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All the Jewish NFL players to watch in the 2023-2024 season
(JTA) — As the calendar turns to September, many Jews eagerly await an annual fall tradition that signals a new beginning: Week 1 of the NFL season.
This year, the season begins on Sept. 7, just about 10 days before Rosh Hashanah. Read on for our guide to all the Jewish players (listed alphabetically) and storylines to watch — plus a few free agents who could get another chance.
Jake Curhan, Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle
Jake Curhan, center, and Tyler Mabry celebrate after a touchdown at Lumen Field in Seattle, Jan. 1, 2023. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Curhan, 25, appeared in four games for the Seahawks in 2022, a step back from his 15 games and five starts during his rookie season the prior year. The 6-foot-1, 315-pound lineman who grew up attending Jewish summer camp is expected to take on a similar backup role this season. During his successful collegiate career with the California Golden Bears at the University of California, Berkeley, he took on the nickname “Bear Jew.”
A.J. Dillon, Green Bay Packers running back
A.J. Dillon warms up before a preseason game against the New England Patriots at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., Aug. 19, 2023. (John Fisher/Getty Images)
After a record-setting career at Boston College, Dillon enters his fourth season with the Green Bay Packers. Dillon, the team’s second-string running back, appeared in all 17 games last season, wracking up 770 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns, a career high. Dillon, 25, spoke at the BBYO Jewish teen movement’s convention last year, where he shared his experience as a Jew of color and joked about missing Hebrew school for football practice as a kid.
Michael Dunn, Cleveland Browns offensive lineman
Michael Dunn, right, during a preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Aug. 26, 2023. (David Eulitt/Getty Images)
The 2023 season is already off to a seesaw start for Dunn, who was re-signed by the Browns on Wednesday, just one day after they had reportedly released him. The 29-year-old appeared in Cleveland’s first eight games last year, including two starts, before a back injury derailed his season.
Greg Joseph, Minnesota Vikings kicker
Greg Joseph celebrates with teammates after kicking a game-winning field goal against the New York Giants at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Dec. 24, 2022. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Joseph is beginning his third straight season as the Vikings’ primary kicker. The South African-born Jewish day school grad has been involved with the Jewish communities of each city in which he has played during his four years in the NFL. The 29-year-old has become known for his clutch game-winning field goals, including two in a row that each made history last season.
The free agents who hope to return
Anthony Firkser during New England Patriots minicamp at the Patriots Practice Facility at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., June 13, 2023. (Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Anthony Firkser (tight end): Despite appearing in at least 11 games in each of his five NFL seasons, Firsker, 28, enters this season without a roster spot. Firkser — who had a bar mitzvah growing up in New Jersey and spoke to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency about his love of latkes — was cut by the New England Patriots this week as the deadline loomed for teams to finalize their 53-man rosters. The Harvard alum has five career touchdowns and could get a shot as another team’s second- or third-string tight end.
Josh Rosen (quarterback): Rosen — who had a bar mitzvah, was a standout at UCLA and was once seen as a lock to be the first Jewish star QB in several decades — has struggled to find his footing in the NFL. The 10th overall pick in the 2018 draft, Rosen has more interceptions (21) than touchdowns (12) in his 24 career games. Rosen, 26, last appeared in a game with the Atlanta Falcons in 2021, and spent last season on the Browns’ and Vikings’ practice squads.
Sam Sloman (kicker): After making 10 field goals in his rookie 2020 season, the Georgia native has bounced around practice squads without seeing game action. Sloman, 25, played for the Vegas Vipers in the XFL in their 2023 season. Sloman took on the nickname “Kosher Cannon” when he played at Miami University in Ohio.
Other Jewish storylines
Josh Harris addresses the media at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., Jan. 12, 2020. (Andy Marlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
Off the field, the biggest Jewish storyline of the 2023-2024 NFL season is new Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris, who purchased the team from embattled Jewish owner Dan Snyder earlier this year for a record $6.05 billion. Snyder is under multiple investigations over sexual harassment and toxic workplace culture allegations. In July, Harris said buying his hometown NFL team was “bashert,” using the Yiddish word for fate.
In the broadcast booth, a number of Jewish play-by-play announcers and analysts will entertain fans on various networks. Here are a few of the more well-known figures in the booth and in the studio: Kenny Albert (Fox Sports), Chris Berman (ESPN), Ian Eagle (CBS), Andrea Kremer (Amazon Prime), Steve Levy (ESPN), Al Michaels (Amazon Prime) and Tracy Wolfson (CBS). Plus, former Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman recently joined Fox Sports’ “Fox NFL Kickoff” program, the network’s signature pre-game show.
