CST and HET among charities to benefit from $4m Chelsea match
A list of 15 good causes were announced ahead of Wednesday’s game, played as part of their efforts to highlight and fight a rise in antisemitism worldwide
Justin Cohen is the News Editor at the Jewish News
The Community Security Trust and Holocaust Educational Trust are among a host of hate-fighting organisations that will share $4m from a charity match between Chelsea and New England Revolution.
A list of 15 good causes were announced ahead of Wednesday’s game, which was conceived by the club’s owners Roman Abramovich and Robert Kraft as part of their efforts to highlight and fight a rise in antisemitism worldwide. As well as all ticket proceeds being donated to the organisations, the pair will each donate $1million to support the initiative.
The Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, where 11 congregants were killed by a gunman late last year, will also be supported by the fundraiser. Other beneficiaries include Kick it Out, the UK-based charity tackling prejudice in sport, and International March of the Living, which organises the annual gathering in Poland where tens of thousands march defiantly between Auschwitz and Birkenau.
The match comes more than a year after Chelsea launched its Say No to Antisemitism campaign. World Jewish Congress – which like HET has worked closely with Chelsea on the initiative – is another beneficiary of the match, as is the Conference of Presidents and the Anti-Defamation League.
HET chief executive Karen Pollock said: “This new funding will allow us to expand our work further, reaching new audiences and educating even more people about antisemitism and where hate and prejudice can lead if left unchecked.
“We all need to stand up and work together to stamp out antisemitism, to get this pernicious hatred out of our stadiums and out of our society. We look forward to our continued partnership with Chelsea on this.”
A CST spokesman said: “CST is grateful for this generous support and we will put it to good effect in the fight against antisemitism. CST’s Chief Executive David Delew was pleased to attend the series of events in Boston and to support this important initiative.”
Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck told Jewish News: “Football gets people’s attention and up to us to leverage that attention.”
The Final Whistle on Hate match brought 20,000 fans to the Gillette Stadium in Boston.
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