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Maxwell Jacob Friedman — the latest pro wrestler in the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame — is glad to be seen as a strong Jew
COMMACK, N.Y. (JTA) — Maxwell Jacob Friedman has never been short on confidence, so when he was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame on Monday, he described it as the fulfillment of a childhood prediction.
“I remember in the basement of my old home in Plainview, my father had shown me a Jewish athletes almanac,” Friedman, 27, recalled in his remarks. “I remember reading through it, and it wasn’t particularly big, but the names in it were big. I remember reading that book and thinking to myself, ‘I’m going to be in this book one day.’”
At the same time, the professional wrestling star — known as MJF — recognizes that his meteoric rise isn’t exactly a typical career path for Jewish kid from Long Island. Friedman is just the second pro wrestler to be inducted in the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame — 1990s icon Bill Goldberg entered in 2010 — and the first to be inducted during his career, which remains very much on the rise.
Friedman is the longest-reigning world champion in the four-year history of All Elite Wrestling — a pro wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida — and makes his feature film debut this weekend in “The Iron Claw,” which follows the tragic story of pro wrestling’s Von Erich family.
“When you would say that to people out loud,” Friedman said of his childhood ambitions, “they would laugh, they would snicker, because what is a Jew to everyone else around the world? Probably not a Hall of Fame athlete. Well, to that, I say, ‘Screw yourself,’ because a Jew can be literally anything if we set our mind to it.”
I can’t put into words what today meant to me.
With the rampant discrimination and bigotry seen worldwide i proudly say i’m not just a Jew, I’m a human. We should all treat each other as such.
Except me…I deserve special treatment because I’m a hall of fame level human. pic.twitter.com/X5TifpyDUe
— Maxwell Jacob Friedman (@The_MJF) December 19, 2023
That combative confidence serves Friedman particularly well now, not only in his chosen profession, but in the way he aims to represent Jews more broadly.
Membership in the Jewish Hall of Fame isn’t the only thing Friedman shares with Goldberg: They are both outliers among Jewish pro wrestlers, most of whom perform under stage names. By contrast, Friedman not only kept his first and last name while in the ring but changed his middle name to make it sound more Jewish. In real life, his name is Maxwell Tyler Friedman.
He also emphasizes his Jewish heritage in his presentation, using social media to share photos from his bar mitzvah and talking openly about antisemitic taunts he’s faced.
“When everyone else thinks of Jews, it comes with a lot of discriminatory thoughts and processes,” Friedman said. “But when I thought of a Jew, I always thought of someone strong, intelligent, brave, because when you think about it, in almost every single piece of history of humankind, whenever there was an issue, we got blamed for it. We got blamed for it, we got attacked for it, we got run off for it and we’re still here.”
He added, “You would think by now, people would understand that we’re not very easy to run off. We’re not very easy to scare. They’re still trying, but they’re still failing.”
As a visibly Jewish champion, Friedman hopes to send the message that Jews will always overcome hatred — particularly in the present climate, when reports of antisemitism have spiked amid the Israel-Hamas war.
He likewise did not downplay his Jewish identity in the earlier part of his career, when he was presented in the ring as a villain.
“I’ve never read more hate-filled tweets and comments in my entire life,” Friedman said. “Think of any horrible thing you can say to a Jew, I’m reading it, but honestly, it doesn’t deter me. It just makes me want to talk about being a Jew more.”
As he continues his wrestling journey as a newly minted Hall of Famer — appearing regularly on AEW’s flagship broadcasts on TNT and TBS — Friedman is thrilled for the opportunity to give young Jewish fans someone to be proud of — someone, he said, “they get to look up to that’s a strong, handsome — humble — Jew.”
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The post Maxwell Jacob Friedman — the latest pro wrestler in the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame — is glad to be seen as a strong Jew appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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After False Dawns, Gazans Hope Trump Will Force End to Two-Year-Old War
Palestinians walk past a residential building destroyed in previous Israeli strikes, after Hamas agreed to release hostages and accept some other terms in a US plan to end the war, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Exhausted Palestinians in Gaza clung to hopes on Saturday that US President Donald Trump would keep up pressure on Israel to end a two-year-old war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced the entire population of more than two million.
