New England Revs Honor Newton Resident, Holocaust Survivor

NEWTON, MA — When he was a teenager locked in concentration camps during the Holocaust, Izzy Arbeiter used soccer to cope. Some seven decades later the New England Revolution soccer team dubbed the 94-year-old resident Honorary Captain of the “Final Whistle on Hate” match against Chelsea F.C. on Wednesday, May 15.

Arbeiter was recognized during the charity match for his decades of transformative work in helping Holocaust survivors live their lives with dignity, according to a release.

Arbeiter was born in Plock, Poland in 1925, and was taken to multiple slave labor and concentration camps between 1941 and 1945 during the Holocaust as a teenager. He immigrated to Greater Boston in 1949, where for 40-years, he has served as the president of the American Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors in Boston. He also spent a quarter-century with Jewish Family and Children’s Service, where he served as the Chair of the Schechter Holocaust Services Advisory Committee; a program he founded in 1993, according to the New England Revolutions.

As an avid soccer player, Arbeiter utilized soccer as coping mechanism and morale booster during his time at concentration camps during the Holocaust. He then brought his passion for the game with him to Boston where he played in a semi-pro league. Arbeiter's passion for soccer resonated with his family and now his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren are all fans of the game, the team said in a release.

The Revolution and Chelsea F.C. teamed up for the “Final Whistle on Hate” to highlight the ongoing rise of hate crimes around the world and work together to harness the power of sport in bringing people together to tackle hate and prejudice in all its forms. All proceeds from the match, an estimated $4 million, were donated to 15 organizations dedicated to combating antisemitism and discrimination.

For more information on the “Final Whistle on Hate” please visit revolutionsoccer.net.