Sharon Beck: Israel’s German-born striker on religion, identity and antisemitism
Games between Germany and Israel always carry special baggage due to the history of the two countries and their peoples.
But for one Israeli player in particular, the World Cup qualifier between Martina Voss-Tecklenburg’s side and their Israeli counterparts in Essen will mean even more.
For Sharon Beck, this will be a game between her two nationalities, two cultures and, ultimately, two parts of her identity.
Celebrating Jewish holidays in Germany
Beck (26) was born in Tönisvorst, on the outskirts of the western German town of Krefeld, just 35 kilometers from Essen.
Her father is Israeli, her mother German. Despite growing up in Germany — a country where Christianity still bears a role in day to day life — Beck also celebrated Jewish holidays.
“My father explained all the Jewish traditions and holidays to me ever since I was a child,” she tells DW. “Judaism has a very moving history and I am very thankful to have grown up with both cultures, Jewish and Christian.”
Despite experiencing both cultures being “completely normal” at Beck’s home, she says conversations with others made the differences between the two religions clear to her.
Stuck in the middle: Sharon Beck has grown up with an appreciation for both Christian and Jewish identities
She discovered her love for football at a young age, and her talent eventually saw her playing in the Bundesliga. After starting at several local clubs in her region, she signed for SGS Essen. After stops in Leverkusen, Hoffenheim and Freiburg, the striker now plays for Bundesliga side Cologne.
While celebrating the Jewish holidays was the norm at her home, Beck’s career as a professional footballer in Germany means she often is not able to mark important dates in the Jewish calendar such as Yom Kippur, Judaism’s holiest day on which Jews fast for 25 hours.
“Unfortunately I cannot tell my coach that I cannot train for two days as it’s Yom Kippur. But when I’m in Israel, I observe all holidays properly, such as Shabbat or Chanukah.”
Choosing Israel over Germany
In 2018, she was called up to Germany’s squad for the SheBelieves Cup in the United States. After several weeks with the national team, and despite representing Germany at youth level, Beck decided that her international career should continue elsewhere: in Israel.
“I like how warm-hearted Israelis are, which is why I decided to play for them,” she tells DW. Beck knows that her decision comes at a sporting price.
“Israel is a small country and I know I will never experience sporting success with them like with Germany. But I’m not a person who cares just about titles or status. I do what feels good to me.”
Despite deciding to play for Israel, Beck still says she saw her call-up for Germany as acknowledgement of her qualities.
“Germany belongs among the best national teams in the world. It was a dream to be called up, and I’m thankful to have been given the chance to belong to their squad. But I had to decide where it felt better for me to play and that’s why I chose Israel.”
After her decision became known, Beck says many people could not understand the reasons for it. Her Israeli family, too, were honest with her about Israel’s chances of ever becoming a power in women’s football.
“My family was happy to hear about my decision, but they also told me: ‘Think about it, you have enormous talent and you’re more likely to win titles with Germany’. They were very fair with me.”
However, Beck stands behind her decision.
Old teammates meet as rivals
Israel’s game against Germany isn’t only about Beck’s two countries facing each other; she will also be coming face to face with former SC Freiburg teammate Giulia Gwinn, now of Bayern Munich.
“We got along really well,” Gwinn told a press conference ahead of the game. “I’m very happy to meet Sharon again in the national team shirt.”
Germany coach Voss-Teckelenburg, too, has a personal connection to the Israeli international, having coached Beck as a child and knowing her family.
“Once you know a player so well, you follow her wherever she goes and however she develops,” Voss-Teckelenburg said.
Germany coach Martina Voss-Teckelenburg knows Sharon Beck from a young age.
Antisemitism in Germany makes a mark
While many Jews in Germany feel they have to hide any Jewish symbols, Beck says she “stands firmly” behind both sides of her identity, Jewish and Christian.
Speaking about the relations between Germany and Israel today,she says she’s well aware of the rising number of antisemitic incidents, which is a topic of conversation among her teammates in the Israeli national team.
“I think it’s very sad that there are still antisemitic incidents,” she tells DW. “I cannot understand it.”
Beck herself says she hasn’t experienced any antisemitic incidents, but she is well aware of the situation many Jews in Germany face.
“That’s probably because it’s not easy to get to me. I have a clear opinion and I stand against any injustice.”
Be it when it comes to her footballing career, her choice of national team or speaking out about her background, Beck is a player with a clear opinion, which doesn’t always seem in line with what others expect of a professional footballer in the Bundesliga, but she doesn’t mind.
“I’ve reached a point where I don’t feel I have to justify myself to anyone. It’s my life and I make my decisions for good reasons. I don’t really mind what other people think.”