Ray Allen at Washington game
Photo: AP
Boston Celtics visit Shoah museum
NBA champions take time to tour memorial museum in Washington prior to game against local Wizards. 'I didn't realize six million Jews perished in Holocaust,' says coach Doc Rivers
WASHINGTON – NBA champions the Boston Celtics recently arrived in Washington D.C. to play against local team the Washington Wizards, but also took time out of their busy schedule to visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in the capital.
The tour was initiated by Celtics' shooting guard Ray Allen, who already visited the museum four times in the past. Allen explained that he felt it was important for the players to learn about phenomena like the Holocaust and their effect on society as a whole.
The players at the museum
The team's lead coach Doc Rivers said that the visit was "incredible and eye opening," and added that although he knew many Jews were murdered in the Holocaust he never realized that their number was six million.
One of the team's physicians, Russian-born Vlad Schulman, was especially moved by the tour, as 11 members of his family perished in the Shoah.
A lesson in history (Photos courtesy of the Israeli Consulate-General in Boston)
Following the visit to the museum Coach Rivers also met with Israel's Consul-General to New England Nadav Tamir, and expressed interest in the Euroleague and a possible visit to Israel.
"It's amazing to see that the Celtics don't only focus on sports, but also engage in activities that broaden their horizons," said Tamir. "It's important to note that the team's players travel to many places in the United States and abroad, and their impressions of the visit will likely be passed on."
