Today, we mark Holocaust Memorial Day and remember the millions of lives lost in the Holocaust and to genocide around the world.
This year, we collaborated with the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust and Jewish News to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp in 1945.
Our Academy Manager, Per Mertesacker, sat down with Holocaust survivor and author, Alfred Garwood, alongside one of our NCFE Sports Coaching students, Evie Griffin - leveraging the power of football to share Alfred's story and the importance of combating hate in all forms.
Alfred Garwood was born in a Nazi ghetto, imprisoned in Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp, and later put on a train destined for Terezin Concentration Camp, when he and his family were liberated by the Red Army.
Alfred spent the rest of his childhood in Britain and grew up in the centre of a community of Holocaust survivors. He has since written extensively on the psychological implications of trauma relating to genocide whilst also working as a General Practitioner, and founded many groups and charities, including the ‘Child Survivors Group of Great Britain’ where he supported many child survivors of the Holocaust using psychotherapy.
Arsenal in the Community has been actively involved in Holocaust education since 2007, working closely with the Anne Frank Trust and their Ambassadors Programme. Over the past six years, we have also participated in the Holocaust Education Trust’s ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ project.
This initiative has provided two students - Evie Griffin and her classmate Emmy Cloote - from our Sixth Form programme, along with staff members, the opportunity to visit Auschwitz Concentration Camp and a Jewish cemetery as part of an educational day trip.
Evie said, “One of the most striking moments for me was standing in a room filled with names and photos of families. It was incredibly emotional, and the silence was overwhelming.
“Returning to school the next day put everything into perspective. When I was there, it felt as though time had stopped. Hearing from Alfred added another layer of understanding. It’s heartbreaking, but I’d encourage everyone to visit if they can.
“Walking through the gas chamber was indescribable; it felt like something was physically pulling me down. Alfred's advice will stay with me forever: ‘Don’t ever harbour hate in your heart.’ For him to say that, given everything he’s endured, is incredible.
“The trip made me realise the extent of our freedoms and how fortunate we are to live in a country free from war. It’s easy to take this for granted, but visiting Auschwitz puts everything into stark perspective, especially knowing what people have endured.”
Evie and Emmy will share their experiences on stage in front of MPs and local councillors at Islington’s Holocaust Memorial Event, held each year at Islington Assembly Hall.
As part of our Holocaust education, we host workshops with local secondary schools in partnership with Islington Council, Stand Up!, Facing History, and the Holocaust Education Trust. This also forms part of Arsenal in the Community’s broader programme to combat discrimination, which includes our recent collaborated with Maccabi GB to deliver workshops on antisemitism in football.
We work closely with our Jewish Gooners supporters' club year-round, to ensure everyone feels welcome at Arsenal, by increasing visibility & taking a zero-tolerance approach to antisemitism and wider abuse.
Jewish Gooners was created by lifelong supporter Sami Steinbock and exists to provide a social group for Jewish Arsenal fans to meet up in a safe and welcoming environment.
Reflecting on this year’s commemoration, Sami said, "Holocaust Memorial Day is a time to recognise the victims of the Holocaust in Nazi Germany and genocides worldwide. By coming together to learn, remember and reflect, we're reminded of the responsibility we all share in speaking out against the discrimination and persecution that still happens today.
Arsenal has always been a community for us, and we've always felt welcome here. We're proud of our ongoing work with do with the club, and it's so important to ensure we continue to build an inclusive space where all supporters, of all backgrounds, feel a sense of belonging - home and away."
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