England’s national soccer team this week will honor the victims of the Holocaust
ahead of the European Championship, which kicks off in Poland and Ukraine on
June 8.
A group of players, coaches and Football Association (FA)
officials is set to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau and the factory in Krakow formerly
owned by Oskar Schindler, a righteous gentle who saved the lives of
Jews.
“This educational partnership brings together the important work of
teaching future generations about the horrors of the Holocaust, using the
ability of football to interest and engage young people,” said FA chairman David
Bernstein in a press release.
The squad will hear testimonials from
survivors Zigi Shipper and Ben Helfgott, the current vice president of the
Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany and a two-time medalist
winner for Britain in the Olympics.