Ed. note: There has always been a strong connection between Jews and baseball, but what would have happened had there been a Jewish team in the Major Leagues? In an original novel serialized on The Arty Semite starting today, author Ross Ufberg imagines the trials and triumphs of “The Lions of Zion,” an all-Jewish team…
When we talk about Jewish athletes in American professional sports, we’re dealing with a very small spectrum. The only athletes at or near the top of their sports seem to be those Jews in baseball — where Kevin Youkilis, Ryan Braun and Ian Kinsler have all-star caliber talent. But another name is creeping not just…
It might be high time for Major League all-stars like Ryan Braun and Kevin Youkilis to fully embrace their Jewish heritage — and they wouldn’t even have to leave the field to do so. Yes, Shavuot begins Tuesday night. But perhaps a more compelling argument for solidarity among baseball’s top Jewish performers is that Israel…
In celebration of Jewish Book Month, The Arty Semite is partnering with the Jewish Education Service of North America (JESNA) and the Jewish Book Council to present “30 Days, 30 Texts,” a series of reflections by community leaders on the books that influenced their Jewish journeys. Today, Will Schneider writes about “Sandy Koufax: A Lefty’s…
Talia Bloch sings the praises of poet and Bollingen Prize-winner Allen Grossman. Philologos wonders when ‘Palestine’ became such a controversial word. Jenna Weissman Joselit pores over Chief Rabbi of Cincinnati Eliezer Silver’s ledger book. Benjamin Ivry appreciates the Jewish artists at the Villa la Fleur museum outside of Warsaw. Joshua Furst questions the theatrical pieties…
The kids can play, so long as it doesn't get in the way of studying or put them in with a bad crowd
The Fox camera kept returning to Jon Daniels, the Texas Rangers’ Jewish General Manager, during Game Two of the World Series last Thursday. Texas’s bullpen was collapsing in spectacular fashion for the second time this postseason, and Daniels was struggling to stay expressionless. Struggling, but you could see him suffering the frustration that comes from…
The Israel Baseball League’s web site boasts a full slate of games, fun tidbits about players, and even a tongue-in-cheek take on “Baseball in the Time of Our Forefathers.” And “as one would expect, the majority of this season’s players will be of Jewish extraction,” the site trumpets. Trouble is, the league went bust in…
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