International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust 2022
On January 27, the global community honors the memory of the 6 million Jews and millions of others that were persecuted and killed. There were two groups targeted for total annihilation -Jewish and Roma people. Other groups were also targeted by the Nazis, including queer people, people with disabilities, communists and others. January 27 was chosen because it marks the date that Auschwitz was liberated by the advancing Soviet Army. In addition to International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Jewish people honour Yom HaShoah to commemorate the 6 million Jews killed. This is celebrated on the Jewish calendar on the anniversary of an act of their own resistance: the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. There are about 400,000 Holocaust survivors alive today who were the real life victims of this genocide. It is critical to hear their stories, whether written or oral testimonials.
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 we and our members have embarked on, to stand against antisemitism, racism and other forms of prejudices below:
TACKLING DISCRIMINATION & ANTI-SEMITISM IN FOOTBALL WEBINAR
In October, EFDN hosted the webinar “Tackling Discrimination & Anti-Semitism in Football” as part of a European-wide series of Changing the Chants events on anti-Semitism in football. Changing the Chants was a two-year project, supported by the European Union’s Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme. It consists of an innovative and international cooperation between Borussia Dortmund, Feyenoord Rotterdam, Fare Network, and the Anne Frank House. The goal was to deepen the understanding of approaches that football clubs can use to educate fans on antisemitic behaviour in the football stands. Changing the Chants builds upon two separate educational programmes for football fans, run by Borussia Dortmund and Feyenoord. These educational initiatives, although not similar, were exchanged and analysed, and new approaches were piloted, paving the way for practices in which restorative justice is applied. Below you can find the official Changing the Chants documentary.
Schalke 04
On Thursday (January 20), FC Schalke 04, together with the Schalke fan initiative, organized the kick-off event on the occasion of the !Nie wieder (!Never again) commemoration day in German football. Due to Corona, a few guests came together in the VELTINS Arena – the majority of the participants followed the event in the live stream. With the Remembrance Day in German football, the entire German football family commemorates the victims of National Socialism. A variety of events are planned for the coming days throughout Germany. FC Schalke 04 and the Schalke Fan Initiative kicked off the day on Thursday evening with a joint invitation to an informative and focused themed event under this year’s motto “Everybody counts – no matter where you are”.
FC St. Pauli
Like last year, the Fanladen St. Pauli is hosting an online commemoration event. This year, contemporary witness Ivar Buterfas-Frankenthal will be their guest.
Foundation 92
Aston Villa
Chelsea FC
Inter Campus
As is tradition on International Holocaust Remembrance Day Inter have paid a visit to the Shoah Memorial in Milan to honour the memory of Arpad Weisz and the millions of victims of the holocaust. Stefan de Vrij went to the Memorial to represent the Nerazzurri and the defender brought an Inter shirt as an offering. On the back of the shirt was number 18, which in Hebrew has the same numerical value as the word ‘Alive’, as well as the name of Arpad Weisz to remember the great Hungarian-born footballer and coach who won the Scudetto as Inter coach in the 1929/30 season.
It’s about keeping the memory alive and never forgetting, and Arpad Weisz’s story is an important part of the Nerazzurri’s history. It was he who launched the career of a young Giuseppe Meazza in Serie A, and his life is a tale of someone who was unable to fully escape the horrific racism of the era. Weitz was born in Hungary of Jewish ancestry and throughout his life he faced the difficulties posed by the prevailing ideologies of the time. Following the enactment of racial laws in Italy in 1938, he tried to flee the country with his family to as far away as possible. Yet none of them had the chance, as they were deported to Auschwitz and were to never leave again.
It is through his memory that every year Inter keeps the memory alive of the victims of the Nazi concentration and extermination camps, to not repeat the mistakes of the past and to never forget.
Northampton Town
Fare network
Werder Bremen
VfL Wolfsburg
What can you do?
Ways to honour the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust could be:
- Light a virtual candle in honour of a victim.
- Visit a Holocaust Memorial Museum.
- Educate yourself on how your club dealt or deals with antisemitism. Raise awareness for the topic.
- Attend a virtual event.
