Meet All Star AJ Edelman: First Orthodox Jewish Male Olympian

Update 1/28/26: AJ Edelman, an American-Israeli athlete who represented Israel in men’s skeleton at the 2018 Winter Olympics, will lead Israel’s first-ever qualified bobsleigh team at the 2026 Milan–Cortina Games. The historic team includes Menachem Chen, Ward Fawarseh, and Omer Katz, with Uri Zisman heading to Italy as an alternate — marking a major milestone for Israeli participation in winter sports.

“Before every race, I would say say ‘Shir Hamaalos Esai Einai El HeHarim.’ I turn my eyes towards the mountains. Tefillah is a confidence booster. It focuses me on why I’m doing what I’m doing, and it gives me confidence that Hashem actually cares about [me].”

Director of Photography | Elie Gabor | elie@eliecreative.com

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