The video of Hapoel Tel Aviv’s yarmulke-from-a-sock goal celebration has taken a backseat to a bigger story: The club advanced to the group stage of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in team history.
But on Thursday, yet another Jewish angle emerged in the world of soccer: Two non-Israeli teams nicknamed “The Jews” advanced to the next stage of the Champions League: Tottenham Hotspur of London (a.k.a. the Yids) and Ajax of the Netherlands (a.k.a. the Jews). For several years now, their non-Jewish fans have sported Star of David tattoos and draped Israeli flags over their backs at soccer games while countering anti-Semitic chants with pro-Jewish cheers. The LA Times notes that Hotspur hasn’t advanced to this stage since 1962, while Ajax returns for the first time since 2005–i.e. the two faux Jews have never advanced this far in the same year.
Should Jewish symbols mix with international sports? Could we see a "goal-kippah" stunt pulled by either of these teams?
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