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SAY NO TO

Dear Friends,

Firstly, we would like to take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy New Year! After a busy holiday season, we are happy to be back to continue our work to fight antisemitism and discrimination. During the month of December, we were unfortunately again reminded of the need for more work in this area, with horrific events taking place in and the disgusting graffiti in . Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by these events.

January will be an important month marking Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz. Chelsea will participate in a number of activities to mark this date, including a special partnership with British Israeli Street artist Solomon Souza. During January, Souza will be painting a commemorative mural at Stamford Bridge of Jewish football players and British POWs who were sent to Nazi camps. The development of the artwork will be live streamed on Chelsea’s website and presented during an event on January 15th.

During December, Chelsea was also recognised as the most generous football club in the UK when it comes to charitable spending. The comprehensive report looked at recent data for each football club across England’s top four divisions. Chelsea came out on top after spending more than £7.5 million in 2018/19 through the Chelsea Foundation.

In this month’s newsletter, we also highlight a special event at Stamford Bridge where we had the honour to host Jewish RAF veterans for the Chelsea vs. Aston Villa match, as part of our partnership with the Royal Air Force Museum and their Hidden Heroes initiative.

Read about this and other updates in the newsletter below.

Best regards, Rola Brentlin

LATEST NEWS

Chelsea Foundation host Jewish RAF veterans at Stamford Bridge

During December, Chelsea Foundation was very pleased to announce its new partnership with the Royal Air Force Museum for the development of the new Jewish ‘Hidden Heroes’ project. The partnership has been made possible by funding from Chelsea FC owner, .

The RAF Museum has created the ‘Hidden Heroes’ project to raise awareness about the untold stories of Jewish personnel in the RAF during the Second World War, and the vital role they played. These heroes joined the Royal Air Force from all over the world to fight against tyranny, racism and antisemitism, fully aware that they risked torture and execution if captured.

The new project will be launched next year to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and seeks to tell the stories of Jewish veterans to preserve their memory, and act as a challenge to antisemitism, racism and discrimination.

To mark the launch of our partnership, Chelsea Foundation hosted an intimate dinner in one of our VIP boxes ahead of the Chelsea vs. Aston Villa match on December 4th. During the evening, Jewish Royal Air Force veterans, who fought during the Battle of Britain, shared their stories and were honoured for their heroic contributions. Speakers also included Sir Andrew Pulford, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Royal Air Force Museum, Mark Regev, Ambassador of to the United Kingdom, and Bruce Buck, Chairman of Chelsea FC. The evening was concluded with a blessing and a minute's silence led by Rabbi Reuben Livingstone.

WATCH THE INTERVIEW WITH ZIGI SHIPPER HERE

Guardian Petr Cech: ' sets the tone - he has done a remarkable job'

Jewish News Chelsea stars Cesar Azpilicueta and Petr Cech show support for Holocaust exhibit Chelsea FC is the most generous club in the UK

A new study has revealed Chelsea are the most generous club in the country when it comes to charitable spending. The comprehensive report looked at recent data from The Charity Commission, focusing on the primary charity or foundation for each football club across England’s top four divisions. Once all data had been collected, it was found that Chelsea came out on top after spending more than £7.5 million in 2018/19 through the Chelsea Foundation.

FOOTY.COM highlighted Chelsea’s work at all levels, ranging from their notable partnership with global charity partner Plan International right down to the smaller, local initiatives run by the Foundation. These include the fact that the Foundation organised for 70 families of seriously ill children to meet with players and of course the Foundation’s Say No To Antisemitism campaign, underlining the direct, personal impact a club can have.

Chelsea Foundation Chairman, Bruce Buck, said: “We are rightly proud of the work that we deliver in all our communities at home and abroad. It is a source of pride to everyone at the club and the Foundation that this ground-breaking work has been recognised and that Chelsea are leading the way in using football to inspire, motivate and educate.”

FOOTY.COM Revealed - The 20 Most Charitable Football Clubs In England

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Chelsea FC and New England Revolution attend March of the Living 2019 Chelsea’s players have been enthusiastic supporters of all our anti-discrimination work and the Say No to Antisemitism campaign is no different. Across the club, players from all our teams have lent their support to this important campaign. In 2018, Chelsea became the first club to send a delegation to the March of the Living in Poland, returning in 2019 along with American soccer club, New England Revolution.