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The post All the Jewish NFL players to watch in the 2023-2024 season appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Iran Showcases New, Advanced Missile Systems Amid US Threat
Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during a meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, Oct. 23, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
i24 News – The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp revealed their latest missile systems on Saturday, which have been deployed on three different Iranian islands.
This comes amid increased US pressure to return to the negotiation table over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, with US President Donald Trump implementing a return to his “maximum pressure” policy.
Commodore Alireza Tangsiri, the head of the IRGC’s naval force, threatened that “the enemy would be beaten” in the event of a military confrontation. He boasted missile units, submarines, unmanned aircraft, and defense systems deployed in the Strait of Hormuz, located in the Persian Gulf, and in the islands in the region.
A new hangar was revealed in one of the sites that contains the new missile systems. According to the IRGC, these missiles have the ability to destroy maritime targets up to 600 kilometers (373 miles) from their deployment sites.
Last week, a US official told i24NEWS that Trump gave Khamenei a two-month ultimatum to reach a nuclear agreement. National Security Council Spokesperson Brian Hughes threatened “devastating” results.
Therefore, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attacked Donald Trump in a speech he made, saying “I will not negotiate with you even under threats.” This, after a few days prior, Trump wrote a letter to Iran, asking to restart negotiations on the nuclear issue.
The post Iran Showcases New, Advanced Missile Systems Amid US Threat first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Houthis Falsely Claim to Successfully Hit Ben Gurion Airport, USS Harry Truman
Newly recruited fighters who joined a Houthi military force intended to be sent to fight in support of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, march during a parade in Sanaa, Yemen, Dec. 2, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
i24 News – The Houthis claimed on Sunday that they targeted Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport with their alleged hypersonic Palestine 2 ballistic missile, with the strike “successfully achieving its goal.”
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree boasted that air traffic at the airport was suspended for more than half an hour.
Additionally, Saree claimed Houthi forces launched missiles and drones at the American aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman in the Red Sea with missiles and drones. There is no indication that this attack succeeded, contrary to the Houthi statement.
At around 7:30 am, sirens blared throughout central Israel, with no injuries reported. The IDF said that a Houthi missile had been intercepted successfully outside of Israeli airspace.
This comes after the Houthis restarted their attacks on the Jewish state last week, triggering sirens in central Israel and the Jerusalem area.
Meanwhile, the US Central Command began an offensive against high-level Houthis and terrorist infrastructure in Yemen. US President Donald Trump has also stated that he will hold Iran responsible for any attack emanating from the Houthis.
The post Houthis Falsely Claim to Successfully Hit Ben Gurion Airport, USS Harry Truman first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Hamas: Senior Official Salah al-Bardawil Killed in Khan Yunis Strike
Senior Hamas leader Salah al-Bardawil. Photo: File.
i24 News – Hamas confirmed on Sunday that Salah al-Bardawil, a member of its political bureau, had been killed in an Israeli air strike in Khan Younis, in the south of the Gaza Strip.
His wife also perished in the attack. This targeted killing, initially reported by the Palestinian press agency Shehab, affiliated with Hamas, is said to have targeted “tents sheltering displaced persons.” The Israeli authorities have not yet commented on the reports.
This strike is part of a series of targeted operations carried out by Israel against the Hamas leadership. Over the weekend, the Israeli army and Shin Bet security agency also announced that they had eliminated Osama Tabash, who was the chief of military intelligence for Hamas in southern Gaza and led the organization’s surveillance and targeting unit.
According to the joint statement from the army and Shin Bet, Tabash was a “high-ranking terrorist” who possessed “significant operational knowledge for the terrorist organization.” He had held various positions of importance, including that of battalion commander in the Khan Yunis brigade.
The Israeli services attribute to him involvement in several attacks, including a suicide bombing carried out in 2005 at the Gush Katif crossroads in Gaza, which cost the life of Oded Sharon. In his recent roles, Tabash was responsible for developing the Hamas combat strategy and had participated in planning infiltrations during the massacre on October 7 in the Israeli communities in the south of the country.
The post Hamas: Senior Official Salah al-Bardawil Killed in Khan Yunis Strike first appeared on Algemeiner.com.