Yuri Foreman working out in Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn, Nov. 17, 2015. Image by Getty Images

Former junior middleweight boxing champion and newly ordained Orthodox rabbi Yuri Foreman is ending his two-year hiatus from the ring.

Foreman, 35, will fight Lenwood Dozier at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Saturday night, Dec. 5.

According to ESPN, to win a world title in over 70 years when he beat Daniel Santos in 2009. After losing to Miguel Cotto at Yankee Stadium in 2010 and sustaining a series of injuries, he quit the sport in 2013.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

During his hiatus, Foreman was ordained as a rabbi by Dovber Pinson, a Chabad rabbi based in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, The Algemeiner reported.

“Coming back is a great feeling for me, especially to be coming back as a rabbi,” Foreman told Newsday.

Yuri Foreman working out in Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn, Nov. 17, 2015. Image by Getty Images

“For my observant friends, the fight starts early so for those who live a little distance from Barclays Center, you should start walking early and then take a train. I will be fighting after sundown, so it will all be kosher.”

Foreman, who was born in Belarus and grew up in Israel, now lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

“Boxing is a very spiritual sport. We all have different paths. My faith keeps me centered and focused. You can be anyone. You can be a rabbi and still be fighting on the big stage at Barclays Center,” Foreman said.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount