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The Jewish Sport Report: How a Jewish football star changed Harvard
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Good afternoon, sports fans!
It’s been an exciting month for Jewish athletes across sports — from last week’s Jewish pitching duel to Jewish brothers on the NHL’s biggest stage.
But one of the biggest stories in sports right now is the NBA Playoffs, which have been riveting. All four semifinal series have reached Game 6, with the Boston-Philadelphia series headed to Game 7 this weekend. The Lakers-Warriors matchup offers a cinematic face-off between all-time greats LeBron James and Steph Curry.
It’s safe to say that Hanukkah came early for NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who is no doubt pleased with the big market matchups. And since the NBA Finals run through mid-June, the oil isn’t running out anytime soon.
How Arnold Horween changed Harvard — and America
The new book “Dyed in Crimson” shares the story of Harvard football captain and coach Arnold Horween, right, shown here with his brother Ralph. (Book cover courtesy of Zev Eleff, Horween photo via Wikimedia Commons)
The 1920s were not an easy time for American Jews.
But over in Harvard Yard, one unsung Jewish hero was quietly changing the culture of American sports.
Arnold Horween, a burly Chicagoan and the son of Jewish immigrants from Ukraine, was unanimously selected as the captain of the Harvard Crimson football team in 1920, and after a few years playing and coaching in the NFL, he would return to Harvard as head coach in 1926.
“In American Jewish culture, the only thing greater than being the captain of the Harvard Crimson, the only higher station in American culture might have been the president, or the coach of Harvard, which he eventually becomes,” said Zev Eleff, the president of Gratz College and a scholar of American Jewish history.
Eleff explored Horween’s story and its impact in his recent book, “Dyed in Crimson: Football, Faith, and Remaking Harvard’s America.” He traces the history of Harvard athletics in the early 1900s, exploring how Horween altered the landscape of America’s most prestigious college.
Halftime report
EASY, YEEZY. Months after Adidas cut ties with rapper Kanye West over his antisemitic tirades, the sportswear company has finally decided what to do with its enormous stockpile of West’s signature Yeezy shoes. Adidas said it would sell the parts and donate the proceeds to charity, including organizations “that were also hurt by Kanye’s statements.”
GET YOUR HOT DOGS HERE. Wrigley Field vendor Jonah Fialkow, or @JewishJonah as he’s known on TikTok, has attracted a large following with his videos sharing his experience selling food at one of sports’ most iconic venues. Fialkow caught up with the Canadian Jewish News’ Menschwarmers podcast to talk baseball, hot dogs and Jews.
KVELLING. The New Jersey Devils were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Thursday, ending an exciting season for Jack and Luke Hughes. On Sunday night, Luke made his playoffs debut, tallying two assists, while Jack scored two goals and had two assists of his own. Though their season is over, the Hughes brothers’ future is bright — Jack is 21 and Luke is 19.
A day to remember for the Hughes’ Family
Luke Hughes makes his playoff debut
Luke Hughes with two assists
Jack Hughes with two goals and two assists pic.twitter.com/XKCFFbroQE
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 7, 2023
OUCH. This hasn’t been Max Fried’s season. After getting bested by Dean Kremer last week, Fried landed on the injured list for the second time this season — and this time he could be out a while. With Fried and Atlanta Braves pitcher Kyle Wright both hurt, prospect Jared Shuster may get another chance in the big leagues.
BALL SHEM TOV. The haredi world’s annual Adirei HaTorah event, which draws thousands of men for a night of music and prayer, is set for June 4 at Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia. There’s just one problem: that’s the date of Game 2 of the NBA Finals, meaning if the 76ers advance, the event may need to find a new home. The Forward has more on the story.
Israel returns to a soccer World Cup, hoping for a second goal
Oscar Gloukh is a member of Israel’s Under 20 national soccer team. (Wikimedia Commons)
After 52 years, an Israeli national team will participate in a soccer World Cup organized by FIFA, the global soccer government body.
Israel participated in only one major World Cup, the 1970 tournament in Mexico. But this month, the Israeli youth team will participate for the first time in the Under 20 Cup in Argentina — in the land of global superstar Lionel Messi.
Led by manager Ofir Haim, the team will face Colombia on May 21 and Senegal on May 24, both in La Plata City, the capital of Buenos Aires Province (35 miles south of the city of Buenos Aires). Then the team will travel almost 700 miles northwest to theMendoza province — home to the iconic wine — to play against Japan. The tournament has six groups composed of four teams each. After the first three matches, the best two of each group will qualify for the next stage.
Could Israel score another goal at a World Cup? Their only previous one at a FIFA tournament was made by Mordechai “Motaleh” Spiegler against Sweden. This month, Israeli players — especially the top scorer Oscar Gloukh — will have another chance to score.
– Juan Melamed
Jews in sports to watch this weekend
IN HOCKEY…
Zach Hyman and the Edmonton Oilers face the Vegas Golden Knights in a pivotal Game 5 tonight at 10 p.m. ET. Game 6 will be Sunday.
IN BASEBALL…
The story of the young MLB season is the dominance of the AL East. The Baltimore Orioles have gotten off to an excellent 24-13 start, with help from Dean Kremer’s strong performance. On Wednesday night, he led them to a 2-1 victory over the first-place Tampa Bay Rays. The surging Boston Red Sox have turned things around after a slow start, and now sit in third place. Sox reliever Richard Bleier has struggled out of the gate, allowing 15 hits and 10 runs in 15 innings — but I’ll be at Fenway on Friday night to see the Team Israel veteran in action. The New York Yankees are in last place, but outfielder Harrison Bader is crushing it in his first nine games back, hitting .400 with 12 hits, three homers and 11 RBIs.
IN SOCCER…
Manor Solomon and Fulham F.C. host Southampton tomorrow at 10 a.m. ET.
Jews on first
In just six weeks, 14 Jewish players have already appeared in the MLB this season, after Chicago Cubs prospect Matt Mervis made his debut last Friday. According to Jewish Baseball News, another 15 Jewish players are currently in Triple-A, almost all of whom played for Team Israel.
Who do you think will be the next Jewish player to make his MLB debut? Email us at sports@jta.org to share your guess, and we’ll keep an eye out for the winner.
—
The post The Jewish Sport Report: How a Jewish football star changed Harvard appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Report: US, Israel Preparing for Resumptions of Strikes Against Iran
US President Donald Trump speaks during an event to sign a memorandum in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US, May 5, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Evan Vucci
i24 News – The United States and Israel are engaged in intense preparations — the largest since the cease-fire took effect — for the possible resumption of attacks against Iran as early as next week, the New York Times reported Saturday citing two Middle East officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Mako News reported Israeli official sources as saying that US President Donald Trump is expected to convene his closest team of advisors in the next 24 hours to make a final decision on the Iran matter. Israel estimates that a decision on military action may be made very soon, the report added.
According to NYT, should Trump decide to resume military strikes, options include more aggressive raids targeting Iranian military and infrastructure targets, US officials said.
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Trump Says Xi Agrees Iran Must Open Strait, But No Sign China Will Weigh In
US President Donald Trump participates in events at the Great Hall of the People and does a greeting with the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping May 14, 2026, in Beijing China during a trip focused on trade, regional security, and strengthening bilateral ties between the world’s two largest economies. Photo: Kenny Holston/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
US President Donald Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed Tehran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, though China gave no indication it would weigh in.
Flying back from Beijing on Friday after two days of talks with Xi, Trump said he was considering whether to lift US sanctions on Chinese oil companies buying Iranian oil. China is the biggest buyer of Iranian oil.
“I’m not asking for any favors because when you ask for favors, you have to do favors in return,” Trump said when asked by a reporter on Air Force One whether Xi had made a firm commitment to put pressure on the Iranians to reopen the strait.
Xi did not comment on his discussions with Trump about Iran, although China’s foreign ministry criticized the war, calling it a conflict “which should never have happened, has no reason to continue.”
‘WE WANT THE STRAITS OPEN’
Iran has effectively shut the strait, which carried one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supply before the US and Israel launched attacks on February 28. The disruption to shipping has caused the biggest oil supply crisis in history, pushing up oil prices.
Ebrahim Azizi, who heads the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, said on Saturday that Tehran had prepared a mechanism to manage traffic through the strait along a designated route that would be unveiled soon.
Azizi said only commercial vessels and parties cooperating with Iran would benefit, and that fees would be collected for specialized services provided under the mechanism.
Thousands of Iranians were killed in the US and Israeli airstrikes. Thousands more have been killed in Lebanon in fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, though Israel and Lebanon agreed on Friday to a 45-day extension of a ceasefire that has tamped down the conflict there.
The US paused its attacks last month but began a port blockade. As of Saturday, 78 commercial ships had been redirected and four disabled to ensure compliance with the blockade, the US military said.
Tehran, which carried out strikes against Israel, US bases and Gulf states after the war began, has said it will not unblock the strait until the US ends its blockade. Trump has threatened to resume attacks if Iran does not agree to a deal.
“We don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon, we want the straits open,” Trump said in Beijing, alongside Xi.
Iran, which has long denied it intends to build a nuclear weapon, has refused to end nuclear research or relinquish its hidden stockpile of enriched uranium.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran had received messages from the US indicating Washington was willing to continue talks.
