You know him best for his unfortunate goal against Team Canada at the Olympics, but did you know that your mother would be likely happy if you brought him home for the Passover seder? Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils, NHL player is, in fact, Jewish (and good news, he has two other brothers in the NHL, too). Although Hughes is not as Jewish-sounding as Dovid Schwartz or David Stein, make no mistake: the Hughes brothers are just as Jewish.
Between the coughing and cursing in Yiddish, has your grandpa ever talked about the great South Paw Sandy Koufax, or the ‘Hebrew Hammer’ Hank Greenberg? Koufax, a local kid from Brooklyn, is one of the few Hall of Famers who spent his entire twelve-year career with his hometown team, the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Koufax is unique in that almost all of his athletic achievements were in the second half of his relatively short career. During these six years, he won three Cy Young Awards for best pitcher, a feat only a handful have achieved in MLB history. While perhaps Koufax is better known as one of the greatest left-handed pitchers of all time, among Yiddin, his fame comes from his refusal to pitch in the 1965 Yom Kippur World Series game. At the height of his career, and on the biggest stage in the world, Sandy made a bold statement to the world that his faith matters more than any game. Responding to the critics, he said “man is entitled to his belief and I believe I should not work on Yom Kippur. It’s as simple as all that and I have never had any trouble on that account since I’ve been in baseball.”
At a time when it was easy for those at the top to sacrifice their heritage and traditions to achieve greatness, Sandy Koufax chose otherwise. Because of this momentous decision, Jewish grandpas around the world mention Sandy Koufax not for his statistics on the field, but for how he represented Jews and remained committed to his Judaism on the world stage.
Koufax’s legacy of proud Jewish athletes continues with stars like Deni Avidja.
Deni Avdija stands almost a foot taller than the average Jewish male, at an astonishing 6’8” and is an Israeli-born and raised NBA player for the Portland Trail Blazers. He is the first Israeli to make the All-Star team and is averaging an astounding 24/7/7 (points, rebounds, assists per game). While Deni has plenty of support from Jews worldwide, he also has his fair share of haters as well. Deni’s Instagram page is filled with hate comments denouncing Deni not only as a basketball player, but his identity as a whole. This does not sway Deni from proudly answering reporters in Hebrew and being proud of his Jewish identity.
Jewish women, such as Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman, also demonstrate excellence in professional sports. Aly is one of the most decorated American gymnasts of all time, winning six Olympic medals between the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. In the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom, Aly was the headliner of every Rabbi’s dvar that week, with her song choice of Hava Nagila as her floor routine. When asked why she chose the song as her routine she said: “being able to represent not only your country, but also the Jewish community all over the world, it’s really special.” Just like Koufax, Aly is remembered not for her medals but for how she represented her Judaism under the bright lights.
Whether it's respecting religious practices, showcasing Jewish culture, or proudly displaying their Israeli identity, Deni Avidja, Sandy Koufax, and Aly Raisman all represent Jewish excellence and achievement. As many more Jews enter professional sports these Jewish athletes are remembered for standing by their identity regardless of backlash and reputation, something, in the Jewish world, continues to outlive individual accolades and titles. These athletes have the privilege of depicting Judaism as the wonderful culture and religion we love.
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