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Welcome to the Center for Sport and Jewish Life
"Where Bob Costas meets Bar Cochbah"
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Bruchim Ha-Ba’im! Welcome to the website of the Center for Sport
and Jewish Life. We are pleased to have visitors from all over the world, and
hope that you will enjoy the articles posted here.
We want to hear from you! Please write us at
JewishSports@gmail.com, with your ideas for stories, to let us know of
Jewish athletes competing at the high school or collegiate level, if you are
interested in writing for us, or
to let us know you stopped by. We hope to see you back
here soon! |
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ZACK ROSEN: THE FIGHTING QUAKER |
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Some readers may recall the movie Friendly Persuasion, starring Gary Cooper,
about the Quaker who wouldn’t fight. Philadelphia being a town where some of
your best Jews are Friends (as the saying goes), one modern day Quaker is
the embodiment of the fighting spirit. Well… Quaker by team affiliation, Jew
by personal commitment.
Click
for article |
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Mazal Tov, Omri! |
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Omri Casspi, Sacramento Kings'
Israeli rookie, was named to the 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend rookie team that
will match off against league sophomores. The Rookie Challenge game will be
played in Dallas on February 12.
The Israeli forward, who has
surpassed expectations with a strong first-half season with the Kings, will
be joined - among others - by teammate Tyreke Evans, whom many consider to
be the league's best rookie, along with Brandon Jennings (Milwaukee),
Stephen Curry (Golden State), and Sweden's Jonas Jerebko (Detroit).
Through the first 42 games this
season, Casspi has registered just over 12 points per game while playing 27
minutes. He has grabbed nearly five rebounds per game while shooting 47
percent from the floor. |
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HELP THE PEOPLE OF HAITI VIA JEWISH/ISRAELI
ORGANIZATIONS |
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If you saw NBC Nightly News on Tuesday night you couldn’t help but
feel a great deal of pride to see the report of how Israel dispatched two
jumbo jets to Haiti immediately after last week’s disaster – one full of
medical supplies and equipment, the other with medical personnel. The
Israeli presence represents not only best example of Jewish sensitivity to
the suffering of others, but also the most advanced high tech medical
equipment, enabling the Israel medical team to see and treat a vast number
of individuals in an efficient way and be able to share diagnoses with
experts around the world in cases where consultation is needed.
THIS CALL IS FOR
ALL VISITORS TO THIS WEBSITE who want to respond as a group to make a
combined contribution... |
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Two Athletes Reach Career Highs |
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JARED MINTZ, junior forward on the Lafayette College men's basketball team,
scored 26 points - a career high - in a December 29 game against the
University of Delaware. After leading throughout the second half, Lafayette
lost in OT to Delaware, 82-72.
Mintz, who is Lafayette’s leading scorer, is currently fifth in Patriot
League scoring with 14.7 ppg, and sixth in rebounds with 6 rpg. He leads the
conference in field goal percentage with .604 (ranking him 26th in the
nation) and is fourth in free throw percentage (.863). The Toronto native is
also the top performing Canadian in the NCAA ranks (some 80 players), tied
in scoring and rebounds with Andrew Nicholson of St. Bonaventure.
Five days after the loss to Delaware, Mintz, together with teammate
MICHAEL GRUNER (highlighted in an article posted on JewishSport.org) and the
rest of the Lafayette squad held off an attempt by opponent Penn to win
their own first game of the season. Despite a career high 30 points by Penn
sophomore guard (and U.S. Maccabiah squad member) ZACK ROSEN (tying the Penn
record, as well as the record for 3-pointers in a game with six), who
spearheaded a 15-4 run in the second half, Penn came up short, falling to
Lafayette 72-62. |
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Up Close and Personal with... Michael Gruner,
Lafayette Basketball |
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“When it comes to a good combination of academics and athletics, there are
very few leagues that have this to the extent that the Patriot League does.
So when I was offered a scholarship to Lafayette College (Easton, PA) it was
exactly what I was looking for.”
More... |
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Casspi Hits 14 as Kings Lost to Heat |
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Congratulations to Omri Casspi for a good night's work - pumping in 14
points off 5-for-8 shooting (4-for-4 from behind the arc) in the Kings-Heat
contest. Unfortunately a good night for Casspi wasn't enough as the Kings
fell to the Heat 115-102. |
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The Center for Sport and Jewish Life on Facebook |
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Sign up to be a fan of the Center for Sport and Jewish Life on Facebook
where you will find shorter postings and updates.
