The Global Forum for Combating Anti-Semitism, organized by foreign ministries of various nations and Diaspora Jews, held its sixth annual conference Tuesday at the Jerusalem International Convention Center. Alongside the many people who were there to lecture on anti-Semitism and discuss of ways of fighting it, there were also some who are already taking action.
Soccer club Chelsea F.C., which last year launched an initiative to raise awareness of players, professional staff, and fans of the global battle against anti-Semitism, is one example.
"There was a sense that anti-Semitism in society is growing, and it is certainly being expressed on soccer pitches," Lisa Jordan, director of Chelsea's initiative to counter anti-Semitism, told Israel Hayom.
"At the end of last year, [Chelsea owner] Roman Abramovich launched a program to fight anti-Semitism, and we are working with various organizations to develop the program. We came to the conference in Jerusalem to show what we as a football club are doing to fight anti-Semitism," Jordan said.
Chelsea might have had a less than stellar season in terms of soccer, but when it comes to combating racism, the English team isn't leaving anything on the field.
Simon Taylor, head of the Chelsea Foundation, which supports education in disadvantaged sectors and works to fight discrimination, says the club is using all of its resources to fight the awful phenomenon: "We have a lot of experience on how to handle things like racism, discrimination and homophobia. We have a long history of working to fight anti-Semitism, and what we want to do is develop a holistic program that will focus on education and raising awareness about how to confront anti-Semitism; to cause people to be aware of their actions and the words they say; and use the power of football and its ability to reach everyone … to create a message of optimism."
Q: Is it best to fight anti-Semitism through laws or through education?
Taylor: "I think that both methods are needed. Focusing on only one aspect won't help, and that's what our program is doing – extensive education work, but also raising awareness. This is to boost the confidence of fans who try to prevent racist incidents in the stands. The moment that fans see and hear a racist incident in the stadium, they need to take action. That's something we as a club take very seriously."
Jordan: "We aren't trying to solve the problem of racism in the world, but we can create leadership in this area. As a soccer club, this is very advanced, and there are a lot of anti-racist forums among the fans."
Taylor says that a soccer team is a good example of different people from different backgrounds working together and getting along, "because that's what needs to happen on a team. It's an example we use in our education program in schools – showing how much diversity there is in soccer, how much diversity there is in Chelsea, and the best example of that is on the field."
Abramovich's program to combat anti-Semitism is called Building Bridges, a nod to the team's home stadium, Stamford Bridge.
When asked if soccer can really serve as a bridge between different religions and nationalities, Taylor responds, "Soccer is an excellent tool to break down barriers between different groups, to bridge social, economic, and gender differences. Yes, even religious differences. To give people a chance to learn about other cultures and other people by cooperating with people different from [themselves] is an example for us all.
"I think that other teams could learn from what Chelsea is doing. Breaking down barriers, education people by using Chelsea's popularity, inspiring people. If you look at the diversity in Chelsea, we've had Israeli, Muslim, Jewish players, players from Africa and all over the world, and it's the best example for people to learn from. It's a strong voice that can be used in a positive way," Taylor adds.
Chelsea is also taking action by running anti-racism seminars for fans and even implementing an idea that started in a fan forum: Fans removed from games because of anti-Semitic demonstrations will attend special study sessions on the issue to help them understand the ramifications of their actions.
"We are trying to do more practical things. In terms of the team's fans, we are assuming that not all of them are racist, but we are running a program in which we educate the fans and do things like introducing them to Holocaust survivors. We are also planning to take them to Auschwitz for an educational visit," Jordan says.
"The goal is for those same fans to function as ambassadors in the crowd and help us change the consciousness of the community, by being able to stand up and say, 'Hey, that's not OK' when they see inappropriate behavior," she adds.
