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International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Yad Le’ish Hasport Hayehudi NEWSLETTER “The Deeds of the Past Shall Inspire the Achievements of the Future” Summer, 2009 HALL OF FAME ADDS NEW HONOREES TThehe OOtherther BBible!ible! s the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame celebrates its 30th year, recent When we say that Jewish elections have swelled the IJ SHOF’s roster to 330 honored athletes and Sports Legends is the “bible sportsmen who have excelled at the highest levels of their sport. of Jewish sports”, we intend A no comparison or confl ict Honorees elected to the IJ SHOF over the past four years are presented below, and with the Bible. But Jewish on pages 3 & 6: Sports Legends covers a lot Auto Racers: was only the third court more about sports than the KENNY BERNSTEIN, offi cial elected to the original tome. American driver-owner, BHOF. Jewish Sports Legends is is a six-time National the series of books that Hot Rod Association references everything about champion, and winner the International Jewish of the International HRA Winston championship. Sports Hall of Fame. Bowler: He is the only race team owner to collect The 4th wins in three major motorsports disciplines: MARSHALL HOLMAN, edition NASCAR, NHRA, and IndyCar. an American elected to the PBA Hall of Fame in of JSL MAURI ROSE won 1990, was the fi rst pro bowler to top $1.5 features the “ million in career earnings, and ranks 7th biographies 500” in 1941, 1945 and all-time with 22 major PBA championships. and photos of every 1947. He was inducted Beach Volleyball: ADRIANA BEHAR, the into the International Brazilian and partner person and Motorsports Hall of Shelia Bede were the team honored by the IJ SHOF, Fame in 1994. world’s #1 ranked team plus additional features that in 2000, 2001 and 2004. inform and entertain regarding : , in 1957, The pair won World the subject of ‘ in sports’. became one of the NBA’s fi rst fulltime court Championships in 1999 It makes a perfect gift for offi cials, and spent 29 years in the NBA and 2001, and silver Jewish sportsmen and and three years in the ABA. Elected to medals at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics. sportswomen, whether they’re the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995, Strom continued on Page 3 a b’nai mitzvah or a member of AARP. LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT HONORS You can enjoy a sampling of JSL on the internet at TO RUBIN, EISENBERG-KEEFER, www.JewishSports.net The website is continuously GILADY, AND KEVEHAZI updated as new data occurs.

nnually, the IJ SHOF presents a Lifetime The books, fi rst published Achievement Award to an individual who in 1992, are available via has made signifi cant contributions to the Stephen Rubin receives his 2008 Lifetime Achieve- A ment plaque at a special luncheon in his honor on the internet book-sellers, at State of and society through sports. Since Wingate campus. From left: Angela Rubin, Efraim most walk-in bookstores, the IJ SHOF’s inductions in 2005, three individuals Zinger, Secretary-General of the Israel Olympic and Judaica stores. have been recipients of the Award. Committee, honoree Rubin, and Dr. Rutie Pilz-Burstein, continued on Page 4 Acting Director-General of Wingate Institute. FROM THE CHAIRMAN

July 2009 will mark the 30th anniversary of the IJ SHOF, an occasion celebrated by formal inductions of Hall of Fame honorees of the past four years. The event will be held at the IJ SHOF Museum on the Wingate Institute campus at noon, July 15th (09), and all honorees and their families are invited to att end. New and past honorees were on hand in Israel for the 2005 IJSHOF formal inductions. Formal IJ SHOF inductions are Back row: (l-r) Chagai Zamir, Ian Froman, Sean Tompson, Dr. Uriel Simri, Tal Brody, Sid generally held within the framework Greenberg, Gal Fridman (partially hidden), , Paul Pugliese (for his mother Julia of the World , the 2005 IJSHOF Formal Inductions Pugliese), Lenny Krayzelburg, Stephanie Fein (representing her father Lester Fein). oft -referenced “Jewish Olympics”, Front row: (l-r) Margalit Sonnenfeld, Shimon Mizrahi Uri Afek, Joseph Luttenberg, Mrs. Kleiner because it is the two weeks, every four (representing Irena Kirszenstein), Mel Rosen, Mark Spitz. years, when the international Jewish sports community convenes in Israel.

