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The Jewish Sport Report: Into ‘WrestleMania’? Then ‘Mitzvah Mania’ is for you.
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Good afternoon, sports fans!
This Opening Day was the first since 1968 to feature every MLB team playing on the same date.
According to Jewish Baseball News, there were six Jewish players in the league in 1968 — how many can you name? Send your answer to sports@jta.org! (And hey, no cheating!)
A Jewish wrestling show heads to temple
A wrestling event at Temple of Aaron Synagogue in St. Paul, Minn. (Darin Kamnetz/F1rst Wrestling)
Temple Beth Am in Los Angeles is a large Conservative synagogue with a full calendar of events — things like Shabbat dinners, text study and adult education programs.
This weekend, there’s something a little different on the docket: a Jewish wrestling show.
“Mitzvah Mania” — timed to coincide with WWE’s “WrestleMania,” which is also in L.A. this weekend — will feature Jewish professional wrestlers like Colt Cabana, Lisa Marie Varon, Chris Adonis and others.
It’s the passion project of Rabbi Jeremy Fine, a Chicago-area rabbi who puts on shows with his own wrestling company, 2econd Wrestling.
Fine says the overlap between Jews and wrestling extends beyond the ring, arguing that the connection is biblical — from Jacob wrestling with an angel in Genesis to rabbis intellectually wrestling in the Talmud.
“If we just take that and put it into the context of wrestling, we at our core, are storytellers,” Fine said.
Halftime report
RED CARD. Indonesia was removed as the host of the upcoming Under-20 FIFA World Cup after it objected to Israel’s participation in the tournament. Israel had qualified for the first time.
COMING SOON. A new HBO series will tell the story behind the new women’s soccer team in Los Angeles, Angel City FC. Academy Award-winning actress Natalie Portman played a crucial role in bringing the NWSL squad to L.A., and now she’s producing the docuseries on it, too.
STAND UP. You may have seen the viral post urging people to “Stand Up to Jewish Hate” with a blue square hashtag. The tweet has 6.5 million views and has been shared by celebrities, athletes and sports teams alike. It’s the work of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s organization, the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism.
Antisemitism is not just the Jewish community’s issue. It’s everybody’s. Retweet this video with # to show your support. #StandUpToJewishHate pic.twitter.com/fJrSRFtguW
— Stand Up to Jewish Hate # (@StandUp2JewHate) March 27, 2023
CHAMPIONS. Valley Torah, the L.A. day school where Ryan Turell played, won the 2023 Sarachek Tournament at Yeshiva University, an annual basketball competition for Jewish schools. Valley Torah beat New York’s SAR. Turell served as a coach for his alma mater.
ICYMI. When a Tel Aviv-based rugby team was disinvited from an international tournament in South Africa, major U.S. Jewish groups urged the American team that replaced it to withdraw. Here’s the story.
Jews in sports to watch this weekend
IN BASEBALL…
Atlanta Braves top prospect Jared Shuster will make his MLB debut Sunday at 1:35 p.m. ET against the Washington Nationals. His teammate Max Fried, who made his third consecutive Opening Day start Thursday, left the game early with a hamstring injury and may spend some time on the injured list. Team Israel pitcher Dean Kremer takes the mound for his Baltimore Orioles Saturday at 4:10 p.m. ET against the Boston Red Sox and Israel teammate Richard Bleier.
IN BASKETBALL…
It’s Final Four weekend in the men’s March Madness tournament, and the University of Connecticut features Israeli player Yarin Hasson, who hasn’t seen much playing time on the streaking Huskies. Over in the NBA, Deni Avdija and the Washington Wizards host the Orlando Magic tonight at 7 p.m. ET and face the New York Knicks Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.
IN HOCKEY…
Buffalo Sabres goalie Devon Levi makes his NHL debut tonight at 7 p.m. ET against Adam Fox and the New York Rangers. Tomorrow at 3 p.m. ET, Jason Zucker, Mark Friedman and the Pittsburgh Penguins host the league-leading Boston Bruins.