Click here. |
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David Beckham's Jewish Grandather Passes Away |
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Here and there soccer great David Beckham's Jewish connection has been
noted.
The London Jewish Chronicle posted notice of the passing of Beckham's Jewish
grandfather.
An additional story mentioned the possibility that the Beckhams were
planning to enroll a son in the pre-school at Los Angeles' Stephen Wise
Temple. |
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Glasser leads ASU to win at the Garden |
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Arizona State's Derek Glasser shoots
against LSU's Storm Warren during the
second half of an NCAA game played at
Madison Square Garden in New York on
27 Nov 09. AP Photo by Julie Jacobson. |
Congratulations to Derek Glasser, Arizona State senior guard, who led his
team to a 71-52 defeat of LSU to take 3rd place honors in the pre-season NIT
at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Sun Devils trailed 34-27 at the
half, but held the Tigers to a paltry 2-for-17 shooting coming into the
second half.
Glasser put in a career high 24 points, and received high marks from TV
color analyst Bobby Knight, who praised his intelligence, determination, and
concentration. He observes the game and it sinks in to what he is doing,
noted Knight.
Arizona State coach Herb Sendek is a member of the Center for Sport
and Jewish Life advisory board.
In a contest for first place honors, Duke's Jon Scheyer (also previously
highlighted here at JewishSport.org) had 19 points, 5 rebounds and 5
assists to help lead Duke to a 68-59 win over UConn. Scheyer was named
Tournament Most Outstanding Player. Mazel tov to Derek and Jon, and our best
wishes for a great and memorable senior season to both!!! |
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Olympic record restored to 95 year old Jewish woman
after 73 years |
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Germany has restored the 1936 high jump record to a 95-year-old New York
woman who was kicked off the Nazi Olympic team because she was Jewish.
Read more here. |
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Ani V'Ata - An
Athlete-led Initiative Reaching out to Ourselves and Others -
CLICK HERE |
| Across the country, hundreds and thousands of people are
stepping up in a new spirit of volunteerism, a kind of re-incarnation of
President Kennedy’s inaugural exhortation that we ask not what our country
can do for us, but what we can do for others. The Center for Sport
and Jewish Life is issuing the call to athletes and others to join our
initiative! |
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Would YOU like to write for the Center for
Sport and Jewish Life? |
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The Center for Sport and Jewish Life is looking for writers interested in
writing for us (interviews, etc.) and younger writers (ages 12-17) to write
for our teen page. If you are interested, please write us at info@csjl.org. |
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MARATHON MAZEL TOV |
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Hearty congratulations to Center for Sport and Jewish Life Vice President
Dr. Ed Leibowitz and his wife Mindy, who took part in the recent New York
City Marathon. The first-timers finished the 26.2 mile race in 5 hours and
12 minutes. "I have never been part of anything so exciting," commented Dr.
Leibowitz. The presence of 43,000 runners and some 2.5 million spectators
was overwhelming. It was also really special to have accomplished this great
goal together with my wife." Added Mrs. Leibowitz, "it was the most
thrilling experience of my life." Ed and Mindy, yasher kokhakhem (way to
go)! |
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Mazel Tov, Omri! |
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Omri Casspi, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s young forward, made history when he became
the first Israeli ever selected in the first round of the NBA draft, thus
guaranteeing him a contract. Casspi, who turned 21 just three days earlier,
was selected with the 23rd pick by the Sacramento Kings...
Entire Article » |
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Holding “court” with Bruce Pearl |
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University of Tennessee head men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl is finally
going to fulfill his dream of visiting Israel, when Pearl will coach the
U.S. men’s team in the upcoming Maccabiah Games, which will take place in
mid-July.
“I had always planned after high school to go to Israel,” Pearl told
JewishSport.org...
Entire Article » |
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An Israeli in the NBA ... Finally??? |
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When the NBA holds its annual draft on Thursday night June 25, one more
Israeli player wonders if he might be the first Israeli to actually play in
the NBA. Doron Sheffer, Lior Eliyahu and Yotam Halperin have all been
drafted, but to date, no player has ever worn an NBA uniform. Jerusalem Post
writer Allon Sinai explores the possibilities that Omri Casspi might be the
first.
