The Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club will soon be trying to score points off the court. The Center for Jewish Impact and the World Zionist Organization have enlisted the team to battle global antisemitism and spread the values of "tolerance, equality and acceptance" through sports.
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August 2021 marked the 85th anniversary of the 1936 Summer Olympics. Although the competition was meant to foster international ties, the Nazi regime took advantage of the games to promote its racist propaganda.
Nevertheless, athletes from different backgrounds, most famously African-American runner Jesse Owens, rose to the occasion and overcame hatred, proving that sports can triumph over racism.
At the end of August, the three organizations will hold a special ceremony to commemorate the 1936 Olympics. The event will be attended by former President Reuven Rivlin, as well as politicians and top representatives of the sports industry.
In addition, Maccabi Tel Aviv will host representatives of Jewish communities during its EuroLeague road games and, together with the center and the WZO, hold lectures for the guests.
"The cooperation between these three organizations is unique," Maccabi Tel Aviv Chairman Shimon Mizrahi said.
"Current times, in particular, call for more cooperation of this kind as antisemitism has spiked all over the globe, especially in Europe and the United States," Mizrahi said.
Center for Jewish Impact Chairman Robert Singer concurred.
"We are experiencing a wave of antisemitism and Holocaust denial all over the world, and we must act to put this to an end. Sports, in particular, is an important tool in promoting the values of tolerance, equality and acceptance of the other," he said.
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