Maccabi Haifa FC Visit Częstochowa
Source: Alon Goldman
Israeli Ligat Ha’al club, Maccabi Haifa FC, have come to Częstochowa to, tonight, play local Polish Ekstraklasa club, Raków Częstochowa, in the first leg of the third round of UEFA Europa Conference Qualification.
At the beginning of the week, World Society Vice-President Alon Goldman received a request to assist the Israeli club’s management, who were interested in placing a floral wreath at the Częstochowa Holocaust Memorial.
In response to Alon’s request, the Częstochowa municipal authorities ensured that the square and the memorial area were cleaned and that any overgrown vegetation would be cleared, such that the site would be appropriate and respectful for an event.
At 11:00am yesterday, a ceremony took place during which the Maccabi Haifa FC management and players laid a floral wreath at the Memorial. A prayer was recited and the Israeli guests were informed of the Holocaust of Częstochowa Jews and of the significance of the Częstochowa Umschlagplatz where they were standing.
This is how local Częstochowa Orion TV covered the event (in Polish):
This is how World Society friend, Marcin Bocian, filmed the event (in English and Hebrew):
The World Society sincerely thanks our friends Krzysztof Straus, Piotrek Pałgan and Marcin Bocian
who enlisted Alon Goldman’s help to make this visit a success.