Each time I write one of these “From

The Chairman” messages I comment y A about how the IJ SHOF Museum is r

a S n grasping for display space. Our Israeli s U r o

i i e associates have been enormously t b v a i creative dealing with the minimal r a

n b c

available space, but a new stand-alone n e c l A a

building remains atop our Wish List. Anniversary e h M C Celebration Plans have been drawn, but funds are t

f still wanting. 0 o of Maccabi USA 6 60th As things stand, practically, we are IJSHOF chairman Alan Sherman, left, with Hall of Famers: (l-r) Dolph Schayes, in desperate need of air conditioning Maury Allen and Ira Berkow at the recent 60th anniversary celebration. in the Museum. The Museum area has been without air-cooling since its inception. Its absence is a deterrent to visitors during hot summer months, CRITERIA FOR ELECTION and causes havoc on memorabilia. n addition to a potential candidate having at least one Jewish parent AND consider him/herself Jewish, the candidate must have accomplished at least The IJ SHOF Museum is situated on one of the following: the third fl oor of Wingate’s Student I Union Building. Wishfully, we would • One or more Olympic gold medals like to install a special handicap elevator • One or more World Championships gold medals for disabled students and visitors. • A World record Currently, it is extraordinarily diffi cult, if not impossible, for many disabled • An amateur or professional World Championship visitors to struggle up, then down, • Been elected to the hall of fame of the athlete’s/contributor’s sport three fl ights of stairs to reach the Museum or adjacent auditorium. • Recorded a unique achievement(s) • Was a sports pioneer, innovator or key participant in I wish each of you a wonderful commemorative circumstances. summer, and hope to see some of you At the first IJSHOF induction dinner held in Los Angeles, California in July ’09 at the Hall of Fame inductions. May, 1979, legend Hank Greenberg cautioned the event organizers: “The value of a hall of fame is measured by its criteria for election. Don’t make Warm wishes, it easy.” Alan Sherman We adhere to Hammerin’ Hank’s advice. Page 2 NEW HONOREES (continued from Page 1) nine players inducted into the Rugby League Hall of Fame. His 1913-1914 single Boxing: season record of 80 tries still stands. BOB OLIN was World Light-Heavyweight boxing champion 1934-1935. Swimmer: JASON LEZAK, the American sprinter, won Olympic AL SINGER held the gold medals in 2000 World Lightweight title and 2004, fi ve World in 1930. Championship gold medals, and teamed to set a number of World relay records. MATT WELLS was World Welterweight In 2002, he was ranked World’s #1 in the champion 1914–1915. 50m freestyle; and in 2004, #1 in the 100m freestyle. WHITEY BIMSTEIN enjoyed a celebrated 50-year career as a Tennis: SUZY KORMOCZY, the trainer and “cutman” for 25 World boxing Hungarian racquet star, won the French champions. Among them: Jack Dempsey, Open Singles in 1958, and was ranked #2 in Rocky Marciano, Jake LaMott a, Barney the World that year. She was ranked in the Ross, and Rocky Graziano. World’s Top Ten nine times during her 14 year career. Fencing: EDUARD VINOKUROV, Russian Sabre champion won Team gold Pillar of Achievement: medals at the 1968 and 1976 Olympic was “the other half” of a pair of Jewish- Games, and a silver in 1972. His Soviet American sprinters on the infamous World Championships teams won gold American 400-meter relay team medal honors from 1967 to 1975. at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. It was Stoller and Jewish teammate Marty Glickman, Football: LYLE ALZADO, the 15 year who were abruptly removed from NFL defensive end/tackle (1971-1985), their team positions shortly before the was named All-Pro 1977 and 1978 and championship heat to appease Adolph “Comeback Player of the Year” in 1982. Hitler. Stoller was the US indoor 60-yard, 100-yard, and Alzado played in two Pro Bowls, was 100-meter indoor champion. All-AFC defensive lineman six times, and a stalwart of the 1983 LA Raiders Super AL SCHACHT, was forced by an injury in 1924 from the Bowl championship team. Washington Senators pitching mound to the team’s coaching box, and a unique Media: comedy career that made him “The Clown IRA BERKOW, Prince of Baseball”. His 50 years as the Pulitzer Prize winning sports journalist sport’s goodwill ambassador included authored the best seller, Hank Greenberg: comic performances at 27 World Series, The Story of My Life. 18 All Star Games, and more than 300 wartime (WWII and Korea) appearances for soldiers/hospitals JOE REICHLER was in Europe, South Pacifi c and Korea. the Associated Press’ ranking baseball writer Read more about each of these honorees at: 1943 to 1966, and recipient of the J.T. Spink Baseball Hall of Fame Award. www.JewishSports.net.

