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The Jewish Sports Heritage Association chronicles and celebrates Jewish involvement in all sports. From boxing to football to tennis, from basketball to baseball to swimming, from broadcaster's booth to the sportswriters desk; from the playing field to the manager's bench to the owner's office - Jews have made a significant impact on the world of sports.
More importantly, in focusing on sports, an aspect of Jewish accomplishment with which too many are unfamiliar, the Jewish Sports Heritage Association offers a starting point for discussions of stereotype and prejudice. "Jews in Sports" is assumed by Jews and non-Jews alike to be an oxymoron. In demonstrating the fallacy of that assumption, The Jewish Sports Heritage Association causes us to question the many stereotypes about diverse groups which we carry in our minds and hearts.
Sports has provided a means of weaving not only Jews, but other minority and immigrant groups into the American tapestry. Jews moved from the ghetto-impelled boxing ring to the national sports (baseball, basketball, football), to country club-based swimming pools and tennis courts. A similar, if not identical course followed by Italian-Americans, African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans and other minority groups. Thus the story of Jews in Sports is a paradigmatic piece of the mosaic of America.
EVENTS 2025-2026
Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2025 - "Marathon Mom" Movie Screening - Beatie Deutsch, an Ultra-Orthodox woman wanting to become an Olympic athlete. The film will be available online from October 29 - November 2.
Sunday, November 2, 2025 - "Lion of Zion" Movie Screening and Q&A with Yuri Foreman. Yuri is the only World champion boxer from Israel, and he was ordained as a rabbi in 2014. There will be a light bagel breakfast from 9:15-10:15, and the film will begin at 10:30. The program will be held in person at Temple Israel, Lawrence and via Zoom.
Sunday, February 1, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. - "Only the Football was Trayf, Jews in Football Panel Discussion, " - Former NFL pros Jay Fiedler, Miami Dolphins QB, John Frank, San Francisco 49ers TE and college football star RB Matt Bernstein will appear in person at Temple Israel, Lawrence, and via Zoom, Ron Mix, Football Hall of Famer, Bob Stein, the first Jewish player in a Super Bowl, with the Kansas City Chiefs, Ali Marpet, Super Bowl Champion Tamp Bay Buccaneers offensive lineman and Joey Slackman, 2023 Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year. The Moderator will be Jeff Bessen, Managing Editor of Herald Community Media. There will be a light bagel breakfast from 9:15-10:15, and the program will begin at 10:30.
Sunday, March 1, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. - "Jewish Women in Soccer" Panel Discussion - Please join us online as we explore the history of Jewish women in soccer with panelists: Debbie Belkin Rademacher - Debbie was a 3-time All-America at UMass and she played on the U.S. Women's National Team from 1986-1992, which won the inaugural FIFA Women's World Cup.
Sara Whalen Hess - Sara was a 3-time All-America at UConn and was the 1997 NSCAA D1 National Player of the Year and she was the 1995 and '96 Big East Defensive Player of the Year. Sara was a member of the 1999 U.S. Women's national Team that won the World Cup.
Yael Averbuch West - Yael was a member of two national championship teams (2006 & 2008), at the University of North Carolina. She played for the U.S. at every level of youth national teams and represented the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team from 2007-2013.
The Moderator: Michael Lewis - Michael is the editor of "Front Row Soccer," and he has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 28 MLS Cups. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published "Alive and Kicking," the incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers.
Sunday, March 8, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. - "Jewish Women in Basketball" Panel Discussion - Jewish women have played an important role in the world of basketball and this Zoom panel discussion will look at that role. The panelists include:
Donna Orender - Donna is a highly respected business leader having led growth and innovation in several high profile companies. Donna served 6 years as President/Commissioner of the WNBA. She played college basketball at Queens College (NY), and later professionally in the Women's Professional Basketball League for three seasons.
Sherry Levin - Sherry was a star player on the Holy Cross Women's Basketball Team in the early 1980's, when she graduated she was the program's all-time leader in points scored, scoring average and field goals made. Sherry was a 3-time All-America and 1984 MAAC Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Abby Meyers - Abby is currently playing professional basketball in the Israel League. She played college basketball at Princeton and Maryland. Following her senior year at Princeton Abby was named Ivy League Player of the Year. She was drafted in the first round of the 2023 WNBA Draft.
Wednesday, March 11, 2026 - "Nina is an Athlete" Movie Screening. This 72 minute film will be available online for two days beginning on March 11. The film follows the story of wheelchair badminton champion Nina Gorodetsky, who has her first and maybe last chance to make the Paralympics.
Sunday, March 22, 2026 - 10:30a.m., - "Outstanding Performances by Jewish Women" Panel Discussion, with panelists:
Nicole Freedman - Nicole was a member of the U.S. Cycling Team at the 2000 Summer Olympics where she competed in the 119.7 km women's road race; she won the 103 km (64 mile) U.S. National Championships Road Race; in 2003, Nicole came in second in the Israel National Championship Road Race.
Marilyn Ramenofsky - Marilyn set the World record in the 400 m. freestyle three times in 1964. She also set the American record in the 220 yd. free that year. Marilyn won the silver medal in the 400 m. free at the 1964 Olympics. After her competitive career ended, Marilyn earned her Ph.D. in Zoology and became a professor of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior.
Justine Siegal - Justine became the first woman to coach for a Major League Baseball organization (Oakland A's. 2015), and to throw batting practice to a MLB team in Spring Training (Cleveland Indians, 2011). Justine co-founded "Women's Pro Baseball League."
Moderator - Linda Borish, Ph.D. - Linda is Chair of the Dept. of History at Western Michigan University. She is the executive producer/ historian of "Jewish Women in American Sports: Settlement Houses to the Olympics."
All of the events in March are being held in recognition of "Women's History Month," March, 2026.
Sunday, April 12, 2026 - 10:30 a.m. - The Eighth Annual Jewish Sports Heritage Association Induction Ceremony, held in-person at Temple Israel, Lawrence and via Zoom.
All events are Free and open to the public, We ask that you register in advance for all events by contacting Alan at ahfreedman142@aol.com
All events are co-sponsored by the Judy and Ben Segan Adult Education Fund of Temple Israel, Lawrence.
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