Pakistan has been mediating between Washington and Tehran. Iranian news agency Nournews said Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni had held “detailed” discussions with his visiting Pakistani counterpart on Iran-Pakistan relations and the prospects for resuming peace talks, but gave no details.
TRUMP LOSING PATIENCE
Trump, who told Fox News’ “Hannity” program in an interview aired on Thursday that he was losing patience with Iran, said Tehran “should make a deal.”
Oil prices rose around 3 percent to around $109 a barrel on Friday [O/R] on concerns about a lack of progress in resolving the conflict.
Talks on ending the war, which has become a liability for Trump ahead of US congressional elections in November, have been on hold since last week when Iran and the US each rejected the other’s most recent proposals.
Araqchi said on Friday that Iran would welcome Chinese input, adding that Tehran was trying to give diplomacy a chance but did not trust the US, which has curtailed previous rounds of talks by launching air strikes.
When the US and Israel launched their attacks on Iran at the end of February, they said one of their aims was to weaken the authorities so Iranians could topple the government.
There has been little sign of organized dissent in Iran during the war, and rights groups say the government has cracked down heavily on its opponents.
Iran’s judiciary said on Saturday that 39 people had been executed for collaborating with Israeli or US spy agencies, or taking part in “terror” or armed unrest, since the war started, the judiciary’s news agency Mizan reported.
It said 36 “medium-level” dissidents had received long prison sentences.
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Tens of Thousands March in London in Separate Immigration, Pro‑Palestinian Protests
Protesters take part in a “Unite the Kingdom” rally organised by British anti-immigration activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, in London, Britain, May 16, 2026. REUTERS/Hannah McKay
Tens of thousands of people marched through central London on Saturday in two separate protests – one against high levels of immigration and another in support of Palestinians.
Police deployed 4,000 officers, including reinforcements from outside the capital, and pledged “the most assertive possible use of our powers” in what they called their biggest public order operation in years.
By 1200 GMT, shortly after both marches started, police said they had made 11 arrests for a range of offenses. They had earlier forecast turnout of at least 80,000.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday accused organizers of the Unite the Kingdom march of “peddling hate and division, plain and simple.”
The march was organized by anti-Islam activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson. The government barred 11 people it described as “foreign far-right agitators” from entering Britain to address the protest.
A previous protest led by Robinson in September drew around 150,000 people, police said, and featured a video address by US tech billionaire Elon Musk. More than 20 people were arrested, and police are still seeking more than 50 suspects.
MARCHERS WAVE BRITISH AND ENGLISH FLAGS
On Saturday, Robinson supporters gathered in central London, waving mainly British and English flags.
“I think that too much migration – not migration, but too much migration – is causing a lot of problems, upsetting a delicate balance here,” said Allison Parr, who also criticized net-zero environmental policies.
Annual net migration approached 900,000 in 2022 and 2023, but fell back to around 200,000 last year after tighter work visa rules.
Concern over immigration – including the arrival of asylum seekers on small boats – has weighed on Starmer’s popularity and boosted the right-wing Reform UK party, whose leader Nigel Farage has distanced himself from Robinson.
Some protesters chanted abuse about Starmer.
Robinson, who has convictions for assault, stalking and other offenses, urged supporters this week to act peacefully in what he billed as “the greatest patriotic display the world has ever seen.”
Earlier this year, he traveled to the US, where he met a State Department official and addressed supporters about what he called “the dangers of Islam” and “the Islamification of Great Britain.”
Census data showed 6.5 percent of people in England and Wales identified as Muslim in 2021, up from 4.9 percent in 2011.
PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS MARK NAKBA DAY
Nearby, pro-Palestinian demonstrators held a march to mark Nakba Day, commemorating Palestinians’ loss of land in the 1948 war that followed the creation of Israel. “Nakba” means catastrophe in Arabic.
The march also drew those opposing the Unite the Kingdom rally, alongside predominantly Palestinian flags.
London has recently seen a spate of arson attacks on Jewish sites, and two Jewish men were stabbed last month in an incident being treated as terrorism.
Police said repeated large pro-Palestinian marches – 33 since the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023 – had left many Jewish people feeling too intimidated to enter central London.
While protesters held a range of views, police said they routinely made arrests for racially and religiously aggravated public order offenses, inciting racial hatred or supporting proscribed organizations.
The government said police would arrest protesters who chanted “globalize the intifada,” a reference to Palestinian uprisings against Israel that many British Jews view as inciting antisemitism.
Some protesters on Saturday chanted “Death to the IDF”, referring to the Israeli army – language that police said had previously been a reason for arrests when aimed at Jewish people.