Zach Hyman, Sandy Koufax, and Sue Bird are of a rare kind: highly renowned Jewish athletes. Lesser known, though, is a new generation of talented Jews making their mark within Montreal’s: McGill’s premier dodgeball intramural team, the Matzah Ball(ers). Whilst eliminated from the playoffs that they narrowly made, the Matzah Balls have made significant strides in the dodgeball community since their inception two years ago. Former female athlete of the year at the Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto (CHAT) and current team MVP Arielle Weinstein sat down with Nu Magazine for an interview.
Nu Magazine: What inspired the team to choose dodgeball?
Arielle Weinstein: Well, Jews have dodged oppression for centuries and we must continue on that tradition. Balls are also an important symbol in Jewish tradition, representing the circular nature of life, and, of course, are found in chicken soup. I was also told by the Jewish Studies department that I would receive a sports scholarship due to the underrepresentation of Jewish athletes at McGill. Joining the team just felt like a natural step in my Jewish Journey.
Nu Magazine: An inspirational response, thank you. What has been a special team bonding moment you have experienced?
Arielle Weinstein: My favourite moment would have to be when we broke the Yom Kippur fast together by sharing one massive matzah ball at Dunn’s. We had to special order it, and it took a lot of kvetching for them to make it large enough for all 18 of us. Our dodgeball coach usually restricts us to a diet of Kosher dill pickles and lox. The matzah ball was a much-needed source of carbohydrates.
Nu Magazine: Do you believe you or your team is going to go play in the professional leagues after university?
Arielle Weinstein: Well, we are in our prime, so as a team, we are considering dropping out of university so we can dedicate ourselves fully to our sport. We were offered a deal at the MLB (Mensch League Ballers), which we plan to accept. Going forward, we will be called the IBS (Intramural Ball Savers) team, per the MLB name standards. If all goes according to plan, we intend on replacing the Montreal Expos. Additionally, we are searching for donors in order to hire the Miami Boys Choir as our personal traveling cheerleaders.
Nu Magazine: Wow, that is a very exciting step for the team. I heard that you got injured. How did your parents react to your big injury (a minor bruise on the left pinky finger)?
Arielle Weinstein: I immediately called my uncle (surgeon), aunt (pediatrician), and cousin (ophthalmologist) for medical advice. Thankfully, between the three of them, I got immediate advice.
Nu Magazine: Beyond joining the MLB, where do you see the team going in the future?
Arielle Weinstein: If not to Yeshiva and Seminary, perhaps we will ditch dodgeball as a whole and go straight to becoming an Acapella Leonard Cohen cover band. It’s a 50/50 shekel toss.
To celebrate their season’s triumph, the team attempted to meet for coffee. However, due to the significant team number of lactose and gluten intolerances, they decided instead to commemorate the season at Cafe Campus.
Our conversation with MVP Arielle Weinstein was incredibly insightful, and Nu Magazine looks forward to seeing where these Jewish trailblazers go next.
*All responses have been edited for clarity and comedy.
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