HARRY SIMMONS authored the Saturday Evening Post’s “So You Know Baseball” www.JewishSports.net column from 1946 to 1961 was MLB’s offi cial schedule-maker for 20 years. IJSHOF on the Internet

Paralympics: KAREN LEIBOWITZ is iographies of everyone elected to the IJ SHOF Israel’s most celebrated Paralympic athlete, with three swimming gold medals at can be found at our great website. You can the 2000 Games — 50m & 100m Blocate them alphabetically by name or by freestyles and 100m backstroke; and one sport. There’s lots of additional information about gold, two silvers and a bronze at the 2004 the Hall of Fame on the site, as well as links to other Paralympics. She also captured three pertinent sites. World and fi ve European championships. If it’s about Jews in sports, you’ll satisfy your Rugby: ALBERT ROSENFELD, ’s curiosity and fi nd the answers to all your questions! Australian-born wing-three quarter, was one of the original

Page 3 Hillcrest Country Club in February 2007. In addition to major LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT HONORS (continued from Page 1) Israeli and US medical and educational facilities that have been recipients of the Ben & Joyce Eisenberg Foundation’s 2008’s recipient is R. Stephen Rubin, chairman of Pentland generosity, she has been, for more than 25 years, the anchor Group, the British sporting goods giant that includes contributor of the Israel Tennis and Children’s Centers subsidiaries and associated companies such as Reebok throughout the Holy Land. In , the ITC is known as International, Adidas and La Chemise Lacoste. He received the Ben & Joyce Eisenberg Children’s Tennis . his award in January at a luncheon in his honor at Wingate Institute campus. Rubin, recipient of an OBE, has been In 1992, Alex Gilady became the fi rst responsible for outfi tt ing Israeli and Israeli member of the International Maccabiah Games teams since the 1980s, and the Rubin Olympic Committ ee. The 2006 Lifetime Family recently dedicated the Speedo Aquatic Centre at Achievement honoree began his Israel’s Wingate distinguished career Institute. Rubin in sports media as a has been an active journalist for Yedioth supporter of Ahronoth, then as sports Wingate for decades commentator and editor at the newly and, since 1992, established Israel State Television. Gilady served as Honorary was responsible for coverage of such events Chair of the as the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Egyptian International Jewish President Anwar El-Sadat’s historic visit Sports Hall of Fame. to Jerusalem in 1977, and the subsequent Israel-Egypt peace talks (for which he American was the fi rst Israeli to enter Egypt with an philanthropist Joyce Israeli passport). He joined NBC Sports in Eisenberg-Keefer 1982, and was responsible for the network’s received Lifetime Joyce Eisenberg Keefer displays her 2007 Lifetime Achievement plaque. acquisition of broadcast rights to the Achievement Among well-wishers: (l-r) IJSHOF board members Bill Perel, Allan Dalfen, summer and winter Olympic Games of honors at a special Barry Weinstock, Joyce, husband Mel Keefer, Olympic champion Mark 1988, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008. luncheon at L.A.’s Spitz, board members Joe Siegman and Peter Kahn.

