A group of girls from the Hasmonean High School joined Muslim peers for an interfaith soccer day at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium arranged by Faiths Forum for London.

The 30 girls aged 13 and 14 learned about equality and diversity with the Professional Footballers Association before going on to train with female coaches from the club and play.

Hannah Bezalel, a Hasmonean student, said, “It was a really great experience, especially considering that I got to meet and learn about a different religion.”

Maria Chapman, PE Teacher at Hasmonean said, “ Our students very much enjoyed the whole experience. During the equalities session, the girls took the opportunity to socialise with the students from Al-Khoie, often finding it easy to find similarities between them.” 

Aliya Azam, head of Science at Al-Sadiq and Al-Zahra schools, and one of the organisers of the day, said: "Playing together is a great way to break down barriers. Events like the World Cup can bind people together who might not normally meet and mix. This day opens the door to a deeper understanding for our girls of their Jewish peers, and that's vitally important in countering the negative stories out there.”