As part of our equality, diversity and inclusion strategy, we hosted an antisemitism in football workshop for staff at Emirates Stadium last Thursday.
Following the launch of Jewish Gooners earlier this year, we have worked together with the goal of creating an event to deepen our understanding of how antisemitism manifests and to hear the lived-in experiences of our supporters and the wider Jewish community and their relationship with football.
CEO Vinai Venkatesham opened the session, reflecting on the importance of this work and how we can learn from each other to ensure we continue to build an inclusive space where all our supporters feel a sense of belonging.
We were honoured to welcome Holocaust survivor, Mala Tribech, who shared her personal and remarkable story of survival. Whilst incredibly inspiring, Mala's testimony also serves as a reminder of the importance of this work.
The event continued with a panel discussion moderated by our Director of ESG, Hannah Mansour. It featured our Inclusion & Diversity Manager Mie Oestergaard, Jewish Gooners committee member Barry Frankfurt, Jewish scriptwriter and author Ivor Baddiel, Executive Director of FARE Network Piara Powar, and Head of Partnerships and Outreach at the Holocaust Educational Trust, Anna Bradford.
This conversation provided valuable insight into the issue of antisemitism in football and ways to create an inclusive environment at Arsenal. The discussion also set the tone for an informative and engaging workshop which focused on key areas, such as recruitment, policy and governance and matchday inclusivity. These insights will serve as the foundation for guidance on inclusive behaviour, ensuring that our Jewish community are represented and feel a sense of belonging to the club.
The workshop forms part of our long-term approach to inclusivity and diversity at our club. This month, we are also celebrating Black History Month through a series of activations and stories across our channels, as well as internal presentations led by our Ethnic Diversity Advisory Group to educate and inform our people.
Arsenal is against discrimination of all kinds. Any form of discrimination and abuse can be reported.
Supporters at Emirates Stadium can also report discrimination and abuse at matches by texting FOUL to 67777 with your block, row, and seat number.
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