‘To celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, we are delighted to launch the Chelsea Football Club Jewish Supporters Group, with membership already open’
Renowned London club Chelsea announced on Friday the creation of a new Jewish supporters group, to mark Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
“To celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, we are delighted to launch the Chelsea Football Club Jewish Supporters Group, with membership already open,” the club said.
“As a lifelong Chelsea supporter, I have been impressed and proud of the work the club has done to combat anti-Semitism and discrimination,” said Stephen Nelken, founder of the new supporters’ group, in remarks reported by Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA).
“The aim of the group is to celebrate Jewish identity, support the great work the club is doing and encourage like-minded supporters to come together to support Chelsea.”
“I am very pleased to see the creation of Chelsea FC’s first Jewish supporters’ group,” stressed Lord John Mann to JTA, as the UK’s anti-Semitism delegate, also urging other clubs across the country to follow suit.
The club’s former owner, Russian-Jewish oligarch Roman Abramovitch, had launched several initiatives to combat anti-Semitism, notably collaborating with the Anti-Defamation League.
A mural depicting Jewish footballers sent to the Nazi camps was painted outside Stamford Bridge stadium, and fans guilty of anti-Semitic behavior were sent to visit a Holocaust memorial.
Arsenal, another London club and Chelsea’s rival, had launched its own Jewish supporters’ group in April, in an effort to combat antisemitism. Both Chelsea and Arsenal have had to deal with a number of antisemitism incidents in recent years, including anti-Semitic chanting during matches.
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