It was the fall of 2023, and the Yeshiva University men’s basketball team was riding high. They were on a 50-game winning streak and were gearing up to try for the conference title at the NCAA Division III tournament. They had talented players on their team, including six Israelis. Then, once October 7th happened, the […]
“I had become frustrated about all the negative narrative about Israel and all the increasing antisemitism. We started bringing professional athletes to Israel, including former NBA legends.” Daniel Posner is the founder and chairman of Athletes for Israel, which brings U.S. collegiate players and coaches, as well as professional athletes, to Israel to experience its […]
The Paris Olympics have featured several Israeli winners, but what about observant Jews? How many Orthodox Jews have reached the planet’s most competitive sports competition? The world of sports usually does not accommodate Jewish observance, which has hindered the professional success of some of the top athletes from the observant Jewish world. And yet, they […]
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 […]
Ryan Turell is giving all Orthodox Jewish athletes more reasons to dream. This week he was selected in the G League draft, which is the NBA’s official minor league basketball organization. Turell will subsequently be the first Orthodox Jew to play in a G League game – in contrast to David Kufeld who was drafted […]
