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The Jewish Sport Report: This legendary Jewish sportswriter has a story to tell
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Hello and happy Friday!
With seven out of eight NHL first-round series reaching Game 6, these Stanley Cup Playoffs have not disappointed. And the Jewish players remaining have played a critical role for their teams.
Adam Fox has six assists for the New York Rangers, tied for third-most in the league during these playoffs. Zach Hyman has two assists and two goals for the Edmonton Oilers — one that he scored with his face (yes, really), and an overtime goal to win Game 4. Jack Hughes has three goals for the New Jersey Devils, including this smooth move on Monday. (Jack’s brother Luke has not appeared in a game for the Devils this postseason.)
Read on for this weekend’s Jewish hockey schedule.
Jerry Izenberg, Jewish reporter who covered 53 Super Bowls, has a story to tell
Jerry Izenberg, left, and boxing legend Muhammad Ali. (The Private Collection of Jerry Izenberg)
After 72 years as a sportswriter, Jerry Izenberg has quite the statline. He covered the first 53 Super Bowls. He went to 58 Kentucky Derbies. He’s covered thousands of boxing matches, and counted Muhammad Ali as a close personal friend. He’s covered the Olympics, World Cup, the list goes on.
The sports-writing legend has a new story to tell — about his Jewish upbringing in Newark.
Izenberg’s memoir, “Baseball, Nazis, and Nedick’s Hot Dogs: Growing Up Jewish in the 1930s in Newark,” hits shelves Monday. It’s a deeply personal — and funny — retelling of his childhood, centering on his relationship with his father, with whom he shared a serious passion for baseball.
“I’ve had a great life, and I’m having a great life, but I ain’t done yet,” the 92-year-old told me in an interview this week. He’s as fiery as ever.
Read more on the legendary sportswriter here.
Halftime report
NOT BUYING IT. When South Africa disinvited an Israeli team from an international rugby tournament last month, they claimed it was for safety and security reasons — an explanation that rugby’s global governing body has since affirmed. But the Tel Aviv Heat aren’t so sure about that. I spoke with the team’s CEO about it.
JEWISH FANS ARSENAL. In response to a number of recent antisemitic incidents among its fans, the Premier League club Arsenal announced the creation of a new affiliation group for Jewish fans called the “Jewish Gooners,” which incorporates the nickname for Arsenal fans.
THE YANKS ARE ABOUT TO GET BADER. New York Yankees Jewish outfielder Harrison Bader is nearing a return to action after missing the beginning of the season with an injury. Bader is rehabbing in the minor leagues, and is eyeing the Yankees’ May 5-7 series against the Tampa Bay Rays as a target for his season debut. (We still think it was the matzah ball soup that helped him heal.)
FIFA WITH THE ASSIST. FIFA is continuing its relationship with the Peres Centerfor Peace and Innovation in Israel, extending its financial support another year for the organization that uses sports as a vehicle for unity. Another Israeli program, “The Equalizer,” is receiving a $30,000 grant.
PEARL JAM. San Francisco Giants All-Star outfielder Joc Pederson celebrated his 31st birthday last Friday, and thanks to Team Israel, he did so in style. As a thank you for representing Israel in last month’s World Baseball Classic, Israel presented the fashionable slugger with a Jewish star pearl necklace.
we are so unbelievably grateful to all who choose to play with Team Israel on the global stage
Joc Pederson, at 20 years old, was with us in 2012 for the qualifiers
and then again in 2023 in Miami for the WBC
happy birthday, @yungjoc650, and thank you always pic.twitter.com/Rbb0JLFUcx
— Israel Baseball (@ILBaseball) April 22, 2023
Jews in sports to watch this weekend
IN HOCKEY…
Zach Hyman and the Oilers are up 3-2 over the Los Angeles Kings — Game 6 is Saturday at 10 p.m. ET. Jack and Luke Hughes and the Devils are up 3-2 over Adam Fox and the New York Rangers; Game 6 is Saturday at 8 p.m. ET. If either series reaches Game 7, they would be Monday.
IN BASKETBALL…
Domantas Sabonis and the Sacramento Kings look to stave off elimination against the Golden State Warriors tonight at 8 p.m. ET. If they win, Game 7 would be Sunday.
IN BASEBALL…
Max Fried, who is sporting a 0.60 ERA in three starts, takes the mound for the Atlanta Braves tonight at 7:10 p.m. ET against the New York Mets. Dean Kremer starts for the Baltimore Orioles Saturday at 1:10 p.m. ET against the Detroit Tigers. In a World Series rematch, Alex Bregman and the Houston Astros face Garrett Stubbs and the Philadelphia Phillies in a three-game set this weekend.
IN SOCCER…
Manor Solomon and Fulham F.C. take on Man City Sunday at 9 a.m. ET. The New Jersey Red Bulls are not off to a great start in the MLS season, but they do feature 20-year-old Jewish midfielder Daniel Edelman. The Red Bulls play the Chicago Fire tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. ET.
IN RACING…
Three races into the Formula One season, Jewish Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll has 20 points, more than he earned all of last season. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is this weekend, with lights out at 7 a.m. ET on Sunday.
