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The Jewish Sport Report: Why there are so many Jewish sports halls of fame
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Happy Friday, sports fans!
The International Chess Federation Championship is underway in Kazakhstan, and Russian-Jewish grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi is currently leading in a best of 14 tournament.
With Yom Hashoah earlier this week, chess.com shared the remarkable story of Holocaust survivor Isabelle Choko, who would go on to win the 1956 French Women’s Chess Championship.
Why there are so many Jewish sports halls of fame
The St. Louis Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, located at the St. Louis JCC. (Courtesy)
From Philadelphia to Southern California, Oregon to St. Louis, and many more locations around the United States, there are walls, halls and exhibits celebrating Jewish athletes and industry executives.
As I discovered more and more of these organizations, I was curious: why are there so many?
When I spoke to leaders and members of numerous halls around the country, a few themes emerged. One was the notion of celebrating Jewish success in sports as a way to combat antisemitism and negative stereotypes.
“We want to call attention to that because of the antisemitic trope that Jews are not good soldiers, farmers or athletes. We need to overcome that,” said Jed Margolis, who runs the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in Israel.
Check out my full deep-dive into Jewish sports halls of fame right here.
Halftime report
MARCHING ON. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft led a delegation at this week’s March of the Living in Poland, the annual program that commemorates the victims and survivors of the Holocaust. Kraft was joined by rapper Meek Mill, who Kraft has befriended after advocating for his release from prison in 2018.
PROMOTED. Orthodox MLB prospect Jacob Steinmetz was promoted to Single-A this week, where he made his official minor league debut as a member of the Visalia Rawhide, an Arizona Diamondbacks’ affiliate. Steinmetz struck out four across three innings, allowing one run on three hits.
SHE ISRAELI FAST. Israeli runner Lonah Chemtai Salpeter came in third place in the Boston Marathon women’s race on Monday. Salpeter finished with a time of 2:21:55 — 17 seconds behind the winner but an improvement over her performance in last fall’s New York Marathon, where she finished in second.
MAY HIS MEMORY BE A BLESSING. Eli Wolff, a former Paralympic soccer player and respected disability rights advocate, made an impact across the sports world. Wolff helped push the MLB to rename its “disabled list” to the “injured list,” and he is credited with creating the annual award for best male and female athlete with a disability at ESPN’s ESPY Awards. Wolff died earlier this month at 45.
OPPORTUNITY ALERT. Maccabi USA is accepting applications through April 30 for its next Maccabi Media cohort, a program for college students and recent grads who are interested in sports media. (You may remember that some of their fellows contributed to the Jewish Sport Report during last year’s Maccabiah Games.) The next group will travel to Argentina for the 2023 Pan American Maccabi Games. Learn more information and apply here.
Harrison Bader visits an iconic Jewish deli in NYC
New York Yankees outfielder Harrison Bader, left, and celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson at Liebman’s Deli in the Bronx. (E.H. Wallop/YES Network)
New York Yankees outfielder Harrison Bader recently stopped by Liebman’s Deli in the Bronx, joining celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson for an episode of Samuelsson’s “Home Plate: New York” program on the YES Network.
Bader helps season the brisket, enjoys a piping hot bowl of matzah ball soup and sits down to a classic Jewish deli meal with Samuelsson to talk baseball and his upbringing in New York.
“Obviously my father was my first coach,” Bader told Samuelsson. “Without my dad pitching to me every day, since I was 5 years old, I would be nowhere.”
Read more about the episode here.
Jews in sports to watch this weekend
IN HOCKEY…
Zach Hyman and the Edmonton Oilers take on the Los Angeles Kings tonight at 10 p.m. ET in Game 3 of the first round of the NHL playoffs, which is currently tied 1-1; Game 4 is Sunday at 9 p.m. ET. Jack and Luke Hughes and the New Jersey Devils face Adam Fox and the New York Rangers Saturday at 8 p.m. ET in Game 3. The Rangers are up 2-0 in the series.
IN BASKETBALL…
Domantas Sabonis, who is converting to Judaism, and the Sacramento Kings are up 2-1 against the Golden State Warriors. Sabonis scored 15 points in Game 3 on Thursday after suffering a sternum injury in Game 2, when he was stomped on by Draymond Green, who was suspended over the incident. Game 4 is Sunday at 3:30 p.m ET on ABC.
IN BASEBALL…
Max Fried, who earned his first win of the season on Monday, starts for the Atlanta Braves Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET against Alex Bregman and the defending champion Houston Astros. Richard Bleier and the Boston Red Sox face Rowdy Tellez and the Milwaukee Brewers in a three-game set this weekend.
IN SOCCER…
Manor Solomon and Fulham F.C. play Leeds United in a Premier League matchup Saturday at 7:30 a.m. ET.
A very Jewish NHL playoff matchup
The NHL playoff series between the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers features three Jewish players, not to mention a classic tri-state rivalry. One Twitter user suggested it may even be the first time a playoff series in one of the major sports has featured two teams whose best player is Jewish, with Adam Fox for the Rangers and Jack Hughes on the Devils. Can you think of another example? Reply to this email or join the conversation on Twitter!
