German-Israeli Exchange for Athletes

The love for soccer is the link. What happens in the stadiums of the world also applies to the meeting of the two clubs, Roter Stern Nordost Berlin and FC Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem. Both understand their commitment on and off the field as a societal statement for democratic togetherness and against exclusion – the shared topics are many when 15 young athletes from both clubs meet over several days, once in Germany and once in Israel. The experiences that each participant takes home are many and diverse: personal meetings, joint soccer games and visits to stadiums – but also an intensive exchange about their respective club work and its reference to current societal topics in each country as well as to German-Jewish history. The result is a full program for a visit and a return visit that provides all participants with new insights into the sporting, cultural, political and religious everyday life of one’s new friends.



In the context of a German-Israeli Exchange for Athletes, 15 members each from the clubs Roter Stern Nordost Berlin e.V. and FC Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem come together in Germany and in Israel between December 2011 and March 2012. During each 7-10 day visit in the partner country, an examination of the German-Jewish or rather German-Israeli past and present is on the program alongside the sports activities.