“Rabbi,” “Dreidel,” and yes “Auschwitz” as football signals.
These sound more like words used by the Hitler Youth for codes instead of a New England area high school football team set of audibles.
And while we certainly as a society have to weigh issues against the backdrop of a country severely divided on levels ranging from gun control, mass shootings, the wearing of masks, spring breakers and still insurrection, the March events on a football field outside of Boston leave me trembling.
If you haven’t read it by now, go ahead and Google Duxbury Football. There you will find many articles of how a respected football coach who is also a special education teacher had his team used “audible” signals or line of scrimmage play changes using the words “rabbi,” “dreidel” and unbelievably “Auschwitz.”
The coach, Dave Maimaron was fired for these action, though as of this writing he is still on contract with Duxbury High School as a special education teacher.
An opposing team reported the use of the anti-Semitism to Duxbury, and from there the entire community reacted. Most of what I read indicated a community that wants to use this as an “educational” moment. However, checking Twitter feeds and Facebook, there are still many Duxbury fans who are more concerned that the team won’t be as successful without its coach at the helm.
Indications are that the coach has used these words as audible signals in practice for many years. Signs are that players, parents and coaches and even fans knew about the use of the word “Auschwitz” as a football play.
An “educational” experience?
The football team’s existence, its ability to play and compete must he questioned. It’s not enough to say that these are just youths who were following the orders of the coaches. How many of these “youths” can say they did not know that the use of the words rabbi or Auschwitz was not appropriate in a football playbook. Unless, perhaps, they were as societally blinded by the very hatred and will to receive the approval of coaches as the Hitler Youth were to the fuhrer.
How can we get adults to stop shooting people in grocery stores and gay night clubs and Jewish owned shops or Black churches or synagogues if we can’t get football players to stand up and tell their coaches that shouting “Auschwitz” is wrong. Every single player, coach, cheer leader, parent and fan fulfilled the role of bystander instead of standing up with truth to power.
Duxbury might have been a power on the football field. But unless it changes its approach, it will have produced the future antagonists of Asian Americans, Black Americans, Jewish Americans and LGBTQ Americans.
Mr. Maimaron, I certainly cannot call you “coach,” you have boosters, possibly wealthy ones. When this pandemic clears, you and your players should not be permitted back on a football field until you are flown to Poland and visit the killing centers of Auschwitz,
Why don’t you and your team members take time to study how the lives of the same age youth you coach were interrupted and mostly destroyed by a system that snuffed them out at Auschwitz.
Duxbury Football, if possible, didn’t get the message and instead used “Auschwitz” to cheapen the very messages we were all meant to hear.
Maimaron and your coaching staff, you need to go away. Your wins were losses. You taught children to emphasize hatred not heroism.
Shame on you.
Even your best defense of the use of these words is at best offensive.
