UPDATE 1/21/26: Since this article was first published, Elie Kligman has made history. This spring, the University of Michigan Baseball program welcomed Kligman as the first Orthodox Jew to play Division I baseball, where he joined the team as a catcher. Now 22, Kligman is a graduate student at the university and continues to balance […]
The Orthodox Jewish community can check off another box when it comes to representation in sports. Sam Salz just became the first kippah-wearing competitor in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) football season as running back of the Texas A&M Aggies. Originally from Philadelphia and an alum of the Kohelet Yeshiva High School in Merion, PA, Salz […]
While Ryan Turell is stirring up a lot of excitement for his draft to the G League, NBA’s minor league organization, playing his first game last night, it turns out another Orthodox Jew had already been drafted to the NBA 42 years earlier. In 1980, David Kufeld was the first Orthodox Jew to be drafted […]
Israel is home to many marvels, but there is only one native giraffe: Gilad “Giraffe” Levy. Levy, 20, is the tallest man in Israel at 2.20 meters (7’2”). When asked if he’s tall enough to play basketball, he shares a resounding yes: he will play with Hapoel Jerusalem this season, and has been training for […]
Amar’e Stoudemire – six-time NBA All-Star and a Jew In The City All-Star – has recently announced that he’s leaving his position as a player development assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets after a two-year run. There has been some media speculation about why the star made this decision; some blamed the tension between him […]
It’s not often you can point to the sports world as a place to find shomer Shabbat Jews. Lately, that’s changing with Ryan Turrell proudly showing his Jewish pride on the court and Jacob Steinmetz and Elie Kligman being drafted to the MLB. Now, Mia Raskin is joining the list. While she’s not in the […]