You guessed it. We can use some help. The following is a list of “projects” that, with your help, will allow us to Wish List maintain and grow: o one fi gured 30 years ago that we would still be Air Conditioning • There is no air conditioning in the growing – let alone still around. But, we are entering IJ SHOF Museum, and it is desperately needed. During the Nour fourth decade, supporting the IJ SHOF Museum warm months – i.e., most of the time – the hot climate can in Israel, having be unbearable. As such, it is a deterrent to museum visitors, produced four and plays havoc on memorabilia. Some items actually published books disintegrate over time. • Gift : $100,000. and a documentary Handicapped Elevator • The IJ SHOF Museum and on the way, inclusive auditorium are situated on the third fl oor of Wingate’s Student Union Building. The large number of stairs makes it extremely diffi cult, if not impossible, for the handicapped, disabled and elderly to reach the top fl oor destination. An elevator alongside the exterior of the building will provide easy access to top fl oor activities. • Gift : $250,000.

maintaining a Maintenance Fund • The yearly purchase of display popular internet cases for new honorees and their preparation for display, website, and escorting tours and visitor staffi ng, security, and general through it fulfi lling maintenance of the Museum are annual costs of operation. information and • Gift s: Gold - $10,000; Silver - $7,500; Bronze - $5,000. Two interior views of the IJSHOF photo requests Gift s may be paid in 2 annual installments. almost daily to an international audience of students, media, Tributes • A bronze plate with your name (or family or researchers and sports enthusiasts. foundation) will be permanently displayed on the Museum display case of the IJ SHOF honoree of your choice. • Gift : $1,000. With all this att ention we’ve gott en too big for our britches. The Wingate Library – reference fi les and photographs we’ve Parties interested in any of these items or other types of culled and developed – provides the only resource center of fi nancial gift s to the IJ SHOF, should contact: its kind in the world. Our small Israeli staff , with volunteers, ALAN SHERMAN • phone: 301.602.9953 is straining to effi ciently make these facilities available to all 7922 Turncrest Drive, Potomac, MD 20854 who seek them. or e-mail at: [email protected] Page 4 International ...Who Knew? Jewish

• That three-time Indy 500 champion swimmer Alfred Nakache are the only Sports Mauri Rose invented the device that known concentration camp survivors to allows amputees to drive an automobile. compete in the Olympics. Hall • That Jews have won 17 tennis Grand • That NHRA driver-owner Kenny of Slam titles: Bernstein earned the title “King of ▪ Singles – Dick Savitt – Wimbledon 1951; Speed” when he broke the 300 mph Fame Suzy Kormoczy – French Open 1958; barrier, but set the World record at Brian Teacher – Australian Open 1980. 332.18. • That New York cop Henry Witt enberg, Honorary Chairman ▪ Doubles – Angela Buxton – Wimbledon R. Stephen Rubin 1956; Tom Okker – French Open 1973, absent a formal invitation to try out US Open 1976; Brian Gott fried – French for the 1948 US Olympic wrestling Chairman Open 1975 and 1977, Wimbledon 1976; team, entered himself; won a position; Alan Sherman Ilana Kloss – US Open 1976; Jim Grabb and captured the Light-Heavyweight – US Open 1992; Jonathan Erlich & Olympic gold medal. Vice-Chairman Andy Ram – Australian Open 2008. • That rugby star Joel Stransky scored Zvi Varshaviak all South Africa’s points in the epic 1995 ▪ Mixed Doubles – Ilana Kloss – French Election Committee Chairman Open 1976; Justin Gimelstob – French World Cup fi nal, including a dramatic Joseph Siegman Open 1998, Australian Open 1998; “drop goal” that sealed his country’s Andy Ram – Wimbledon 2006, French victory. Stransky had never before Executive Board att empted a drop goal in competition. Open 2007. Uri Afek • That the left -handed Jewish pitching • That World Welterweight boxing Paul Ash star with the most career victories is not champion Ted “Kid” Lewis, in 1913, Jay Blumenfeld Sandy Koufax. The Dodgers super star was the fi rst boxer to use a protective Stanley Bobb mouthpiece – who threw four no-hitt ers, won three Dr. Jerome Bornstein invented by his Jewish dentist. Cy Young Awards and fi ve consecutive Harvey Brodsky ERA titles, won 165 games. Ken • That Olympic gold medalists Albert Jeff rey Bukantz Holtzman, with the Cubs, A’s, Orioles and Gustav Flatow (German gymnasts), Mel Chaskin and Yankees, recorded 174 wins (and Janos Garay, Oszkar Gerde and Att ila Allan Dalfen tossed two no-hitters). Petschauer (Hungarian fencers), Ott o Yehoshua Dekel Herschmann (Austrian swimmer), and • That Cal-Berkeley’s three-time All- Leland Faust America halfb ack Benny Lom is etched fi ve members of the Netherlands’ 1928 women’s gymnastics team, died in Nazi Harry Glickman in college football legend for a defensive Mark Goldstein play. At the 1929 Rose Bowl, Cal concentrations camps. Yig’al Griff el lineman Roy Riegels picked up a fumble Barry Gurland and, disoriented by the action, ran the Peter Kahn wrong way – towards his own goal line. THE FOUR QUESTIONS As 90,000 spectators roared, the speedy Harvey Leff Lom chased-down teammate “Wrong Melvyn K. Miller Why are these questions diff erent from M. William Perel Way” Riegels and tackled him a yard all other questions? short of his own goal line. Dr. Richard B. Reff 1. Two changed their names and became • That Jews have won 396 Olympic Lowell Rothschild America’s most prominent sportscasters? medals since the modern Games began Dr. Uri Schaefer a) Howard Cohen b) Martin Glickman Howard Siegman in 1896, including 15 golds recorded by c) Richard Schapp d) Melvin Israel Jewish swimmers at the 2000, 2004 and Joseph Siegman 2008 Olympics. 2. NBA’s all-time career scoring leader William Steerman until topped his stats? • That in the mid-1930s, boxing Barry Weinstock a) b) Max Zaslofsky David Weissman champion Barney Ross held three c) Lennie Rosenbluth d) Dolph Schayes World titles at the same time: Dr. Steven Wertheim Lightweight, Junior Welterweight and 3. MVP quarterback’s 28 touchdowns in Martin Wolff Welterweight. one season were an NFL record until Efriam Zinger Johnny Unitas tossed 32 many years later? • That in 1911 Hungarian fi gure-skater a) b) Sid Luckman Executive Secretary Lili Kronberger, vying for her fourth c) Benny Friedman d) Marshall Goldberg Efraim Yaacobi consecutive World Championship, was the first skater to use musical 4. Won an Olympic gold medal and a Past Chairman NBA Championship? accompaniment in a competition Joseph Siegman a) Danny Schayes b) program.

