The close bond between Borussia Dortmund and the family of their late fan, Netta Epstein, who was tragically killed on Oct. 7, reached its peak on Saturday when his parents, Ayelet and Uri Felshintein, and two sisters were guests of honor at the Champions League final. While Real Madrid was the clear favorite in the final, in these times, it seems most Israelis will be rooting for the German underdogs as well.
"Dortmund's and all of German soccer's solidarity with Israel, especially after Oct. 7, is astonishing," says Ayelet, Netta's mother. "So it's only logical that most Israelis would support Dortmund." Netta was murdered in his home in Kfar Aza when Hamas terrorists broke into his apartment on the morning of Oct. 7. Not because of any goalkeeping instincts, but because he was a true hero – he leaped onto the grenade the terrorists had thrown into the small apartment, sacrificing his own life but saving his fiancée, who was hiding behind him.
Soccer meant practically everything to Netta. He was a die-hard fan of Beitar Jerusalem, Liverpool, and Borussia Dortmund. He was also an excellent goalkeeper who played for two years on Hapoel Beer Sheva's youth team before becoming the legendary keeper for Shu'alei Kfar Aza.
When Dortmund officials heard of Netta's tragic death, they quickly reached out to the family and invited them to attend the home match against Leipzig in December. "We thought we were going on a family vacation, but what happened there was completely unexpected. An immediate, strong human connection formed that only grew stronger," Ayelet recounts.
"We fulfilled his dream after his death"
The key figure is Daniel Lorscher, who until about a year ago was in charge of the club's international relations and the fight against racism and antisemitism. Starting in 2011, he initiated visits by young fans and youth players to the Auschwitz and Dachau concentration camps, and he frequently visits Israel. Thanks largely to him, the club donates 1.5 million euros annually to The World Holocaust Remembrance Center Yad Vashem. Recently, Lorscher teamed up with Dr. Andreas Kahrs to launch an initiative called "What Matters," aimed primarily at preserving the lessons of the Holocaust for the younger generation in Germany and assisting in the fight against racism and discrimination, mainly through soccer.
He was among the organizers of the visit to Israel on Holocaust Remembrance Day in April when representatives from eight German clubs visited Yad Vashem. He was also one of the initiators of the "Soccer and Memory" program that will operate during the UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany, connecting visitors to the Holocaust, including visits to commemoration sites. Interestingly, in his distant past, Daniel Lorscher was a leader of the "Yellow Wall" ultras of Borussia Dortmund and their spokesperson.
"Our first encounter happened on a Friday at the synagogue in Dortmund, even though Daniel isn't Jewish." Uri recounts. "The following day, Saturday, we went to the stadium where 81,000 fans cheered like we'd never experienced before. At one point, the announcer began speaking, and a moment of silence was declared. Suddenly, the entire stadium fell silent, and on the four giant video screens, the image of our Netta appeared."
"It was emotional beyond description," Ayelet says. "All of us, including Netta's sisters Rona and Alma, just burst into tears. Even Daniel and his wife were moved to tears with us. We all hugged – it was an incredibly powerful moment." Uri adds, "Netta's greatest dream was to play in a stadium like that with over 80,000 spectators. He didn't get to fulfill that dream, but here he was, with the whole crowd seeing him. We fulfilled his dream for him after his death."
Borussia Dortmund's visit to Kfar Aza
That was the moment when the profoundly deep bond between the Epstein family and the people of Borussia Dortmund was forged. "That evening, we invited Daniel to visit Kfar Aza. He said he was very apprehensive, because of the terrible sights, and wasn't sure he could handle it emotionally. He said he had to stay strong to continue doing what he does," Ayelet recounts. The club's next gesture was donating a set of uniforms to Shu'alei Kfar Aza and the children's team that Netta had coached in the Shaar HaNegev Regional Council.
Then, in March, Daniel Lorscher decided to visit Kfar Aza and see firsthand the place where Netta was murdered. "Coming to Kfar Aza is a difficult journey for three reasons," Ayelet explains. "First, there's the trauma we experienced during the day and a half we were there. here's the loss - it's not just Netta, but also Uri's mother, my brother-in-law, Uri's brother-in-law and nephew, and many other friends who were all murdered. The third is the disconnection from home. We haven't been there since Oct. 8, so, walking around there is really not easy."
Daniel and three others from Borussia Dortmund came to Kfar Aza, witnessed the horror firsthand, and their bond with the family only grew stronger. Ayelet recounts, "He asked us to enter the apartment and reenact exactly how it happened. These are things that leave a lasting impression and create a deep connection."
Three weeks later, the secretary of state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's largest state (18 million residents) and home to Dortmund, also reached out to the family, requesting to come and lay a wreath in Netta's apartment.
"He arrived with a huge wreath on a plane, and it was then that I realized how deeply Netta's story resonates with people in Germany. It's not just the personal connection that formed between us and Daniel," Uri said. Ayelet adds, "We were just at the President's Residence when Daniel called and said, "We made it to the final! Are you coming to London?" The answer was obvious. We went to the Wembley final as guests of Borussia Dortmund, with our two daughters and one of our nephews, who was Netta's best friend. The invitation itself is amazing and so moving. The match will be a bonus."
"After people die, you always wonder: what would they have felt? What would Netta have felt? What would he have said if he knew Dortmund invited us?" Uri ponders.
"It should be a happy place, where people come to laugh just like Netta would"
Following the events of Oct. 7, most residents of the evacuated Kfar Aza relocated to Kibbutz Shefayim in central Israel. They set up a pub there, with two jerseys hanging – Netta's goalkeeper jersey and that of the commander of the community security team, Tal Eilon. "Every time I go in there and see Netta's jersey – sometimes it hurts, but sometimes I smile," Uri admits. Apart from soccer, Netta was also an avid beer lover. "Netta's dream was to open a brewery," Uri says, "and we're planning to fulfill that dream for him by establishing a boutique brewery and 'beer garden' in Kfar Aza."
"Even though Netta was only 22, he managed to make a meaningful impact in many areas, such as his volunteer work assisting people with disabilities. This is also a direction in which we are looking for ways to commemorate him," Ayelet says. ". "The common thread in all these things is that they are a celebration of life. I don't want anyone who goes there [the brewery] to be depressed. It should be a happy place, where people come to enjoy themselves, laugh, and talk nonsense, just like Netta would."
"We were in the shelter for 30 hours until they rescued us," Uri shares. "I remember telling Alma, after we already knew that Netta, my mother, and my brother-in-law were no longer alive, that 'we lost so much today, but I promise I will continue living for those who are still alive.' I made her swear that if I forget, she should remind me of that sentence.
"After we barely managed to pull ourselves together, I told Ayelet, 'We have so much to live for, we need to be strong.' And indeed, we both decided to embrace life. When we went to Dortmund, Ayelet told me, 'It's true that the reason we're here is to mourn Netta, but we are here to celebrate and enjoy ourselves in his memory,'' with him being with us at every moment. This is essentially our way of commemorating his memory, with his zest for life, his smile always with us."
