Joan Salter MBE shares her story – Holocaust Memorial Day
A young BHAFC Foundation participant and a former Albion star met with a Holocaust survivor to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.
To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Albion legend Glenn Murray and young player Edie Statton met with Holocaust survivor Joan Salter MBE.
Joan shared her story of survival, resilience, and the importance of standing against hate during their meeting at Wembley Stadium.
Joan was just three months old when her native Belgium was invaded by the Nazis in 1940. Her family fled to France, where Joan’s father was arrested and the family were forced to report to the local police station every week.
In July 1942, a police officer warned Joan’s mother that authorities were about to start deporting women and children to concentration camps, and that Joan’s family were on the list for the first transport.
Joan’s mother quickly arranged their escape, and they were smuggled out of Paris in a laundry van in the dead of night. After travelling to Spain, Joan and her sister were put on a boat to the USA, before finally being reunited with their parents in London in 1947.
Joan shared her powerful story with Edie, 13, who plays at the BHAFC Foundation’s free Premier League Kicks sessions in Worthing.
“Prejudice is a dangerous thing and it spreads like wildfire,” Joan told Edie and Glenn, “It’s so easy to make outcasts of a whole group of people.
“It’s so important to see everyone as human beings. Whatever their background, whatever their ethnic group, they have a right to be treated with dignity.”
The initiative, which saw survivors meet young fans from five different Premier League clubs, came about in recognition of the fact that this may be one of the last major anniversaries where survivors can share their stories firsthand and pass them down to young people.
The project uses the unifying power of the sport to bring together generations and learn about the past so that their stories can be remembered.
Chief Executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, Olivia Marks-Woldman, said: “Football is a universal language of unity and friendship, perfectly reflecting the core message of Holocaust Memorial Day.
“Holocaust Memorial Day is more than a moment of reflection; it is a call to action. Like in football, we are all called to play our part in championing empathy and understanding.
“Together, we can create a world where everyone is embraced, respected, and valued, regardless of their beliefs or experiences.”
This year’s Holocaust Memorial Day theme, ‘For a Better Future,’ calls us to build a world where the dignity of every human being is protected, and where prejudice is never allowed to become normalised.
This project took place in partnership with the club, Jewish News, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, and the FA. You can find out more by visiting the Holocaust Memorial Day website.
