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Yes, Italian tennis star Camila Giorgi is Jewish. And her favorite book is ‘The Diary of Anne Frank.’
By MARVIN GLASSMAN (JTA) — This week Camila Giorgi won the National Bank Open, Canada’s most prestigious tennis tournament, and it was a milestone for two reasons. First, it was the first major title win in the 29-year-old’s career, and a huge upset — she was ranked 71st in the world before beating No. 6 Karolina Pliskova in the finals. Second, Giorgi became the first Jewish player to win the event in 56 years, since American Julie Heldman took what was then called the Canadian Open in 1965.
Founded in 1881, the Canadian Open is the second oldest tennis tournament behind only Wimbledon.
Even Giorgi was surprised she pulled it off.
“I think I didn’t have the opportunity [to win the tournament] in these years,” she told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in her broken English following the match.
Reports have swirled for years that Giorgi might be Jewish, and that she was considering obtaining Israeli citizenship to play for the country’s team in the Fed Cup — a World Cup-style tournament. She confirmed to JTA that her parents, Argentines who immigrated to Italy, are Jewish. In fact, her favorite book is “The Diary of Anne Frank.”
“The book moved me because I am Jewish, but also because she was such a good person who saw the good in people,” Giorgi told JTA.
Although she did not see Giorgi win the National Bank Open on television, Heldman said she knew of the Italian player and her Jewishness and was “elated” to learn of her victory.
“The feat speaks well not only of Giorgi’s desire and talent, but of the popularity of tennis around the world and the Jewish Diaspora,” Heldman, now 75 and a grandmother, said from her home in Santa Monica, California.
“There are not as many Jewish people in Italy as elsewhere, so Giorgi’s title indicates that anyone around the world, including Jews, are capable of accomplishing outstanding achievements in tennis or any other field,” added the former champion, who was ranked as high as fifth in the world in 1969 and last month was inducted into the International Tennis Hall Of Fame.
The National Bank Open title moved Giorgi’s world ranking to 34 and continued a hot streak: She has won 16 of 20 matches since the French Open in late May and reached the quarterfinals for Italy at the Tokyo Olympics earlier this month.
Camila Giorgi serves in the National Bank Open final at IGA Stadium in Montreal, Aug. 15, 2021. (David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Giorgi credits her success to her father, Sergio, who fought in Argentina’s 1982 Falklands War and has been her coach since she first picked up a racquet — at age 5.
The father-daughter team is one of several that have led to success in professional tennis. Heldman’s late mother, Gladys, was an icon in her own right — she founded World Tennis magazine and helped launch the women’s tour in the 1970s.
Claudia and Sergio Giorgi immigrated to Italy from La Plata, Argentina, prior to Camila’s birth in 1991. The young Camila took lessons starting at 5 and won many junior tournaments. By 9 she was offered a tennis scholarship by the renowned coach Nick Bollettieri and would go on to win many more junior events.
As Giorgi’s ranking rose through years, she was selected for Italy’s Fed Cup team. However, in 2012, Giorgi was not high enough on the depth chart to make the squad, and her parents were wooed by Israeli officials, seeing Giorgi as a possible No. 2 behind Shahar Peer, according to Raphael Geller of Israel Sports Radio. Ultimately Giorgi decided to compete for Italy, and she has played in the Fed Cup for her native country since 2014.
Along with winning the National Bank Open, Giorgi has upset several No. 1-ranked players in her career, including former stars Victoria Azarenka, Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki. Giorgi reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2018, losing to Serena Williams.
“What is so impressive about Giorgi is that at age 29, she is able to adapt and transform her game in a way to enable her to beat high quality players in Montreal,” said Cindy Shmerler, a New York Times writer and former editor of World Tennis.
Off the court, Giorgi credits her mother — who designs her on-court outfits — with giving her an appreciation for art and other things to take refuge in away from the grueling professional sports world. With nearly half a million followers, she has become an Instagram model as well.
“I love my life. I want to do well in tennis, but tennis is just my work,” Giorgi said. “In the end, I know my family loves me and I enjoy art, the museums and stores, so my life is in balance.”
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Musings from Dizengoff Street – by Bruce Brown
(August 8, 2026)
Outside Basimta Café in Central Jerusalem. Love the red shirt against a tiny sea of black. Not sure I am shrugging because of the ultra-orthodox uproar over a Jerusalem café operating on Shabbat or the lack of an ultra-orthodox uproar over a Jerusalem café operating on Shabbat. For the last six weeks Israeli headlines shouted about the cafe chaos. With the ultra-religious blocking entrances and storming the café. While shouting ‘Shabbos! Shabbos!’ Upsetting the secular amongst us just wanting to enjoy our Saturday iced matchas. So the wife and I thought we would check it out. And. Yes. Buy something to support the business. Uproar. Not. Blocked entrances. Not. Storming the café. Not. Albeit there were police barriers separating the devout protesters from the coffee drinkers. The protesters being just a few dozen black clad, pious Jews. Mostly teenagers. And yes. Shouting ‘Shabbos! Shabbos!’ Certainly underwhelming in its reported mayhem. Reminds me of the famous saying misattributed to Mark Twain – “If you don’t read the newspaper, you’re uninformed. If you do, you’re misinformed.” But I did enjoy my iced matcha.