c) d) • That British weighlift ing champion b 4) b; 3) d; 2) d; & a 1) Answers: Ben Helfgott and record-sett ing French Page 5 Equestrian: MARGIE GOLDSTEIN- and the World’s Top 15 all five years. A winner of ten ENGLE. Between 1984 and 2005, Grand Prix championships, he was ranked in the US Top this American show horse champion Ten Singles for seven of eight years between 1980 and recorded 6 World Cup and 20 Nations 1988. In 1983, he won the French Open Mixed Doubles Cup victories. The FEI (Federation (with Barbara Jordan). Equestre Internationale) ranks her #8 Track & Field: ZHANNA PINTUSEVICH- stunned all-time with most starts (166). Her the sports community at the 1997 World highest FEI ranking reached #6 in 1998. Track & Field Championships when She is the American Grand Prix Association’s (AGA) only she captured the 200-meter gold medal nine-time Rider of the Year, with more than $3 million in over USA superstar . At career earnings. the 2001 World Championships, the Figure Skating: IRINA SLUTSKAYA Ukrainian again topped the favored won World Figure Skating Jones in the 100m event, a victory that Championships in 2002 and 2005, marked the first time in 42 consecutive races that Jones following silver medal fi nishes in 1998, had lost a 100-meter race. In 2003, Block won the 60m 2000 and 2001. The Moscow-born World Indoors. skater was a silver medalist at the 2002 Pillar of Achievement Winter Olympics and bronze medalist MAURY ALLEN, author, reporter and at the 2006 Games. In 1996, Slutskaya became the fi rst columnist for 53 years, covered mostly Russian woman to win a European title.

2009 IJSHOF ELECTIONS baseball for the New York Post (1962- Football: HARRIS BARTON. The 1989), magazine, and San Francisco off ensive tackle was an the Gannett Journal News. He authored NFL All-Pro in 1990, 1991, 1992 and 40 sport-themed books, including best 1993. During his ten-year pro career, sellers on Joe DiMaggio, Casey Stengel the 49er’s 1987 #1 draft pick anchored and Billy Martin; and made frequent the storied off ensive line that recorded appearances on radio and television, including ESPN three Super Bowl victories – 1989, Classic programs. 1990, 1995. ORNA OSTFELD received the International Olympic Rugby: JOEL STRANSKY had 22 caps Committ ee’s 2005 European Women (international appearances) for South and Sport Award: “As a player, Africa, between July 1993 and August administrator and coach”. Since 1998, 1996. The Springbok ‘fl y-half’ earned Ostfeld coached the Anda Ramat a place in rugby immortality for his Hasharon team to four championships performance in the epic 1995 World and State Cup basketball titles (in Cup fi nal versus New Zealand, when seven years). As a player for Israel’s he scored all South Africa’s points, including a dramatic Ramat Khen, she once scored a record ‘drop goal’ that sealed the victory. Stransky joined 108 points, and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records England’s Leicester Tigers in 1997, for most points scored in a single game. and fi nished his Leicester career with HAROLD U. RIBALOW, sports columnist for the Jewish 896 career points in 73 matches. Telegraphic Agency and National Tennis. ELIOT TELTSCHER ranked Jewish Post during the 1940s thru among the World’s Top 10 tennis early 1950s, authored three books that players three times between 1980-1984, sparked awareness of the subject of ‘Jews in sports’ following World War II. His The Jew In American Sports, Israel: fi rst published in 1948, was accorded Wingate Institute six editions through 1985. Ribalow Netanya 42902 was also an internationally infl uential literary anthologist phone: 09.8639521 of Jewish literature. Hadassah’s annual literary award is named The Harold U. Ribalow Prize. Eastern United States: 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award 7922 Turncrest Dr. MICHAEL KEVEHAZI. The late Potomac, MD 20854 Michael Kevehazi was chairman of 301.602.9953 • fax: 301.765.9865 Maccabi World Union from 1986 to Western United States: 1994, and devoted much of his adult 1371 S. Beverly Glen Blvd., #303 life to MWU. Kevehazi was Maccabi’s Los Angeles, CA 90024 Honorary Treasurer 1968-1988, International 310.475.4370 • fax: 310.474.0960 Chairman of the Maccabiah (Games) Jewish Sports Organizing Committ ees of the 11th Games (1981) and website: www.JewishSports.net 12th Games (1985), and Honorary President of the 15th Hall of Fame email: [email protected] (1997), 16th (2001) and 17th (2005) Maccabiot.