Friday, September 22nd 2023   |

Sports

The MLB has more Jewish players than ever — but none of them will face a Yom Kippur dilemma this year

By JACOB GURVIS

(JTA) — For Jews and baseball fans, this is one of the most important weekends of the year.

Yom Kippur, Judaism’s holiest day, begins Sunday evening. That day will also kick off the final week of the MLB regular season, when the fight to make the playoffs comes down to the wire.

For some Jewish players, the overlap between these two events brings conflict. In a few...

The Jewish Sport Report: Meet Jessica Berman, trailblazing Jewish commissioner of the National Women’s Soccer League

By JACOB GURVIS

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Good afternoon, and happy football season! The NFL kicked off last night with a thrilling 21-20 victory by the Detroit Lions over the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. Check out all the Jewish players to watch here, and read on for their Week 1 schedule below.

How Jewish values inspire Jessica Berman...

An Israeli flag football team forfeited a game on Shabbat. It won the European championship anyway.

By JACOB GURVIS

(JTA) — Israel’s under-17 men’s flag football team won its first-ever gold medal at the 2023 International Federation of American Football’s European Junior Flag Football Championships hosted in Grosseto, Italy, this past weekend.

The Israeli team beat Serbia 34-14 in the championship game after defeating Italy in a close semifinal. Israel’s under-17 women’s team and under-15 coed team both finished fifth in their respective competitions.

“Our first...

Fan ejected from US Open match after chanting Nazi phrase at German player Alexander Zverev

By JACOB GURVIS

(JTA) — A spectator was ejected from a U.S. Open tennis match early Tuesday morning after allegedly chanting a Nazi anthem at German player Alexander Zverev.

During the fourth set of Zverev’s match against No. 6 Jannik Sinner, the No. 12 seed approached the umpire’s chair, pointed toward the stands and said, “He just said the most famous Hitler phrase there is in this world. It’s not...

All the Jewish NFL players to watch in the 2023-2024 season

By JACOB GURVIS

(JTA) — As the calendar turns to September, many Jews eagerly await an annual fall tradition that signals a new beginning: Week 1 of the NFL season.

This year, the season begins on Sept. 7, just about 10 days before Rosh Hashanah. Read on for our guide to all the Jewish players (listed alphabetically) and storylines to watch — plus a few free agents who could get...

Iran banned a weightlifter for life after he took a photo with an Israeli opponent

By JACOB GURVIS

(JTA) — Iran’s weightlifting federation banned one of its athletes for life after he shook hands and posed for a photo with an Israeli athlete at an international competition in Poland.

Mostafa Rajaei finished second in his category at the 2023 World Master Weightlifting Championships on Saturday. Rajaei, standing on the podium wrapped in an Iranian flag, shook hands and took a picture with Israeli Maksim Svirsky,...

Israel wins first-ever gold medals at rhythmic gymnastics world championships

By JACOB GURVIS

(JTA) — Israel won its first-ever gold medals at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Valencia, Spain, over the weekend, improving on last year’s silver medal and solidifying its place as a global powerhouse in the sport.

On Friday, Israel’s team topped China and Spain to take gold in the all-around group category. On Sunday, Israel won gold in the combined exercise, beating out China and Ukraine....

Israeli UFC fighter Natan Levy beats up online troll who supports Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes

By JACOB GURVIS

(JTA) — As only the third Israeli to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, or UFC, Natan Levy is not afraid to showcase his Jewish identity in and out of the ring.

He gave himself the chance to do just that as he invited a follower of white supremacist provocateur Nick Fuentes to a fight that was filmed and posted to YouTube on Thursday.

Levy and the man,...

Super Bowl champion Leonard Fournette visits Jewish summer camp for children with cancer

By JACOB GURVIS

(JTA) — Super Bowl champion Leonard Fournette paid a surprise visit to a Jewish overnight camp for children with cancer, blood disorders and other chronic illnesses.

Fournette, who won a Super Bowl in 2021 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, ran football drills, signed autographs and danced with campers during his visit on Sunday to Camp Simcha in Glen Sprey, New York. He arrived in a helicopter and...

Israel flexes its muscle as an up-and-coming sports host as 2023 European Athletics Under-20 Championships open in Jerusalem

By JACOB GURVIS

(JTA) — The Israeli Athletics Association is preparing to host almost 2,000 athletes and officials from 48 countries for the 2023 European Athletics Under-20 Championships.

The biannual track and field competition, which features 44 different events, will be hosted at Jerusalem’s Givat Ram Stadium. Putting on such a tournament is no small feat, but Israel — and, increasingly, its capital city — has become a go-to host...