This is a fantastic point. Alex Bregman/Max Fried comes close in the 2021 World Series.
Any other Jewish postseason matchups come to mind? https://t.co/UHKrwvCtR8
— The Jewish Sport Report (@JTASportReport) April 20, 2023
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The post The Jewish Sport Report: Why there are so many Jewish sports halls of fame appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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UK Police Charge Two Men in Connection with Filming Antisemitic TikTok Videos
The TikTok logo is pictured outside the company’s US head office in Culver City, California, US, Sep. 15, 2020. Photo: REUTERS
British police have charged two men with religiously aggravated harassment offenses after they were alleged to have traveled to a Jewish area of north London to film antisemitic social media videos.
The two men, Adam Bedoui, 20, and Abdelkader Amir Bousloub, 21, are due to appear at Thames Magistrates’ Court, a statement from the Crown Prosecution Service said on Saturday.
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US Imposes Sanctions on Companies It Accuses of Aiding Iran’s Weapons Sector
A bronze seal for the Department of the Treasury is shown at the US Treasury building in Washington, US, Jan. 20, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
The US Treasury on Friday announced sanctions against 10 individuals and companies, including several in China and Hong Kong, over accusations they aided Iran’s efforts to secure weapons and the raw materials needed to build its Shahed drones and ballistic missiles.
The Treasury move, first reported by Reuters, comes days before US President Donald Trump plans to travel to China for a meeting with President Xi Jinping and as efforts to end the war with Iran have stalled.
In a statement, Treasury said it remained ready to take economic action against Iran’s military industrial base to prevent Tehran from reconstituting its production capacity.
Treasury said it was also prepared to act against any foreign company supporting illicit Iranian commerce, including airlines, and could impose secondary sanctions on foreign financial institutions that aid Iran’s efforts, including those connected to China’s independent “teapot” oil refineries.
Brett Erickson, managing principal at Obsidian Risk Advisors, said Treasury’s actions were aimed at cracking down on Iran’s ability to threaten ships operating in the Strait of Hormuz and regional allies.
Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow chokepoint between Iran and Oman through which a fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas passes, after the US and Israel attacked a large number of targets in Iran on February 28. Shipping through the crucial waterway has ground to a near halt since the war began, sending energy prices sharply higher.
Iran is a major drone manufacturer and has the industrial capacity to produce around 10,000 a month, according to the British government-fund Center for Information Resilience.
Erickson said the sanctions were still narrowly focused, giving Iran more time to adapt and reroute procurement to other suppliers. Treasury was also not yet going after Chinese banks that were keeping Iran’s economy going, he added.
The companies facing sanctions include:
• China-based Yushita Shanghai International Trade Co Ltd for facilitating acquisition efforts for Iran to purchase weapons from China.
• Dubai-based Elite Energy FZCO for transferring millions of dollars to a Hong Kong company to aid the procurement effort.
• Hong Kong-based HK Hesin Industry Co Ltd and Belarus-based Armory Alliance LLC for working as intermediaries in the procurements.
• Hong Kong-based Mustad Ltd for facilitating weapon procurement by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
• Iran-based Pishgam Electronic Safeh Co for procuring motors used in drones.
• China-based Hitex Insulation Ningbo Co Ltd for supplying materials used in ballistic missiles.
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Gaza Flotilla Activists to Be Released From Israel Detention and Deported
Brazilian Activist Thiago Avila, who was detained aboard the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, which was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters, appears at a court in Beersheba, southern Israel May 6, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo
Two activists arrested last month when Israeli forces intercepted the Gaza-bound flotilla they were traveling on are expected to be deported in the coming days after being released from security detention on Saturday, their lawyers said.
Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish national, and Brazilian Thiago Avila were detained by Israeli authorities on April 29 and brought to Israel.
The activists were part of a second Global Sumud Flotilla launched from Spain on April 12 to try to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza by delivering aid to the enclave.
Israel’s foreign ministry said Abu Keshek was suspected of affiliation with a terrorist organization and Avila was suspected of illegal activity. Both denied the allegations.
BRAZIL AND SPAIN SAID THE DETENTION WAS UNLAWFUL
The governments of Spain and Brazil said Abu Keshek’s and Avila’s detention was unlawful, but Israel’s Ashkelon Magistrate’s Court remanded them in custody until May 10.
Human rights group Adalah, which has assisted in their legal defense and also said the detention was unlawful, said that Abu Keshek and Avila were informed that they will be released from detention on Saturday and handed over to immigration authorities’ custody until their deportation.
“Adalah is closely monitoring developments to make sure that the release from detention goes ahead, followed by their deportation from Israel in the coming days,” the group said. Israeli officials were not immediately reachable for comment.
Israeli authorities held them under suspicion of offenses that included aiding the enemy and contact with a terrorist group.
Gaza is largely run by Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.