IN SOCCER…
Rising Israeli star Manor Solomon and his Premier League club Fulham face Bournemouth Saturday at 10 a.m. ET. Solomon may be playing in Europe, but back home in Israel, he’s a superstar.
You have to watch this
The sweetest video of the week goes to Michael Rubin, the CEO of sports memorabilia giant Fanatics. When Rubin saw a young basketball fan with a stack of cards for her favorite NBA player, Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker, Rubin surprised her by FaceTiming Booker. Her reaction is worth watching.
The Jewish Sport Report is taking a break next week for the Passover holiday — have a great holiday and we’ll see you soon.
—
The post The Jewish Sport Report: Into ‘WrestleMania’? Then ‘Mitzvah Mania’ is for you. appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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NELLA MARGRITHE ESKIN NOVEMBER 14, 1946 – AUGUST 27, 2025
It is with great sorrow that the Eskin family reports the passing of Nella Margrithe Eskin, beloved wife and devoted partner of Michael Eskin, on August 27, 2025.
Nella, the only child of the late Kasiel and Rosa Kessler, Holocaust survivors, was born in a displaced persons camp in Fohrenwald, Germany, in 1946. The family first moved to Baltimore as refugees in 1949 before settling in Chicago, where Nella graduated from Roosevelt University with Bachelor of Science degree.
In 1969, she met Michael, and three months later they were married in Chicago in March 1970. They shared a wonderful marriage of over 55 years, during which they raised a family of four boys and created a home that was always full of song, food, guests and Yiddishkeit. Sadly, their eldest son, Katriel, passed away in 2015. Nella is survived by her other three sons, Josh, Ezra and Daniel, and their families as well as Katriel’s wife and family. She was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother to her husband, sons, and ten grandchildren, and a loving daughter to her mother, Rosa, who passed away in 2020.
A lifelong scholar, she earned an MBA from the University of Manitoba in 1995. Nella was a very pious and learned woman who was also a wonderful artist, music lover, gardener and cook. She passed her love of music, art, storytelling and learning to her children, teaching each of them piano and instilling in them an enduring appreciation for the arts that continues to this day. She was an incredibly warm woman and made every gathering feel special, every guest feel valued, and every meal feel like a celebration of love and friendship.
She will be sorely missed by her husband, children, grandchildren, relatives in the UK, USA, Australia, and Israel, and many dear friends. Her kindness, curiosity, and love will live on in the many lives she touched. May her memory be
a blessing.
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VIDEO: Moishele Alfonso on the new book of I. L. Peretz stories for students
לכּבֿוד דער פּובליקאַציע פֿונעם ביכל „אויפֿן װעג: זיבן דערציילונגען פֿון י.־ל. פּרץ“ — אַ זאַמלונג ספּעציעל געמאַכט פֿאַר סטודענטן — קען מען איצט זען אַן אינטערוויו מיטן ייִדיש־לערער משהלע אַלפֿאָנסאָ, וואָס האָט פֿאַרקירצט און באַאַרבעט די דערציילונגען.
אין דעם אינטערוויו דערציילט אַלפֿאָנסאָ וועגן דעם פּראָצעס פֿון שאַפֿן דאָס ביכל, און לייענט געקליבענע אויסצוגן דערפֿון. דער אינטערוויו, געפֿירט פֿון אלי בענעדיקט, איז געשטיצט געוואָרן פֿון דער ייִדיש־ליגע, וואָס האָט אויך אַרויסגעגעבן דאָס לייענביכל.
דאָס נאָוואַטאָרישע ביכל גיט דעם לייענער אַ צוטריט צו קלאַסישע ייִדיש־דערציילונגען דורך אַ זײַט־בײַ־זײַטיקן גלאָסאַר, שמועס־פֿראַגעס און קלאַנג־רעקאָרדירונגען פֿון די מעשׂיות.
