NEW YORK –
Football, the world’s most popular sport, offers a potent platform for rooting
out antisemitism, educating about the Holocaust and preserving its memory, said
leaders of the diplomatic, sport and Jewish communities today at the United
Nations.
Such efforts are critical
as Jew-hatred continues to spike worldwide, especially since Oct. 7, 2023, when
Israel was viciously attacked by the terror group Hamas, which still holds 53
hostages.
The Monday event,
“Leveraging Football to Counter Antisemitism and Promote Holocaust Remembrance,”
was co-sponsored by the World Jewish Congress, the Permanent Mission of the
Federal Republic of Germany to the UN, and the UN Office on Genocide Prevention
and the Responsibility to Protect, in collaboration with Borussia Dortmund
(BVB).
“I have often spoken
about our social engagement, our fight against racism and antisemitism,” said
Carsten Cramer, chief marketing officer for BVB. “Sometimes I am asked why we
do this. The answer is: Because we can.”
“At Borussia Dortmund, we
place a strong focus on Holocaust remembrance and the fight against
antisemitism,” Cramer said, “And after October 7, 2023, we also took a clear
stance – in solidarity with those affected, and alongside the Jewish community
in Germany and around the world.” He also spoke about how BVB has brought
several dozen of its employees to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death and
concentration camp.
Maram Stern, WJC
executive vice president, who grew up in Germany and is the son of Holocaust
survivors, said he treasured the World Jewish Congress’ relationship with Borussia
Dortmund. “The club has really served as a catalyst for much of the work on
antisemitism and remembrance in the football space,” he said.
Virginia Gamba, UN acting
special adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, said, “To counter hate speech, we
need to strengthen ties that bind us as a community, such as sport.” She also
spoke about how “football speaks to people of all backgrounds equally,”
regardless of nationality and income, among other factors.
Ayelet Epstein, whose 21-year-old son Netta, as
well as other relatives and friends, were killed Oct. 7, 2023, at Kibbutz Kfar
Aza,
described how her son had enjoyed following the top European
football teams, including Borussia Dortmund. Since his death, the club has
developed a number of grassroots initiatives to draw attention to Netta’s story
and bring healing to communities across southern Israel through sport. “People
from different cultures and different languages are united and connected by the
love of sports and football,” she said. “For this reason, sports in general and
football in particular gives me hope and can be a tool and platform to create a
change in this world.”
Epstein was introduced by
Daniel Loercher and Dr. Andreas Kahrs, who lead the NGO What Matters. Their
organization engages in considerable work with both the World Jewish Congress
and Borussia Dortmund, and they have spearheaded many of the club’s initiatives
to combat antisemitism.
Yfat Barak-Cheney, WJC Director of International Affairs and
the executive director of WJC’s Technology and Human Rights Institute, who moderated
the event, said football was both a “mirror of society” and a vehicle for
change.
Amb. Thomas Zahneisen said
Germany had a special responsibility because of its history, calling it a living
moral obligation to the present and the future.” He also said BVB had a deep
and sustained commitment to fighting antisemitism and educating about the
Holocaust.
About the World Jewish Congress
The World Jewish Congress (WJC) is the international organization representing Jewish communities in 100 countries to governments, parliaments and international organizations.