Earlier today, Ironi Nes Ziona players and staff visited the Majdanek Concentration Camp in Lublin, Poland, the team posted on social media.

“This morning the team organized a tour of the Majdanek Concentration Camp in Lublin,” the Tweet read. “The players and the staff toured the Camp’s museum and monuments, learned about the atrocities that claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Jews and other prisoners.

“We are prouder than ever to represent Israel and the Jewish victory!”
Many of the major sections of the Majdanek Concentration Camp, which was operated by the Nazis from September 1941 until its liberation in July 1944, still remain standing – including the original gas chambers and crematoria – serving as a memorial for the approximately 360,000 victims who perished within its walls.

Both Nes Ziona players and administration commented on social media about the significance of the visit:
• Small forward, Raz Adam: “A great honor for Nes Ziona.”
• Import point guard, Shaq Buchanan: “From learning about it in high school to seeing it in person. It was a great experience. Appreciate the guys for letting me be a part of it.”
• General Manager, Itamar Rosenberg: “Due to them, never again.”
• Head of Digital Media & Marketing Spokesperson, Jonathan Schon: “Basketball, life, the madness in our country – everything is dwarfed the moment that you’re standing in this awful place.”

Nes Ziona flew into Poland yesterday for the second leg of their European North Basketball League quarter final against MKS Start Lublin tomorrow evening (19:00 IST / 13:00 EDT). The team has won only one of their last six games across all competitions – a 104-90 victory over bottom-of-the-table Gilboa Galil – and have a huge challenge in order to progress to the final four, needing to win by at least 14 points tomorrow night after losing to Lublin at home earlier this month 77-90 in the first leg.

The game can be viewed live on the ENBL’s Facebook page.