March 3, 2026
Growing up, every young Jewish athlete found pride in telling Sandy Koufax’s story. Arguably one of the greatest pitchers to ever play baseball, Koufax famously sat out the first game of the 1965 World Series because it was Yom Kippur. (When the Dodgers’ manager walked to the mound after Don Drysdale struggled in that game, Drysdale reportedly said, “I guess you wish I was Jewish too.”) We hold onto that story because Jews are not typically associated with sports.
When I tell people I spend two weeks on faculty at a Jewish sports summer camp, I am often met with laughter that plays into that stereotype. But every so often, Jewish athletes nurture our pride. Perhaps you remember swimmer Jason Lezak, who swam the greatest relay split in history to anchor the 4 x 100 freestyle relay at the 2008 Summer Olympics, mounting a comeback to give Team
USA the gold medal and secure Michael Phelps’ eighth gold of those games. Or maybe you know about Max Fried, who led the Atlanta Braves to the 2021 World Series after a dominant performance in Game 6. Perhaps you recall Julian Edelman’s MVP performance at Super Bowl LIII for the New England Patriots. Or Kerri Strug’s famous vault on an injured ankle to win gold for the 1996 U.S. Olympic gymnastics team. And then there was Aly Raisman, who soared to gold at the 2012 London Games, performing her floor routine to “Hava Nagila.”
As we spent two weeks last month with our eyes focused on Milan, other Jewish athletes took center stage—or perhaps center ice. Did you that know Aerin Frankel, the U.S. Women’s Hockey goalie, is Jewish? Frankel’s performance in the gold medal–winning game was one for the ages, as she helped secure gold for the United States. Early one Sunday morning, Jack Hughes, who had lost a few teeth to a high stick earlier in the hockey game, scored the golden goal with a wrist shot, giving Team USA its first men’s hockey gold medal since the famous “Miracle on Ice” in 1980. When young Jews look around for heroes in the spotlight, we feel an extra measure of pride knowing these standout athletes are members of our tribe.
We may see these stars as heroes—and perhaps they are. But heroism in Judaism is defined a bit differently. In Pirkei Avot, a first-century Jewish ethical treatise, Ben Zoma famously asks, “Who is a hero (literally, who is mighty)? The one who controls their urges.” Ben Zoma reminds us that it takes inner strength to overcome what the rabbis call the yetzer hara—the inclination that pushes us toward harmful behavior. When we celebrate Purim, we honor other heroes. Mordecai refuses to bow down to the evil Haman because he is a Jew. We celebrate Esther, who risks her life by going before the king to save her people. Mordecai and Esther are not portrayed as particularly observant Jews; if anything, they are assimilated into Persian culture, yet they still feel pride in their Jewish identity.
Jewish pride is rooted in many places. It can come from identifying with others who share our heritage. It can be rooted in the biblical stories that inspire us. And it can grow from connecting with Jews around the world. When we recognize that someone like Jack Hughes or Aerin Frankel is also Jewish, we are reminded of the pride that lives within our hearts. There is much to be proud of!