משהלע אַלפֿאָנסאָ איז אַ ייִדיש־לערער בײַם ייִדישן ביכער־צענטער זינט 2019. אין 2022 האָט ער, דורכן פֿאַרלאַג „אָלניאַנסקי־טעקסט“, טראַנסקריבירט און אַרויסגעגעבן יצחק באַשעוויסעס בוך „שׂונאים: די געשיכטע פֿון אַ ליבע“. דער ראָמאַן איז אַרויס אין המשכים אינעם פֿאָרווערטס אין 1966, און ס’איז דאָס ערשטע מאָל וואָס שׂונאים איז אַרויס אין בוכפֿאָרעם אויף ייִדיש.
דאָס ביכל קען מען באַשטעלן דאָ.
The post VIDEO: Moishele Alfonso on the new book of I. L. Peretz stories for students appeared first on The Forward.
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VIDEO: Peter, Paul and Mary’s “Light One Candle” — in Yiddish
If, like me, you enjoy listening to old recordings of the iconic folk group Peter, Paul and Mary, you may want to check this out: a new Yiddish version of their Hanukkah song “Light One Candle,” sung by another talented trio — Rabbi Avram, Elisha and Sarah Mlotek. (A transliteration of the lyrics appears beneath the video below.)
The three siblings are the grown children of Zalmen Mlotek, musician and director of the Yiddish National Theater Folksbiene, and his wife, Debbie Mlotek. Rabbi Avram is a writer, Elisha is a filmmaker and Sarah is studying music at a conservatory in Israel — and just became a mom.
Their singing is backed up by C. Joseph Lanzbom on guitar and Elisha on percussion.
The original song, which was written by Peter Yarrow, became an anthem for the Soviet Jewry movement in the 1980s, symbolizing their struggle for freedom. It was translated into Yiddish by the theater producer Moishe Rosenfeld and Avram Mlotek.
“‘Light One Candle’ was one of our Bubbe’s favorite songs every time we got together for a Hanukkah sing-along,” Avram said. Their Bubbe was the renowned scholar of Yiddish song, Chana Mlotek. For many years, she and her husband, the Yiddish cultural activist Yosl Mlotek, ran a column about Yiddish songs and poetry in the Forward.
Although Hanukkah is still a month away, Bubby Chana’s grandchildren had a meaningful reason for publishing it now: This week marks her yortzeit.
TRANSLITERATION
Eyn likht shaynt far di heldishe kinder
A dank vos dos likht geyt nit oys
Eyn likht shaynt far di payn un di laydn
Di sakone’z geven azoy groys
Eyn likht flakert far korbones un laydn
Az yoysher un frayhayt zol zayn
Eyn likhtl flakert far khokhme un visn
Far frayhayt un sholem zol zayn.
Lesht nit di likhtlekh oys!
Zey flakern shoyn doyres-lang
Lesht nit di likhtlekh oys!
Balaykhtn durkh undzer gezang!
Eyn likht flakert tsu gebn undz koyekh
Az eybik mir’n blaybn getray
Eyn likht flakert far mentshn vos laydn
Oykh mir zenen nisht geven fray
Eyn likhtl flakert far zise khaloymes
Tseteyln zol undz nisht der kas
Un eyn likhtl flakert tsu haltn tsuzamen
Mit sholem un mer nisht kayn has
Lesht nit di likhtlekh oys!
Zey flakern shoyn doyres-lang
Lesht nit di likhtlekh oys!
Balaykhtn durkh undzer gezang!
Vos iz di mayse vos iz azoy tayer
Vos lebt eybik in undzer flam?
Vos iz di shvue tsu fargangene doyres
Az es lebt undzer folk, undzer am?
Mir kumen, mir geyen, mir hofn, mir gloybn
Az yoysher vet vern der klal
Dos iz der viln, dos iz di shvue
A shenere velt iberal!
Lesht nit di likhtlekh oys!
Zey flakern shoyn doyres-lang
Lesht nit di likhtlekh oys!
Balaykhtn durkh undzer gezang!
The post VIDEO: Peter, Paul and Mary’s “Light One Candle” — in Yiddish appeared first on The Forward.