened to Senator Obama speak somewhere in front of the tower on the left hand side of the picture
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