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“Sports. Crowds. Power.”: World Jewish Congress Exhibition at the UN Highlights How the Nazi Regime Weaponized Sport
By: Fern Sidman
On Monday, the World Jewish Congress (WJC), in partnership with the German NGO What Matters, inaugurated the exhibition “Sports. Crowds. Power.” at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, the historic headquarters of the United Nations. The exhibition, timed to coincide with the UN Human Rights Council’s 60th session and the International Day of Peace, explores how the Nazi regime weaponized sport — particularly (soccer) football — as a vehicle for propaganda, persecution, and exclusion.
This acclaimed exhibition, first presented at Berlin’s Olympiapark during UEFA Euro 2024 in collaboration with the Berlin Sports Museum, retraces the disturbing intersections of athletic culture and authoritarian politics. By bringing it to the United Nations, the WJC and its partners have sought to embed its message within the international diplomatic arena, calling attention to how antisemitism, exclusion, and hatred can flourish when institutions remain passive.
The central thesis of Sports. Crowds. Power. is that football, perhaps the most universal of games, became both a mirror and amplifier of the societies in which it was played. In the case of Nazi Germany, the regime used football (soccer) not simply as entertainment but as a mechanism for consolidating ideological control.
The exhibition documents how Jewish athletes and clubs were systematically marginalized, excluded, and ultimately persecuted. It features harrowing stories of players who, denied access to mainstream competition, nevertheless continued to play in ghettos and even concentration camps, using football as an act of resistance and survival in the bleakest of conditions.
At the same time, the exhibition does not shy away from highlighting the failures of the post-war reckoning. Football (soccer)institutions across Europe were slow — often reluctant — to confront their complicity. This incomplete reckoning left lasting scars on Jewish athletes and underscored how the structures of sport could reinforce prejudice long after the fall of the regime.
The resonance of this exhibition is not confined to history. In her remarks at the opening, Sara Friedman, CEO of WJC Israel, connected the lessons of the 1930s and 1940s to the present moment.
“Today, as Jews and Israelis are once again being excluded from sporting and cultural forums, Sports. Crowds. Power. should serve as a stark warning of what happens when hatred and persecution are allowed to thrive unchecked,” Friedman said. “Bringing this exhibition to the United Nations is our way of sounding the alarm. The diplomatic community has an obligation to reflect on the dangers, and the deadly consequences, of silence and inaction. Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, we must ensure that the sporting community stands firmly against antisemitism.”
Her words underscored the urgency of applying historical lessons to contemporary antisemitism, which has found new expressions on sporting fields, in cultural spaces, and within the broader discourse of international institutions.
For Daniel Loercher, Managing Director of What Matters, football (soccer) is both the problem and the solution. In his address, he emphasized the duality of the sport:
“Football (soccer) has always reflected the societies in which it is played — at times reinforcing prejudice, but also creating opportunities for solidarity and resilience. By presenting Sports. Crowds. Power. at the United Nations, we want to confront the uncomfortable history of the game under Nazi rule while also inspiring players, clubs and fans today to use football’s universal reach to stand up against antisemitism and discrimination.”
This universal reach — football’s capacity to mobilize billions across cultures and nations — is precisely why the exhibition’s subject matter is so significant. What was once abused by the Nazis as an ideological tool may now be transformed into a platform for inclusion, remembrance, and human rights.
The exhibition’s presentation at the Palais des Nations reflects the scale of international cooperation behind it. It is being staged in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of Germany and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), with additional support from UNESCO, the University for Peace (UPEACE), the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the European Union, and a coalition of 33 UN Member States.
This extensive backing shines a spotlight on the exhibition’s role not only as an act of remembrance but as a call for collective responsibility. In a moment when international institutions themselves are often accused of silence or inaction in the face of antisemitism, Sports. Crowds. Power. forces reflection on both past complicity and current obligations.
For the World Jewish Congress, this exhibition is one strand in a much wider strategy. As Dr. Leon Saltiel, the WJC’s Representative to the UN in Geneva, explained: “This exhibition is part of the World Jewish Congress’s longstanding engagement with the United Nations in Geneva to raise awareness about the dangers of antisemitism and the importance of learning lessons from the history of the Holocaust. Moments like these are an opportunity to join forces to protect human rights and democratic values.”
The WJC’s Geneva work has long centered on ensuring that global institutions remain attentive to antisemitism, Holocaust remembrance, and the defense of democratic norms. The staging of Sports. Crowds. Power. thus fits seamlessly into this mission.
While its debut at the Palais des Nations is significant for its diplomatic visibility, the exhibition is not confined to elite audiences. Following its Geneva UN display, Sports. Crowds. Power. will move into the heart of the city’s sporting life. From September 15 to 19, 2025, it will be hosted at Geneva’s main stadium, with the Hôtel Ramada Encore serving as a base for guided tours.