Hamas’ declaration that it was ready to hand over hostages and accept some terms of Trump’s plan to end the conflict while calling for more talks on several key issues was greeted with relief in the enclave, where most homes are now in ruins.
“It’s happy news, it saves those who are still alive,” said 32-year-old Saoud Qarneyta, reacting to Hamas’ response and Trump’s intervention. “This is enough. Houses have been damaged, everything has been damaged, what is left? Nothing.”
GAZAN RESIDENT HOPES ‘WE WILL BE DONE WITH WARS’
Ismail Zayda, 40, a father of three, displaced from a suburb in northern Gaza City where Israel launched a full-scale ground operation last month, said: “We want President Trump to keep pushing for an end to the war, if this chance is lost, it means that Gaza City will be destroyed by Israel and we might not survive.
“Enough, two years of bombardment, death and starvation. Enough,” he told Reuters on a social media chat.
“God willing this will be the last war. We will hopefully be done with the wars,” said 59-year-old Ali Ahmad, speaking in one of the tented camps where most Palestinians now live.
“We urge all sides not to backtrack. Every day of delay costs lives in Gaza, it is not just time wasted, lives get wasted too,” said Tamer Al-Burai, a Gaza City businessman displaced with members of his family in central Gaza Strip.
After two previous ceasefires — one near the start of the war and another earlier this year — lasted only a few weeks, he said; “I am very optimistic this time, maybe Trump’s seeking to be remembered as a man of peace, will bring us real peace this time.”
RESIDENT WORRIES THAT NETANYAHU WILL ‘SABOTAGE’ DEAL
Some voiced hopes of returning to their homes, but the Israeli military issued a fresh warning to Gazans on Saturday to stay out of Gaza City, describing it as a “dangerous combat zone.”
Gazans have faced previous false dawns during the past two years, when Trump and others declared at several points during on-off negotiations between Hamas, Israel and Arab and US mediators that a deal was close, only for war to rage on.
“Will it happen? Can we trust Trump? Maybe we trust Trump, but will Netanyahu abide this time? He has always sabotaged everything and continued the war. I hope he ends it now,” said Aya, 31, who was displaced with her family to Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
She added: “Maybe there is a chance the war ends at October 7, two years after it began.”
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Mass Rally in Rome on Fourth Day of Italy’s Pro-Palestinian Protests
A Pro-Palestinian demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag during a national protest for Gaza in Rome, Italy, October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Large crowds assembled in central Rome on Saturday for the fourth straight day of protests in Italy since Israel intercepted an international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza, and detained its activists.
People holding banners and Palestinian flags, chanting “Free Palestine” and other slogans, filed past the Colosseum, taking part in a march that organizers hoped would attract at least 1 million people.
“I’m here with a lot of other friends because I think it is important for us all to mobilize individually,” Francesco Galtieri, a 65-year-old musician from Rome, said. “If we don’t all mobilize, then nothing will change.”
Since Israel started blocking the flotilla late on Wednesday, protests have sprung up across Europe and in other parts of the world, but in Italy they have been a daily occurrence, in multiple cities.
On Friday, unions called a general strike in support of the flotilla, with demonstrations across the country that attracted more than 2 million, according to organizers. The interior ministry estimated attendance at around 400,000.
Italy’s right-wing government has been critical of the protests, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggesting that people would skip work for Gaza just as an excuse for a longer weekend break.
On Saturday, Meloni blamed protesters for insulting graffiti that appeared on a statue of the late Pope John Paul II outside Rome’s main train station, where Pro-Palestinian groups have been holding a protest picket.
“They say they are taking to the streets for peace, but then they insult the memory of a man who was a true defender and builder of peace. A shameful act committed by people blinded by ideology,” she said in a statement.
Israel launched its Gaza offensive after Hamas terrorists staged a cross border attack on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 people hostage.
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Hamas Says It Agrees to Release All Israeli Hostages Under Trump Gaza Plan
Smoke rises during an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, October 2, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Hamas said on Friday it had agreed to release all Israeli hostages, alive or dead, under the terms of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza proposal, and signaled readiness to immediately enter mediated negotiations to discuss the details.