Click here. |
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Israelis Help UCLA Men to NCAA Tennis Quarterfinals
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Israelis Amit Inbar and Har'el
Srugo teamed up on the no. 2 doubles court to defeat their counterparts from
the University of Miami helping the #7 seeded UCLA men win the doubles
point. Then Srugo won his singles match to help UCLA to a 4-1 win in opening
round play of the top 16 Division 1 men's tennis teams. UCLA advances to the
quarterfinals for the 33rd consecutive year.
As a doubles team, Srugo and
Inbar are 14-0 for the year.
UCLA will face second-seeded
Mississippi on May 16. |
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Seth Davis: The Rashi of College Basketball |
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Rashi (aka Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaki, 1040-1105) was the foremost Biblical
commentator of medieval times. Known for his commentating on the college
hoop scene, Seth Davis is similarly adept at exploring and explaining the
nuances of the annual quest for that “one magic moment” known as the Final
Four. Fresh from his TV duties, and having recently completed his book,
When March Went Mad: The Game That Transformed Basketball, about
the 1979 pairing of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, Seth took time to talk
with JewishSport.org. Here
is what he had to say... |
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Gail Brodsky: Tennis Up-and-Comer |
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While most 17-year-olds are busy making spring plans for their prom, Gail
Brodsky was pursuing a spot in the upcoming French Open. By mutual agreement
with the United States Tennis Association and the U.S. Open, one wildcard
spot for an American player who otherwise does not qualify for the main
men’s and women’s draw was made available through a playoff, which was held
at the end of April in Boca Raton, Florida. Brodsky was one of 11 young
women seeking the wildcard spot.
Entire Article » |
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Mazel Tov, Josh Pastner |
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The Center for Sport and Jewish Life extends best wishes to Josh Pastner, a
member of our National Advisory Board, on his recent appointment as Head
Men's Basketball Coach at the University of Memphis. Pastner, who spent the
past year as an assistant to head coach John Calipari at Memphis after 6
years as an assistant to Coach Lute Olson at Arizona, was named to the
position by the Memphis athletic director within days of the departure of
Calipari, who has been named the new head coach at Kentucky. For the skinny
on the making of the newest Jewish coach to join the head coaching ranks,
click here. |
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Israeli Tennis Players Take Center Court in
California |
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March 21, 2009. Indian Wells, CA - Israel was represented at the
championship finals in both men’s and women’s doubles play at the Indian
Wells BNP Paribas Open, which was winding up as March Madness was just
getting underway elsewhere around the country.
Entire Article » |
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Derek Glasser's Spectacular Play Helps Arizona
State Past NCAA 1st Round Play |
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It was his first time at the Big Dance, and he stepped up with a huge
performance. Junior guard Derek Glasser’s 22 points went a big way
toward helping Arizona State |
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advance to beat Temple and advance to second round play in
the 2009 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
More » |
Photos by Bruce Yeung, Yeung Photography |
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Israel-Sweden Davis Cup Play: Down to the Wire |
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Malmo, Sweden --- It was March Madness – after a fashion. After the second
day of Davis Cup play, Israel trailed host Sweden 2 matches to 3. On the
last day of play (3/8/09) Israel’s big gun, Dudi Sela, won his second match
of the series, but it took him five sets to do it, after two of the three
previous matches also went down to the fifth set. Now Israel was tied, and
Har’el Levy, who had lost on Friday, faced Andreas Vinciguerra. Whoever won
would present their team with a ticket to Davis Cup quarter-final play.
More » |
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This Andy Went to Dubai, That Andy Stayed Home |
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Israeli tennis player Andy Ram got to Dubai after all. Following all the
fuss with Shahar Pe’er, who was barred from entering the country and thus
kept out of the women’s draw one week earlier, (and having been denied
entrance along with his regular doubles partner and fellow Israeli Yoni
Erlich in 2008), the UAE authorities granted Ram a visa at the last minute.
Meanwhile, another Andy made history of his own by NOT showing up in Dubai.
More » |
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Israeli Davis Cup Team Faces Sweden in Empty Arena |
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March 4, 2009 – Superman had his Fortress of Solitude. The Israeli Davis Cup
team may have their own version in frigid Sweden when they meet the Swedes
this weekend in the southern Swedish town of Malmo which is hosting the
matches. More » |
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Israeli Tennis Star Dudi Sela: Making A Racquet |
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Dudi Sela is currently ranked no. 65 in the world on the ATP tour. He was in
south Florida recently to compete in the Delray Beach International Tennis
Championships, and took time out to talk with the Center for Sport and
Jewish Life.