Go team, go
The New York Knicks took care of the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, which begin this weekend. And as the irreverent Instagram page Old Jewish Men points out, the team is not lacking in the, well, old Jewish men department — with fans like Jon Stewart, Howard Stern, Jerry Seinfeld and others helping cheer them on.
The Knicks also have a rich Jewish history. In the first-ever game in what would become the NBA, the New York Knickerbockers took on the Toronto Huskies, and featured four Jewish players in their starting lineup (plus two more on the bench). Can you name them? Email us at sports@jta.org with your answer!
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The post The Jewish Sport Report: This legendary Jewish sportswriter has a story to tell appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Some Tankers Cross Strait of Hormuz Before Shots Fired, Ship-Tracking Data Shows
A satellite image shows the ship movement at the Strait of Hormuz on April 17, 2026, in Space. EUROPEAN UNION/COPERNICUS SENTINEL-2/Handout via REUTERS
More than a dozen tankers, including three sanctioned vessels, passed through the Strait of Hormuz after a 50-day blockade was lifted on Friday, shipping data showed, before Iran reimposed restrictions on Saturday and fired at some vessels.
Reopening the strait is key for Gulf producers to resume full oil and gas supplies to the world, and end what the International Energy Agency has called the worst-ever supply disruption.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday Iran had agreed to open the strait, while Iranian officials said they wanted the US to fully lift its blockade of Iranian tankers.
Western shipping companies cautiously welcomed the announcements but said more clarity was needed, including on the presence of sea mines, before their vessels could transit.
IRAN RESUMES RESTRICTIONS
The ships that passed through the strait on Friday and Saturday via Iranian waters south of Larak island were mainly older, non-Western-owned vessels and included four sanctioned ships, according to ship-tracking data.
Iran arranged passage for a limited number of oil tankers and commercial ships following prior agreements in negotiations, a spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said.
Other ships have been seen approaching the strait and turning back as Iran said it would maintain strict controls as long as the US continues its blockade of Iranian ports.
The UK Navy reported on Saturday that Iranian gunboats fired at some ships attempting to cross the strait.
Some merchant vessels received radio messages from Iran’s navy saying the strait was shut again and that no ships were allowed to pass, shipping sources said on Saturday.
Ship-tracking data showed five vessels loaded with liquefied natural gas from Ras Laffan in Qatar approaching the strait on Saturday morning.
No LNG cargoes have transited the waterway since the US-Israeli war with Iran began on February 28.
Hundreds of ships have been stuck in the Gulf since the conflict started and Tehran closed the strait, forcing Gulf oil and gas producers to sharply cut production.
Top producers such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq and Kuwait say they need steady tanker flows and unrestricted passage through the strait to resume normal export operations.
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Trump Greenlights Russian Oil to Ease Strain on Global Markets After War with Iran
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington, DC, US, March 27, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
i24 News – The Trump administration has authorized a 30-day emergency waiver allowing the maritime purchase of Russian oil, reversing a hardline stance in an effort to stabilize skyrocketing global energy prices.
The Treasury Department announced Friday that the license for crude and petroleum products will remain in effect until May 16, 2026, responding to intense pressure from international partners struggling with the fallout of the war with Iran.
This policy pivot comes as a surprise after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested earlier this week that no further exemptions would be granted:
“As negotiations with Iran accelerate, the administration seeks to ensure oil availability for those who need it most. We must prevent a total price collapse for consumers while the geopolitical situation remains volatile.”
Ensuring global oil availability is paramount for the US as over 80 energy facilities in the Middle East have been damaged by recent war with Iran. With the November midterm elections approaching, record-high fuel prices at the pump remain a primary vulnerability for the Republican party. By allowing Russian oil back into the maritime flow, the administration hopes to neutralize “pain at the pump” before voters head to the polls.
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UK: Islamist Group Claims to Attack Israeli Embassy with ‘Drones Carrying Radioactive, Carcinogenic Materials’
A UK man has been arrested for allegedly threatening a group of Jews while wielding an ax on Rosh Hashanah. Photo: Tony Webster / Wikimedia Commons.
i24 News – British police officers in protective clothing were seen investigating a “security incident” near the Israeli embassy in London on Friday, after a jihadist group put out a video showing it launching two drones allegedly carrying radioactive and carcinogenic materials toward the embassy.
“There is an increased police presence in Kensington Gardens and officers are assessing a number of discarded items. As a precaution, some of the officers who have been deployed are wearing protective clothing. We recognize this may concern local residents and the wider public,” police said in a statement.
“Counter Terrorism Policing London are aware of a video shared online overnight in which a group claims to have targeted the nearby embassy of Israel with drones carrying dangerous substances,” the statement further read. “While we can confirm that the embassy has not been attacked, we are carrying out urgent inquiries to determine the authenticity of the video and to identify any potential link between it and the items discarded in Kensington Gardens.”
The incident comes amid a steep hike in antisemitic attacks in Britain targeting Jewish and Israeli individuals and institutions.
The group that released the video was identified as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, a shadowy entity with suspected ties to Iran. It has already claimed seven attacks against Jewish institutions, including an arson attack in London where four ambulances owned by the Hatzolah charity were torched.