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.
Honorees and Presenters from April 6 Induction Ceremony: Standing (L-R) Dr. Doug Segan, 1st V.P. Temple Israel, Lawrence; Michael Riger, Presenter; Gus Ornstein, Dr. Bruno Lambert Good Guy; Justin Finkel, Jay Fiedler College Athlete of Yr.; Kevin Levy, Outstanding Jewish Male HS Athlete from South Shore (LI); Rabbi Ron Csillag, Presenter. Seated (L-R) Alan Freedman, Director, JSHA; Lacie Saltzmann, Michael Freedman Outstanding Jewish Female HS Athlete of Yr.; Daphna Steinmetz, Outstanding Jewish Female HS Athlete from South Shore (LI); Cletus Seldin, Inductee; Barry Landers, Inductee; Jason Mishkin, Presenter. Photo by Daybreak Photo & Video.
The Basketball Contingent from the April 6 Induction Ceremony: Daphna Steinmetz, Outstanding Jewish Female HS Athlete from the South Shore (LI); Michael Riger, Presenter of the Marty Riger Outstanding Jewish Coach of the Yr.: Kevin Levy, Outstanding Jewish Male HS Athlete from the South Shore (LI); Jake Sussberg, Michael Freedman, Outstanding Jewish Male HS Athlete of Yr.
Photo by Daybreak Photo & Video.
The 2025 Michael Freedman Outstanding Jewish High School Athletes of the Year - Jake Sussberg, Scarsdale HS senior basketball player, Jake will be attending Princeton University in the Fall; and Lacie Saltzmann, The Academy at Laurel Springs senior gymnast, Lacie will be attending the University of Minnesota in the Fall. Photo by Daybreak Photo & Video.
Dr. Doug Segan, left, First V.P., Temple Israel, Lawrence presenting the award to Inductee Cletus Seldin, boxer. Photo by Daybreak Photo & Video.
Alan Freedman, Director of the Jewish Sports Heritage Association has spoken on the subject of "Jewish Sports Legends," to a wide variety of groups over the years, and with COVID-19 he is still available to speak to your group, these days probably on Zoom. We have added something new, we have included a number of Jewish athletes, coaches and others from the sports world, who are available to join us for these talks. The list of those who have already committed to speaking is posted below, and as others come on-board they will be added to this list. Those with an * next to their name ask for an honorarium (please contact us for that information), otherwise, as with Alan Freedman speaking, there is NO charge.
Speakers:
Yael Averbuch, Professional Soccer Player
Herb Brown, Basketball Coach
Preston Goldfarb, Soccer Coach
Jonathan Halpert, Basketball Coach
Sara Whalen Hess,* Professional Soccer Player
Eric Holtz*, Baseball Coach
Shawn Lipman, Rugby Player
Boyd Melson*, Professional Boxer
Ron Mix*, Professional Football Player
Josh Pastner, Basketball Coach
Dmitriy Salita*, Professional Boxer