More » |
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MATZO MATZO MAN - I WANT TO ASK THE MATZO MAN!
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With apologies to the Village People... here's your chance to ask the
experts. The Center for Sport and Jewish Life invites you to ask your
sports-related questions, and we will do our best to obtain a knowledgeable
response from selected athletes, coaches, sportswriters, sports physicians,
trainers, nutritionists and others. Submit your question to
info@jewishsport.org, and include your name (questions will be published
using first names only), location, and if you play or are a fan of any
particular sport(s). |
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Shahar Pe’er denied participation in Dubai Tennis
Championships |
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Responding to the denial by the United Arab Emirates to grant a visa to
Israeli tennis player Shahar Pe’er to participate in this week’s Dubai
Tennis Championships, Jewish leaders and Israeli officials have called upon
the Women’s Tennis Association, under whose auspices the event takes place,
to remove it from its 2010 calendar.
Entire Article » |
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Weber-Gale: Swimming to Olympic History |
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Garrett Weber-Gale, Michael Phelps
celebrate |
Thrilling – amazing – a dream come true. That is how Olympic
swimmer Garrett Weber-Gale described his summer at the Beijing Olympics. As
it happened, he won a couple of gold medals in the process – and helped
Michael Phelps win his history-making eight gold medals. Weber-Gale spoke
with the Center for Sport and Jewish Life recently;
this is what
he had to say... |
| "SPORT and JEWISH
LIFE” Winning Essay |
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Earlier this year, the Center for Sport and
Jewish Life held its 4th “Sport and Jewish Life” essay contest. This year’s
theme – “What does it take to succeed in sports?” - was timed with the
Summer Olympic Games. Click here to read one of the winning essays:
The Attribute
that Most Guarantees Success in Sports and in Life,
by Adina Erdfarb. Check back soon for details of the next essay contest. |
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(and White) Devil Jon Scheyer |
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Some years ago, St. Joseph’s University’s
men’s basketball team was scheduled to play Lute Olson’s Wildcats in Tucson.
A snowstorm prevented the St. Joe’s team from getting to Arizona, and as a
result they had to forfeit the game. To gain sympathy, St. Joe’s coach Phil
Martelli (this was in the pre-Jameer Nelson glory days) commented that
whereas Arizona had players that were McDonald’s All-Americans, St. Joe’s
had players that ate at McDonalds. The point being, of course, that
McDonald’s All-Americans signed to play at top programs.
With 14 Final Four appearances (3rd behind UCLA
and North Carolina) and three NCAA championships, Duke basketball is
certainly one of those top teams, with its fair share of high school
McDonald’s All-Americans. One member of the current Duke team holds the
record as the only Jewish McDonald’s All-American to date. Sophomore guard
Jon Scheyer recently spoke with our reporter. Here is what he had to say:
Entire Article » |
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Jon Scheyer |
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In Memoriam: Legendary Israeli
Coach Ralph Klein, 1931-2008 |
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It is with great sadness that the Center for
Sport and Jewish Life shares with our readers the news that legendary
Israeli basketball coach Ralph Klein has passed away at the age of 77. Klein
served as one of two Honorary Presidents of the Center, along with MLB
Commissioner Bud Selig.
Klein had spent the past week in the hospital
with health complications. Three years ago he battled cancer, and had
subsequently been in remission.
Klein has been recognized on numerous occasions
for his many accomplishments. In 1998, he was chosen as Israeli Coach of the
Half-Century. In 2006 he received the prestigious Israel Prize (something
like the Congressional Medal of Honor), which is awarded each year on Yom
HaAtzma’ut (Israeli Independence Day) to a dozen or so individuals from the
arts, education, industry and other realms.
Entire Article » |
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The
Jewish Boys of Springtime |
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On the Jewish calendar, March
means Purim, and recalling the time that lots were cast to determine the
fate of Persian Jews. For aspiring minor league baseball players, March
means spring training, at the end of which ones fate is determined – as far
as season assignments in the hierarchy of the clubs farm teams.
Two Jewish minor leaguers,
both pitchers, both in their third season of professional play, spoke
recently to the Center for Sport and Jewish Life. Here’s what Avi
Rasowsky and
Josh Appell
had to say about life in the minor leagues.
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Avi Rasowsky Josh Appell
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Jewish
Sports Center, HaKo'Ach, Re-opens in Vienna |
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On March 11, 2008, the
Associated Press reported that the Jewish sports club, HaKo’akh of
Vienna was being re-dedicated in its new home in the city’s Prater Park.