These tours are designed for schools, football (soccer) clubs, local communities, and the general public, ensuring that the exhibition’s message extends beyond the corridors of diplomacy into the grassroots of civic and athletic life. By situating the exhibition within a stadium, organizers hope to directly connect the lessons of history to the lived experience of football (soccer) fans and young athletes today.
The exhibition forms part of the WJC’s Together Through Sport initiative, launched in 2023 with What Matters. The initiative is aimed at harnessing the educational and communal potential of football to fight discrimination and promote inclusion. It focuses on three pillars: education, remembrance, and community action.
Through workshops, exhibitions, and partnerships with clubs and federations, Together Through Sport seeks to ensure that football’s enormous cultural reach is directed toward positive ends — building resilience against antisemitism, fostering intercultural dialogue, and equipping communities to resist prejudice.
Sports. Crowds. Power. resonates on two levels. Historically, it forces acknowledgment of football’s entanglement with authoritarianism and exclusion. It reminds us that stadiums and locker rooms are not immune from the currents of ideology and hate.
Contemporarily, it draws sharp parallels with the present. At a time when Jewish athletes, clubs, and fans again face exclusion from sporting and cultural forums, the exhibition stands as a warning. It signals that the silence of institutions — then and now — emboldens hatred, and that vigilance remains the only safeguard.
As the world prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the WJC and its partners are using Sports. Crowds. Power. to highlight a critical imperative: sport must be a force for inclusion, not exclusion; for memory, not amnesia; for solidarity, not hate.
By situating this exhibition first at the UN and then in Geneva’s public spaces, organizers have amplified its resonance across both diplomatic and popular arenas. It is both a commemoration of past injustices and a call to confront present dangers.
The lesson is stark: when the world turns its back on hatred in sport, the consequences can be deadly. For the WJC, for What Matters, and for the broad coalition of states and organizations supporting this exhibition, the task is clear — to ensure that football, and sport more broadly, is never again weaponized as a tool of exclusion, but embraced as a universal language of resilience, remembrance, and human dignity.
The post “Sports. Crowds. Power.”: World Jewish Congress Exhibition at the UN Highlights How the Nazi Regime Weaponized Sport appeared first on The Jewish Voice.
MONTAGUE OPEN STREETS and car-free Sundays return beginning Sunday, Sept. 14, with a Back to School Party hosted by Brooklyn Bridge Parents.
The post Back to School Party on Montague Street Sept. 14 appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.
Even though the cost of almost everything seems to be going up in NYC, there are still plenty of ways for New Yorkers to commute for free or at discounted costs.
From reduced fares for the needy to free boat rides, there are many ways to travel throughout the Big Apple without spending a lot of money.
People living within NYC can have access to commuter train deals that save them money, most notably, through the CityTicket program. Anyone traveling on the MTA’s Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) or Metro-North Railroad can travel between stops within NYC stops using a CityTicket for $5 during off-peak hours or $7 during peak hours.
In other words, New Yorkers can use the LIRR and Metro-North, even if they are not heading into the city’s surrounding counties, without paying full cost.
While CityTicket has existed in NYC since 2003 for weekend travel, the MTA expanded the program in 2022 to all off-peak trains, followed by another expansion in 2023 to include peak travel.
According to Gov. Kathy Hochul, whose office runs the MTA, customers have saved more than $100 million since March 2022 by using CityTicket to travel within NYC on the LIRR or Metro-North Railroad. The savings are measured against the cost of regular one-way peak and off-peak tickets.
“For years, residents of the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens had high-quality rail service right at their doorsteps, but the fare was just too high. Not anymore,” Hochul said in a press release. “By making LIRR and Metro-North service more affordable for city riders, we have welcomed millions of new customers, getting New Yorkers out of their cars and onto fast, reliable rail service in and out of Manhattan.”
Lisa Daglian, executive director of the MTA’s Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee (PCAC), said CityTicket has “improved the commute of millions” of people for decades.
“When PCAC first suggested it in 2001, we knew CityTicket would be transformative, but what we’re seeing is only possible with Governor Hochul’s ongoing support,” she said. “CityTicket saves time and money, and its permanence is a testament to its importance. We’re looking forward to making CityTicket even better with a weekly option that includes a transfer to subways and buses.”
Commuting for New Yorkers in need can put a major dent in their wallets. But the city’s Fair Fares program is available to offer discount subway and bus fares for those who are eligible.
Fair Fares provides half-priced rides to low-income public transit users who live at 145% of the federal poverty level. That number at this level in NYC is $22,692 for a single person or $46,617 for a family of four.
However, there is a movement to increase eligibility by raising the threshold of the federal poverty level.
