With our UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg against Real Madrid coinciding with Passover, more than 50 of our Jewish Gooners Supporters’ Group came together before our famous 2-1 win to enjoy a traditional Passover meal.
During this eight-day festival, Jewish people around the world avoid eating leavened foods, replacing bread with Matza. This flattened unrisen bread symbolises the food that Jewish people ate as they fled Egypt in 1313 BC. With no time for their bread to rise, they left with unleavened Matza instead. To commemorate this, many Jews do not eat any food containing leavened grain – known as ‘Chametz’ – or any food or drink that contains even a trace of wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt or their derivatives.
With local kosher restaurants in Madrid closed for the holiday, Jewish Gooners contacted Rabbi Zalman Goldstein of Chabad Madrid, who opened his doors for our travelling supporters.
Sami Steinbock, founder of Jewish Gooners, said, “Playing such a big away game during Pesach was always going to be a challenge so it was important that the Jewish Gooners did everything we could to ensure our members could be well fed. As soon as we told people what we had planned, word spread and almost every Jewish Arsenal fan in Madrid came together for a very special Passover meal.”
Rabbi Goldstein said, “When I heard there was a big game in Madrid with lots of travelling Jewish fans from London, I was delighted to help. And I’m even more delighted to now be an honorary Jewish Gooner!”
Our Jewish supporters were joined by colleagues from the club, as part of our support for the event.
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