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The Top 10 Jewish-American Athletes

Why now? Why not now?

By Marc Tracy|August 10, 2010 10:00 AM|34comments
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Sandy Koufax holding one ball for each of his no-hitters.(Jewish Journal)

Honorable Mention: Amar’e Stoudemire

10. Kerri Strug
9. Al Rosen
8. Sarah Hughes
7. Barney Ross
6. Benny Leonard
5. Dolph Schayes
4. Sid Luckman
3. Mark Spitz
2. Hank Greenberg
1. Sandy Koufax
More In:
  • BCJ

    The shocking and bizarre omission of Jose Bautista leads to one important question, why not?

  • Bryan

    Lenny Krayzelburg?

  • Ken Donow

    As much as it galls me to say it, I think Kevin Youkilis deserves a spot. He’s being doing it consistently enough for long enough.

  • Frank

    Tony Oliva

  • Steven Brown

    Youk!!!!!!!Youk!!!! Youk!!!!

  • DJ

    Shawn Green

  • Steve Pulvers

    Max Siebald 2009 Teewarton winner as the top collegiate lacrosse player from Cornell . One of the stars of the USA national team that just won the world championship in the UK. Called a “beast” by the top coach in the game. About 6’2″ 225lbs. and a 4.4 in the 60. Most spectacular play was when carrying the ball a big Syracuse defender came up to stop him. Max just ran over him,decleated the guy knocking him back over 5 yards! Also has a shot timed at 110 mph. Also heavily recruited for football.

  • Les Miller

    Kerri Strug??? How about Sid Gilman; albeit a coach, but also a profound innovator in football and a good Jew, to boot.

  • Doc L

    There are a few Ice Hockey players both currently, Steven Weiss and Ryan Kessler, and from the past Josef Baranack. What about the heavy weight from Turnersville, NJ, Rossman?

  • WSCohen

    What about Max Baer ?

  • Marc Tracy

    Sid Gilman played, but his influence was as a coach, and I was going athletes. Once you open the coaching door, you have to have Auerbach and Holzman, too, and arguably Larry Brown. Kerri Strug, on the other hand, heroically helped the U.S. win a Gold Medal.

    As for Baer, my understanding is that it was mostly schtick: He may have had some Jewish blood, but only identified as Jewish for marketing purposes. anyway would still take leonard and Ross over him.

  • AZZ

    She didn’t heroically “help,” she heroically “won.” No need to hedge.
    Who are the top ten non-American Jewish athletes? Is it true that Yao Ming is the last living descendant of the Kaifeng Rebbe?

  • BCJ

    AZZ,

    Yao Ming is the last living descendant but only through his father. His mother isn’t Jewish. He’s kind of like the Chinese Ian Kinsler. They both are professional athletes who play in Texas, have Jewish fathers and suffer from foot injuries.

  • Richard Friedman

    What about Benny Friedman. He’s only in the NFL Hall of Fame!

  • Mike Shapiro

    Way too NYC & professional centered. I actually remember when you could gain fame as an amateur athlete and not become a significant pro.

    A. Lennie Rosenbluth
    B. Reds Auerbach (point guard, Geo. Washington Univ….Whole starting five was TEP)
    C. Youk (maybe a victim of Ashkenazic centeredness)
    D. Lip Pike
    E. Special consideration for:
    1. Moe Berg – For obvious reasons
    2. Al Schact – Clown prince of baseball

  • Larry

    These type of lists are relevant to what?
    All a bunch of bull.
    Might as well add Sidney Franklin.

  • http://fundermentalist.com Fundermentalist

    Garrett Wittels? He’s got a 56-game hitting streak heading into next year’s NCAA season, could overtake Robin Ventura as the longest streak in college history at 58 next year.
    http://www.jta.org/news/article/2010/07/06/2739929/dimaggio-koufax-wittels

  • Holly Martins

    I vote for Barak Obama. He threw out the first pitch at last years All-Star game. For this he also deserves the Cy Young award.

  • Peregrine
  • http://michaelkirmayer@gmail.com MICHAEL KIRMAYER

    IKE DAVIS

  • FTW

    As long as “The Big Jew” is number one,all is right with the list…

  • http://andybachman.com andy

    Packers lineman Buckets Goldenberg: http://www.packershalloffame.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=117&Itemid=47

    I can also attest to the fine kugel served at his restaurant.

  • Peter Medard

    Where is MARTY Glickman, the equal of Sid Luckman in the 30′s ?

  • BH in Iowa

    More Honorable Mentions:

    Bill Goldberg as a foolball player for the Georgia Bulldogs and in the NFL.

    Two Israelis who play/ed basketball in the US:

    Omri Caspi – Scaramento Kings

    Nadav Henefeld – UConn Huskies

  • stanley schweiger

    Dolph Schayes of DeWitt Clinton HS, NYU, and the Syracuse Nationals has been my sports hero since I was 11 years old. That’s 57 years & counting! No one in NBA history worked harder or played tougher than #4!

  • Mike Romanov

    I see one name missing who should be there.

    Nat Holman, member of the Original (NY) Celtics, BBall Coach at CCNY for forty or so years, having a winning record and for at least the years 1919 up to 1950, playing the best college teams in America. Voted the third-best basketball player of the first half of the 20th century.

    1n 1950, his CCNY team won the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) at Madison Square Garden, then the most prestigious tournament in the USA, AND the NCAA Tournament. CCNY was the only college team ever to do that. A few years later, When the NCAA decided not to permit NIT teams to also play in the NCAA tourney, winning that double no longer became a possibility. It was common to see the teams invited to the NIT also playing in the NCAA Tournament. In 1950, CCNY beat Bradley University in the championship game of both tournaments. Holman is a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

    Naismith deserves inclusion in the top ten list both as an athlete and as a coach.

  • http://none Joan

    Nat Holman Nat Holman Nat Holman!

  • http://www.uggexpress.com.au/ jordan

    Amar’e Stoudemire,Support!Support!Support!

  • ozzie

    rudy larusso. gail goodrich,ryan braun,barny ross, max zaslovsky

  • Ed

    Rod Carew!

  • Malcolm Peskoff

    Ruben Amaro Jr. is Jewish. He played for the Phillies at SS, and is now the GM, and possible one of the owners.
    His mother was Jewish.

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    Not about the subject, just small advise here. Verify your akismet or plug akismet , yours is damaged to pieces. You will get horrible amounts of unsolicited mail for those who wont repair it.

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    When I originally commented I clicked the -Notify me when new surveys are added- checkbox now each time a comment is added I recieve four emails sticking with the same comment. Possibly there is that is you can eliminate me from that service? Thanks!

  • http://www.freemoviesonlineq.com movie2kto

    Nice read, I just passed this onto a friend who was doing some research on thatAnd he just bought me lunch because I found it for him smile Thus let me rephrase that: Thanks for lunch!

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The Top 10 Jewish-American Athletes

Why now? Why not now?