(August 6, 2026)
Here we go again. Another round of forever negotiations. As someone who negotiates for a living. The way things are going in the straits. If I had to recommend a book on the subject to a new hire. Between The Art of the Deal, A Presidential Edition by Donald J. Trump or The Real Art of the Deal by the Mullahs of Iran with a special forward by the IRGC. Well. I would choose the latter.
(August 3)
Bravo Yoav Segalovitz, Liberal Yesh Atid MK and Monsour Abbas, United Arab Ra’am MK and party head. For breaking a glass ceiling where a Jewish lawmaker joins an Arab political party. No less a political earthquake in my little shtetl. Which can significantly impact coalition block arithmetic and posturing and strategy in the upcoming elections. Now Ra’am can be considered a legitimate ‘Zionist’ partner when forming coalition blocks and potentially pushing the ‘center left/right’ party over the 60 seat majority threshold. In our crazy parliamentary democracy defined by a multi-party (about fourteen!!), proportional representation system. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, Israel’s proportional representation model of governance is the best parliamentary democracy system except for all other forms of working democracies. Stay tuned for more amateurish political musings as we move towards Israel’s 26th national election – five of them held since 2019.
(August 1)
Although both sides say they are open to diplomacy. Neither really trusts the other. And American military action, or its threat, continues. I read headlines in the middle of the night -it’s a nervous habit lately– that the Dynamic Duo of Trump and Netanyahu may again strike in unison. Possibly this weekend. Yikes! Prompting me, at 2:30 AM, to dash around the house stocking my safe room. Bottled water. Canned food. Medicines. Documents. The beat goes on….
If it’s crazy here. It’s insane in Italy. With a recent online ‘Jew Hunt’ in the Milan area. Before being removed, the digital forms urged reportings of Israelis and Italian Jews staying in local hotels. The infamous Global Sumud Movement -yes, the one coordinating ‘peace and humanitarian’ flotillas to Gaza- was somehow connected. Although they deny involvement?! This deranged decree was looking to identify Zionist tourism and Zionist neo-colonization in Italy. I’ll stick with stocking the saferoom.
Then there’s New York Mayor Mamdani, a Global Sumud Movement supporter, threatening to arrest Prime Minister Netanyahu if he comes to New York. But since discovered he has no legal right for such a grandstanding, antisemitic, anti-Israel, anti-Western, anti-democratic antic. Maybe Mandami should be arrested! Or at least impeached. For being a grandstanding, antisemitic, anti-Israel, anti-Western, anti-democratic mayor.
Here’s a post Bruce sent us Friday, July 31:
WARTIME MUSINGS
Should credible threats against FLOTUS and ‘FSOTUS’ (first son..) not be justification to attack first.
As for yesterday’s summit. Netanyahu really can’t win. Explainer. If Trump now attacks without victory its ’cause of Netanyahu. If Trump now attacks with victory its ’cause of Trump. And, in Israel, if Trump doesn’t attack -victory or not- Netanyahu failed in his eighth meeting with Trump. And if Trump does attack -victory or not- half the country will vilify Bibi anyway. Missing a permutation?
Ya. I know. Kinda’ need a definition of victory for that musing to work.
And here in my little shtetle. We go to sleep unsure if there will be a code red in the middle of the night. And if not. We wake up thinking it will be tonight. How do you define stress?
Seemed like an appropriate way to end this musing.
Bruce Brown is a former Winnipegger who made aliyah to Israel over 35 years ago. Bruce first began writing for us – in his own inimitable style, in 2012, during what was known as “Operation Pillar of Defense.” His occasional musings on aspects of life in Israel that were far from what you’d typically read in other reports from Israel were hugely popular – both in the print Jewish Post & News and on this website.
We’re now glad to report that Bruce is back writing for us – this time on a regular basis. We will post Bruce’s reports as they arrive – with the date of each post at the beginning of that post.
Here’s some information about Bruce – and awards he’s received for his writing:
Bruce Brown. Canadian born. Now living in Israel (for a long time). Bruce works in Israel’s hi-tech sector by day and, in spurts, is a somewhat inspired writer by night. He received the American Jewish Press Association’s award for writing excellence in 2019 and 2025. And wrote the 1998 satire, “An Israeli is….” Bruce’s musings are political, social, economic and personal. With lots of biting, contrarian, sardonic and irreverent insight.
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