“Fair Fares has been a crucial lifeline of mobility and affordability in a city that has become far too expensive for many,” Brian Fritsch, associate director of PCAC, told amNewYork. “Yet its current eligibility threshold is too low for many of the New Yorkers who need it the most, including many minimum wage workers. Expanding the program to at least 200% of the Federal Poverty Level and to the LIRR and Metro-North in the city are overdue steps to making NYC more fair and equitable.”
Currently, a single bus or subway ride is $2.90, but the cost is expected to go to $3 in January.
The Staten Island Ferry is a free service provided by the NYC Department of Transportation. It travels between Whitehall Ferry Terminal in Lower Manhattan and St. George on Staten Island’s North Shore.
The historic ferry is not only a free way to commute, but a great way to see many iconic NYC sites, including the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and breathtaking views of New York Harbor and the Lower Manhattan skyline.
Off-peak hours are ideal for enjoying a ferry sightseeing tour. Rush-hour trips are usually packed with New Yorkers commuting to and from work.
“This is not the best time to take a leisurely ride on the ferry,” the ferry’s website states. “Bringing large tourist groups on board during these trips will make it difficult for visitors to enjoy our great city and enjoy the ride. Please plan accordingly.”
Part of the MTA’s NYC Transit, the Staten Island Railway is free for nearly all of its 21 stops throughout the borough. Commuters only pay for rides starting or terminating at the St. George and Tompkinsville stations.
Known as the LaGuardia Link, this bus makes fewer stops, has luggage racks and more seating to accommodate travelers to LaGuardia Airport.
Riders can connect to the Q70 from the subway at the Woodside-61st Street on the 7 line and the 74th Street-Broadway-Roosevelt Avenue station on the 7, E, F, M and R lines. Long Island Rail Road commuters can also access the Q70 at the Woodside station.
As parents in NYC, there is nothing better than finding events that are fun, age-appropriate, and not outrageously expensive. That’s why Children’s Day at the Brooklyn Book Festival is such a great annual event: it’s free, designed with kids in mind, and has plenty to keep toddlers, big kids, and even tweens engaged.
This year, Children’s Day is on Saturday, September 20, from 10 am to 4 pm at its new location: Brooklyn Borough Hall and Plaza. While the festival celebrates books and reading, it’s far from a quiet day. Families will find a lively, hands-on experience with plenty of activities to keep kids entertained.
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The Brooklyn Book Festival marks its 20th anniversary this year, bringing together hundreds of authors from Brooklyn and around the world. Featured guests include Alison Bechdel, Marlon James, Joyce Carol Oates, and Viet Thanh Nguyen. More than 250 publishers will participate in the Literary Marketplace, the largest book market in the Northeast. In the days leading up to the festival, a full schedule of readings, panels, and literary events will take place across the city and online.
Families can expect read-alouds, live illustration sessions, hands-on workshops, games, and interactive performances. Kids will have the chance to meet well-known authors and illustrators, and many will be doing signings or activities based on their books. Some recognizable names this year include Nick Bruel (Bad Kitty), Grace Lin, John Patrick Green (InvestiGators), and Ryan T. Higgins (Norman and the Smell of Adventure (It Stinks) ).
If you’ve got an early reader, the Picture Book Stage is worth a stop. For older elementary kids, the Young Readers Stage has authors speaking about their creative process, taking part in quiz-style games, and drawing stories live on stage based on audience suggestions.
While many funny books are included in the mix, the festival doesn’t shy away from deeper themes. Some of this year’s featured titles deal with immigration, change, independence, and even respectful disagreement, topics that feel especially relevant for kids growing up in today’s world.
Some standout books include:
There are also workshops where kids can create their own art or poetry with published authors, including sumi ink painting, collage, and monster drawing, depending on their age and interest level.
Not every child is a bookworm, and the festival seems to get that. Events like “Are You Smarter Than an Author?”, a kid-vs-writer trivia game, or live Pictionary sessions with illustrators give kids a chance to play along instead of just watching from the sidelines.
And if you’ve got a kid who likes to dress up, there’s a Dory Fantasmagory-themed event that encourages creative outfits.
If your older kids are past picture books and into the world of YA fiction, Sunday, September 21, offers a full day of panels and conversations with teen-lit authors. Some of the discussions dig into real-world issues, including race, politics, identity, and mental health, while others focus on love stories, magical realism, or just the awkward beauty of growing up.
Authors Libba Bray, Frederick Joseph, Page Powars, and Ebony LaDelle are scheduled to speak, alongside newer voices in the genre. Panels are designed to feel more like conversations than lectures, and teens can ask the authors questions.
Children’s Day is Saturday, September 20, from 10 am to 4 pm at Brooklyn Borough Hall and Plaza (209 Joralemon Street). YA Day is Sunday, September 21, from 10 am to 6 pm at the same location. All events are free. Find the full schedule and author lineup at brooklynbookfestival.org.
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A collection of topical political cartoons from various artists curated by the Brooklyn Eagle editorial staff.
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