The March of the Living, which draws 10,000 visitors, is an annual event where people walk from Auschwitz to Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration camp during World War II. Chelsea Academy players, club directors Bruce Buck and Eugene Tenenbaum, club ambassador Sir Steve Redgrave and former manager Avram Grant have all represented Chelsea at the March.

The March of the Living were one of the benefactors to the charity match between Chelsea FC and New England Revolution in May 2019. The match, called ‘The Final Whistle on Hate,’ was staged by club owners Roman Abramovich and Robert Kraft to raise awareness of growing antisemitism around the world. All proceeds from ticket sales for ‘The Final Whistle on Hate’ went towards raising funds for projects promoting equality and tolerance. Roman Abramovich and Robert Kraft each donated $1 million in support of the cause. As a result of this partnership, $4 million was raised and has been distributed among 15 organisations fighting antisemitism and discrimination.

WATCH A RECAP OF THE TRIP HERE

Forbes Why Chelsea FC And New England Revolution Are Uniting For 'Final Whistle On Hate' Friendly

Press Association Roman Abramovich's fight against anti-Semitism proves Chelsea commitment, says Avram Grant

Independent Chelsea visit Auschwitz to join March of the Living with a proud purpose

SUPPORTERS

SPOTLIGHT

Israeli supporter group visit Holocaust Survivors

During December 2019, the Chelsea Israeli Supports Club visited Amcha, a centre for mental health and social support for Holocaust survivors and second generation.

Four members of the Chelsea Israeli Supporters Club attended a Hannukah event at Amcha and presented the Say No to Antisemitism campaign. The supporters brought gifts for the survivors and in addition, raised funds in support of the organization.

Chairman of the Supporters Club Yarin Levi said: ‘We decided we wanted to do something for society. is a subject that is close to all Israelis and we saw the great work that Chelsea is doing with the campaign. So we decided we wanted to donate something for holocaust survivors and contacted Amcha. We are looking forward to doing more activities like this in the future. It has been an emotional day for us and a day we'll never forget.” MEDIA COVERAGE

The Jerusalem Post Chelsea FC continues fight against antisemitism with donation to IWM

Daily Mail Roman Abramovich 'more supportive than ever' as Chelsea owner after he commissions mural at Stamford Bridge to mark launch of club's new anti- Semitism project

Independent Chelsea Women: Roman Abramovich hands Emma Hayes’ team boost with Jerusalem visit.

Forbes Latest Announcement Sends Message About Where Roman Abramovich And Chelsea Football Club Are Heading.

COMING UP Chelsea announce partnership with artist Solmon Souza for Holocaust Remembrance Day 2020

In January 2020, renowned Israeli British street artist Solomon Souza will be painting a commemorative mural of Jewish football players and British POWs who were sent to Nazi camps, to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day on 27 January. The artwork will be painted and displayed on the outside wall of the West Stand at Stamford Bridge and is part of Chelsea FC’s Say No to Antisemitism campaign and funded by club owner Roman Abramovich.

Solomon Souza grew up in London and immigrated to Israel in his late teens. He has become known for his art around the Yehuda Market in Jerusalem, where he has created over 250 murals, predominantly featuring famous Israeli and Arab personalities. Solomon is the grandson of artist FN Souza, whose works are featured in many prominent museums and galleries in London, including the Victoria and Albert, British Museum and Tate Modern.

On January 15th, the artwork will be presented during an event at Stamford Bridge commemorating Holocaust Remembrance Day 2020. The evening will feature a key note address by Isaac Herzog, Chairman of the Jewish Agency, as well as remarks from other distinguished speakers and club representatives from both the Women’s and Men’s first teams.

If you would like to attend this event please let us know by contacting: [email protected]

WATCH THE LIVESTREAM OF THE ARTWORK BEING DEVELOPED HERE. Press Association Roman Abramovich ‘even more supportive to Chelsea than ever’ insists chairman Bruce Buck

www.chelseafc.com/en/foundation

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