Football legends from five Premier League clubs have interviewed Holocaust survivors as part of a project initiated by Jewish News to mark the 80th anniverdary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
Arsenal, Brighton & Hove Albion, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham and Chelsea took part in the initiative to bring the horrors of the Nazis and the need to tackle hate today to an audience of millions globally. JN partnered with the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, Football Association and Dangoor Education to do so.
Arsenal’s World Cup winner Per Mertesacker met Belfer Belsen survivor Alfred Garwood at the Emirates and Janine Webber, who was a hidden child in Poland during the war, spoke to Lioness and Chelsea legend Katie Chapman at Stamford Bridge last week. At Wembley, John Hajdu, who was liberated from the Budapest ghetto, sat down with former Tottenham striker Ledley King and West Ham’s Carlton Cole heard the powerful testimony of Dr Martin Stern, who was taken to a concentration camp aged just five. Brighton’s Glenn Murray heard from Joan Salter how she and her mother were captured just a day after being smuggled out of Paris in a laundry van when warned their names were on the list for the first deportation of women and girls.
John Hadju. Jewish News & FA. Pic: Simon Hill
Young people associated with each club took part in the interviews so that the message and experience of the survivors can be passed down.
Chief Executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, Olivia Marks-Woldman, said: “Football is a universal language of unity and friendship, perfectly reflecting the core message of Holocaust Memorial Day. We are deeply grateful to the legends from five Premier League clubs who took the time to speak with survivors and hear their personal testimonies. These icons of the sport understand better than most that the essence of a team lies in its diversity – every member contributing their unique strength toward a shared goal.
“HMD is more than a moment of reflection; it is a call to action. Like in football, we are all called to play our part in championing empathy and understanding. Together, we can create a world where everyone is embraced, respected, and valued, regardless of their beliefs or experiences.”
Martin Stern. Jewish News & FA. Pic: Simon Hill
Dal Singh Darroch, head of diversity and inclusion at the FA, said: “80 years have passed since the liberation of Auschwitz but marking Holocaust Memorial Day is as critical today as ever. After a year of record levels of hate against British Jews, this annual day reminds us of where hate can lead and the need to combat antisemitism and all forms of prejudice.
“The FA will always play its part in that fight and so we appreciated the opportunity to mark HMD with the Jewish News and Holocaust Memorial Day Trust through a project set to reach millions.”
The project was initiated by the Jewish News and produced in collaboration with social media agency 8original. The clubs are set to share the content across Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube and X over the coming days, starting with Arsenal today, in what is thought to be the largest social media project ever initiated by a Jewish media outlet.
Martin Stern. Jewish News & FA. Pic: Simon Hill
News Editor at Jewish News, Justin Cohen, said: “Football’s position as the national game brings with it huge power to effect discussion and opinion, particularly among impressionable young people. Uniting that power with another great influencer of our age, social media, will enable this campaign to reach millions globally and to amplify the precious message of survivors of where hate can ultimately lead, 80 years ago but also now. Thank you to all our partners and the Premier League clubs who’ve shown once again they fully understand that with the power to influence comes responsibility.”
