Eighty-eight year old Holocaust survivor Eran Deutsch visited Kiryat Shalom training centre to tell his personal story to the Maccabi players and staff
"This day makes me feel wonderful. For me it's a kind of liberation from a place inside me that's been damaged". The words of eighty-eight year old Eran Deutsch – who survived the Holocaust and sought refuge in the State of Israel – at the end of his visit to Maccabi Tel Aviv's Kiryat Shalom training ground, where he met with senior team players and coaching staff alike.
We made acquaintance with Eran, or Ernst as he was originally called, a number of weeks ago and were immediately taken by his delightful nature. He was born in Hungary in 1927 and is a survivor of one of the darkest periods in human history. Today he resides in a small flat in Tel Aviv and is a dyed-in-the-wool football fan who, because of the trauma of his wartime experiences, has never dared visit a crowded football stadium all his life.
Eran's social and economic needs are currently being met by "Latet", an organisation established to reduce poverty and provide aid to impoverished people. It was through their involvement that arrangements were made for Eran's first ever opportunity to experience firsthand a world he has always been so devoted to. And now, thanks to the efforts of Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club, he will also be able to watch any football match he so desires in the comfort of his own home.
His personal story, and his impressions of this very special day at Maccabi Tel Aviv, can best be told by Eran himself, who has become as much a fan of Maccabi Tel Aviv as we have of him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxLbcMFTjkE
