The “Together1” project against anti-Semitism was awarded the Julius Hirsch Prize by the DFB. Against the backdrop of the Middle East war, Makkabi Germany would like even more support for the initiative.
It was already clear before October 7th that Makkabi Germany would receive the Julius Hirsch Prize with its sports project “Together1”. The jury of the German Football Association, DFB, met shortly before the brutal terrorist attacks by Hamas in Israel. And yet the award now not only has a special meaning for Makkabi, but is also motivating.
“October 7th triggered secondary trauma in the Jewish community. We will never be able to forget this day,” emphasizes “Together1” project manager Luis Engelhardt to the Sportschau: “But we will not let ourselves be dissuaded from our chosen path, “To use the enthusiasm and integration potential of sport to take preventive action against anti-Semitism, racism and all forms of discrimination.”
Bringing Jewish life closer through training
The “Together1” project has been around for four years. The four-person, full-time team has conducted 110 interactive workshops in the past twelve months alone, reaching 3,300 participants. Educators and trainers from Makkabi go to sports clubs and associations, mostly introducing young athletes to Jewish life, often in connection with soccer training.
At the end of a dribbling course there is a memory game with cards about Jewish traditions. Young talent centers are visited by professional clubs, but also popular sports clubs, in which Muslims in particular often play. Many people experience the famous aha effect, says Engelhardt, because the 250,000 Jews in Germany mostly live unrecognized and too many know too little about them.
This education also has an internal effect: Makkabi has over 5,000 members across Germany. The club opened at the turn of the millennium and now offers a home primarily to athletes who are not of Jewish faith. In some Makkabi clubs this is up to 80 percent of the members.
Understanding, communicating, changing
The project pillars are understanding (research), communicating (educational measures) and changing through measures. Alon Meyer, the President of Makkabi Germany, calls the project “a bridge builder for democracy in Germany” with the highest good being tolerance. Andreas Hirsch, grandson of the former German national player Julius Hirsch, who was murdered by the Nazis, and a member of the DFB jury, speaks of “important pioneering work that is expressly intended to be strengthened by the award ceremony.”
“Together1” was also a leader in the first study on Jewish sports and anti-Semitism in Germany and showed over two years ago, among other things, that four out of ten Makkabi athletes were already subject to anti-Semitic hostility, and in football even 68 percent – just because they wear the stylized Star of David on their jersey. After the terrorist attacks by Hamas and the subsequent Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, project manager Luis Engelhardt fears that hostilities will continue to increase.
The Middle East conflict should not spill over into the fan curves
“October 7th was a turning point in every respect. The effects of Hamas’ terror have of course long been felt in sport,” says Engelhardt. He is a sports scientist, educator and trainer. “The mood in this country is increasingly erupting into anti-Semitic violence.”
Despite the high psychological strain on everyone at Makkabi, they did not stop after the Hamas terrorist attacks and continued to carry out further projects, says Engelhardt. “Especially in the current situation, strong alliances between sport and educational work must be used.” There are more inquiries than ever before.
Recently, they not only carried out long-planned workshops at clubs such as the Offenbacher Kickers and 1. FSV Mainz 05, but also responded: with a project via the Fan Projects Coordination Office (KOS). If possible, the conflicts on the streets of Germany sparked by the war in the Middle East should not spill over into fan curves. “We experienced a lot of sensitivity” and “technically experienced discussions with current developments,” says Engelhardt.
A sports prevention project with a political mission
The work of his team has also adapted to the current situation in that they are currently frequently providing crisis advice for the 37 Makkabi local associations in Germany. In view of the current situation, new educational modules are also being developed. This also includes the new report button for anti-Semitism in sport. They also have a political mission: they will “intensify mediation work and sensitization in sports clubs with a predominantly Muslim membership structure,” says Engelhardt.
Anti-Semitism often seems to be particularly strong there, as was shown by the case of extreme hatred of Jews at the Berlin club CFC Hertha 06 a year ago. However, Engelhardt also warns against reducing the problem solely to Muslim people: “We must urgently be careful that marginalized groups of people in Germany are not played off against each other. The fight against anti-Semitism must never be misused for racist mobilization. There is a realistic danger that “Right-wing extremist people and organizations are benefiting massively from the current debates. We must also urgently put a stop to this development.”
Makkabi is calling for more support for its flagship project
Luis Engelhardt says the impact of the Middle East war on German society proves that “Together1” needs to become even stronger. “The current situation shows that we have filled a gap with our Together1 project and are covering a great need,” he says: “However, it is also important that we can continue to grow accordingly. Because of course it is not possible “To enable our small team nationwide to serve any needs that come to us or to respond to any incidents we observe.”
In short: The Julius Hirsch Prize is a nice gesture, but more support is needed. Engelhardt would like to have a project team for “Together1” in every federal state. Because: “Without knowledge and substance in dealing with anti-Semitism,” says Engelhardt, “sports clubs and associations will not follow up their strong words with effective actions.”
