EFDN Members commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day
The United Nations mark January 27th as International Day to Commemorate the Victims of the Holocaust.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day – Monday, 27 January is 75 years to the day since the liberation of Auschwitz Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration and extermination camp. Auschwitz Birkenau was in operation from 1940 until 1945.
January 27th is about honouring the memory of the Holocaust victims and to put continued importance on collective action against Antisemitism and other forms of bias. 75 years after the Holocaust, the day seeks to ensure respect for the dignity and the human rights of all people being inclusive everywhere. Remembering these horrendous events and reflecting on the inhumane acts suffered by the victims of the Nazi concentration camps throughout the Holocaust, is essential to ensure the prevention of such atrocities ever happening again in the future.
At the EFDN, we believe sport is a powerful platform for supporting and spreading awareness of tackling acts of Antisemitism and promoting equality and social inclusion. So, to pay our respects to the victims of the Holocaust and to spread awareness of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we are proud to showcase some of the work our members have embarked on, to stand against Antisemitism and other forms of prejudices below:
Chelsea FC – Say No to Antisemitism
Our member, Chelsea FC Foundation’s Say No To Antisemitism programme tackles antisemitism both at Chelsea FC and in the wider community. The programme brings together a range of partners from across the Jewish community and organisations campaigning for equality. The initiative is focused on raising awareness of the dangers of antisemitism and providing support and education to staff, stewards and fans. As part of this work, the Chelsea Foundation’s equality and diversity workshops in primary schools are extended to talk specifically about Jewish faith and culture. The long-term initiative is a part of the club’s ongoing inclusion work through the Chelsea Foundation’s Building Bridges campaign and is supported by the club’s owner Roman Abramovich. Chelsea marked this year’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day with a commemorative mural of Jewish players and prisoners of war who were sent to a Nazi camp.
The programme was among the nominees for the More than Football Award 2019. The presentation is available on our Online Learning Platform.
The Premier League
Our partner, the Premier League have put together an incredibly powerful video about the importance of remembering the Holocaust featuring some of the UK’s biggest football stars. The video spreads an importance message of ‘Standing Together’ on this Holocaust Memorial Day 2020 from the likes of Harry Kane, Jurgen Klopp, Frank Lampard, Virgil Van Dijk and more. See the video below to find out more:
Bayern Munich vs. FC Schalke 04
FC Bayern and our member club FC Schalke 04 participated in the campaign around their live match day, demonstrating that racism and discrimination have no place in our society and in football. In addition, the teams set an example before kick-off, posing with the hashtag #WeRemember, an initiative by the World Jewish Congress (WJC). “We Remember” aims to call out for all people to pose with the hashtag and to post a photo on social media to spread awareness.
#FCBayern gedenkt der Opfer des Holocaust: https://t.co/5qx20bzsxc
— FC Bayern München (@FCBayern) January 25, 2020
The German record champions’ fans at the Allianz Arena staged a special tribute on the south stand (as shown below).
DFL (German Football League)
Der deutsche Profifußball gedenkt an den kommenden beiden Spieltagen anlässlich des 75. Jahrestages der Befreiung des Konzentrationslagers Auschwitz-Birkenau der Opfer des Nationalsozialismus.
Gegen Rassismus, Diskriminierung und Antisemitismus!#Auschwitz75 pic.twitter.com/2fLYI3Lnn8
— DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga (@DFL_Official) January 23, 2020
