This morning (Wednesday) Maccabi Tel Aviv Foundation received the 2020/21 ‘Shield of Honor’ award from Israel President, Reuven Rivlin, at a ceremony which took place at the President’s residence in Jerusalem.

Since the 2014/15 season the ‘Shield of Honor’ award is presented by the Israel President to top-flight clubs for ethical and educational activities in the community – tackling issues such as violence and racism in football grounds.

Since the 2014/15 season the ‘Shield of Honor’ award is presented by the Israel President to top-flight clubs for ethical and educational activities in the community – tackling issues such as violence and racism in football grounds.

Maccabi CEO, Sharon Tammam, who attended the ceremony together with midfielder Avi Rikan and Foundation representatives Yonit Nakari and Heli Amzaleg – received the award on behalf of the club from the Israel President.

Amongst the committee’s reasoning for awarding Maccabi the ‘Shield of Honor’ were the support of ‘Educating for Excellence’, Old Age Pensioners, Holocaust survivors, Lone Soldiers as well as supporting various other populations who were hit hard during the COVID pandemic. In addition, over the past two years the club has set a high value threshold in dealing with extraordinary incidents involving players and fans”.

The club’s CEO, Sharon Tammam, accepted the award and said: “Maccabi Tel Aviv FC and the Maccabi Tel Aviv Foundation would like to thank the Israel President, Reueven Rivlin, and the committee for winning the ‘Shield of Honor’ award.

The vision of the Foundation which was initiated several years ago inspired by the club’s owner, Mitch Goldhar, is channeling the positive energy of football for intense activity in a bid to create a significant social change. The past year was extremely challenging especially in view of the COVID pandemic as well as the latest security situation. But through the extensive activity of the Foundation and the devotion of fans who became ‘active players in the community’ we managed to create several projects in order to support all the echelons of the population that required help and support. This is a great opportunity to thank all the loyal fans who devoted themselves and joined the Foundation’s activities, the first-team players, and the various sponsors and commercial partners who kept supporting the Foundation’s various activities over the years.

The timing for receiving such an award during these challenging days is binding us all to continue highlighting the importance of sport as a bridge between people, religions and cultures, as well as the importance of eradicating violence and racism from Israeli society”.

In his opening words that began the ceremony, Israel President, Reuven Rivlin, said: “This stage where the ‘Shield of Honor’ is being awarded and Israeli Sports receives a boost of hope, was supposed to have taken place at a larger and more festive format. Due to security issues and in view of the severe internal conflict we are currently in, the event today became an emergency one. We must not allow the extremists dictate the tone and paint Israeli society as well as Israeli and sport and football in colors of racism and hate. This is not the sporting spirit. I am delighted and feel proud to stand here today as I know that everyone who is present here shares this understanding. Together with many others who succeeded in making a difference, not only in the local sports culture but in Israeli society in general. We would like to continue congratulating and strengthening you for the hard work, the sporting spirit and the hope you create in the hearts of everyone. Massive hope – Israeli hope”.

The awards ceremony took place at President’s Residence in Jerusalem as part of the “We all share the same pitch” event that was staged in a bid to send a message that Israeli Sports is a mirror to Israeli society and the Jewish-Arab partnership. The event was attended by Minister of Culture and Sport, Hili Tropper, IFA Chairman, Oren Hasson, IPFL CEO Nicholas Lev, the Umm al-Fahm Mayor Dr. Samir Sobhi Mahamed, and several key officials from the Israeli sports world such as club owners and club in the community representatives.

The State of Israel are is experiencing difficult times due to the security situation. Every one of us reacts to the incidents in a different way and experiences them differently- we are here for everyone who is in need.

As a result the Maccabi Tel Aviv foundation, together with Ahim Lasemel and the Maccabi organisation, decided to support the fans who need help and cheering up at this difficult period.

If you are soldiers on duty, members of the security forces, fans stranded in safety rooms and need us, parents to children that really love Maccabi, fans who own a business and are suffering from financial difficulties due to the situation, we are always here for you regardless where you are.

You are invited to write to us using the following link.

Please specify the assistance you require and we will try help, support and cheer you up as much as we possibly can

The Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club foundation took the opportunity to make kids happy during the Purim festive period and visited kids at the Children A&E of Assaf Harofeh medical center. The foundation were joined by singer and Maccabi fan, Hanan Ben Ari, who brought his guitar and made the visit particularly happy.

Maccabi’s club mascot, Maccabinio, who joined Ben Ari for the visit, gave out gifts on behalf of the Maccabi foundation, to the kids who are hospitalized in the various wards at Assaf Harofeh. Ben Ari dedicated some of his songs to those present in what was a highly emotional event.

“This year is extremely special”, Ben Ari revealed, “We would normally arrive here with the players, try to make the kids a little happy like we tend to do. But this year due to the restrictions of the pandemic, the players are unable to make it. I am here though, together with the foundation and doing the right thing to do at this time”.

The Maccabi Tel Aviv FC Foundation is continuing its activities in the community and on Sunday, in conjunction with sponsors Pizza Prego it sent four of the club’s first team players to the Homefront Command’s logistics centre in Bnei Brak, one of the urban areas hardest hit in Israel by the coronavirus outbreak.

Players Dor Micha, Eyal Golasa, Dan Glazer and Daniel Tenenbaum ensured that the soldiers, who are working around the clock to support the local population, were well fed with pizza and soft drinks.

On Sunday alone, the logistics centre dispatched 1,500 packs to families registered with the Bnei Brak municipality. Soldiers from across the Israel Defence Forces have delivered supplies from the logistics centre to the town’s residents.