Almost 70 years to the day, on March
12, 1938, one million Austrians had gathered in Heroes’ Square to cheer on
the arrival of the Nazis.
Entire Article » |
| HaKo'Ach's soccer team won the
Austrian National Championship in 1924-25. |
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Duke soph Jon Scheyer scores career
high 27 points in 96-95 loss to Miami |
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Trailing Miami by 20 points nearly 3/4 of the way through
the game, Duke mounted a late second-half rally, only to see victory elude
them in the final seconds of play.
Leading the comeback effort was Jon Scheyer, who played like a man on a
mission. After shooting 2-for-6 in the first half, Scheyer connected on 5 of
his 7 second-half shots, including 4-for-5 from behind the arc. He sank 8 of
his 9 foul shots to finish the night as the game’s high scorer. |
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Jon Scheyer Entire Article »
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Announcing the publication of a unique book:
“Baseballs, Basketballs and Matzah
Balls”!
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Called “compelling and
entertaining” by CBS Sports Final Four guru Seth Davis, and “insightful
and inspirational” by former NFL player and Fox TV analyst Tim Green,
Baseballs, Basketballs and Matzah Balls: What Sports Can Teach Us About the
Jewish Holidays … and Vice Versa |
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explores the world of sports – of
contests and heroes, of triumph and adversity – and examines how they relate to
the festivals that Jews have celebrated for thousands of years. Baseballs,
Basketballs and Matzah Balls was written by Rabbi Mitch Smith, the
founder of the Center for Sport and Jewish Life, who is the Director of
Sport Psychology Services at Florida Atlantic University.
In the pages of Baseballs,
Basketballs and Matzah Balls, you will hear from Moses, Michael Jordan
and Mordecai Kaplan, Phil Jackson and Philo Judaeus, Hammerin’ Hank Greenberg
and Theodor Herzl, Rabbi Moses Maimonides and Reggie Miller. You will hear, too,
from Bill Bradley and Boris Becker, Gary Player and Grant Hill, Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar and Abraham Joshua Heschel, Rafael Nidal, Red Auerbach and Rabbi
Akiba.
For
more description and info on how to order your copy,
click here. |
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Featured Articles |
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More Articles »
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In Other News... |
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HAITI'S JEWS DEAL
WITH EARTHQUAKE AFTERMATH |
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Israeli archaeologists
recently uncovered a shard which has
been identified as the earliest example of Hebrew writing – dating
to the 10th century BCE (about the time of King Solomon and the
earliest days of the First Temple).
For the full article, click here. |
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Well-known Holocaust heroine Miep
Gies dies at 100
Miep Gies, the woman who worked for
Otto Frank, the father of Anne, who played a pivotal role in
hiding the Frank family in a hidden annex above the company's
offices in a building on a canal in Amsterdam during World War
2, passed away on January 11 at age 100. Shortly after the
Nazis found the Franks and other Jews who were in hiding with
them and took them away to the concentration camps, Gies
returned to the attic where she found the diary that Anne kept,
a gift for her 13th birthday. After the war, she gave the diary
to Mr. Frank, the only member of the family who survived. The
diary has been translated into over 70 languages and read by
millions of people around the world.
Israeli President Shimon Peres sent
condolences to the people of Holland. Gies has been honored by
Israel's Yad VaShem Holocaust Memorial as a Righteous Gentile.
Gies later wrote that she was not
special and not a hero.
"More than 20,000 Dutch people helped to hide Jews and others in
need of hiding during those years," she wrote. "I was only
willing to do what was asked of me and what seemed necessary at
the time."
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Backstroker Krayzelburg Giving Back
Four-time Olympic gold medalist and Center for Sport and Jewish Life Advisory Board member Lenny Krayzelburg has never lost sight of his journey to the top of his sport. As a recently arrived teen from the Ukraine who spoke a faltering English, Krayzelburg found a home of sorts at the Los Angeles JCC, before achieving fame at USC and the Sydney and Athens Olympics. In recent times, the pool at the JCC has fallen into a state of disrepair. Krayzelburg, a one-time JCC lifeguard, tossed the JCC a life preserver in the form of a $100,000 donation.
Krayzelburg served as head judge for the Center for Sport and Jewish Life's last essay contest, and continues to actively support the Center's work.
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