I nternationalInternational J ewishJewish S Sportsports H Hallall of of F Fameame Yad Yad Le’ish Le’ish Hasport Hasport Hayehudi Hayehudi “T “Thehe D Deedseeds of of the the P astPast S hallShall Inspire Inspire the the Ac Achiehievementsvements of of the the F utureFuture” ” Summer 2012 MEMO Wednesday, July 17, 2013: Hall of Fame HHALLALL EELECTSLECTS EEIGHTIGHT FFOROR 22012012 for Wednesday, July 17th, at the HOF museum, inductions even athletes and a media icon make up the International Wingate Institute, in Netanya. And you’re are on the calendar SJewish Sports Hall of Fame’s class of 2012. All will be invited! formally inducted next summer, July 17th, 2013, at ceremonies What a time to go to Israel! There’s the at the IJ SHOF Museum in Netanya, Israel quadrennial World Maccabiah Games that begin on July 18th, SADA JACOBSON: USA sabre fencing a day earlier, theand Hall all sorts of Fame of special events champion Sada Jacobson, ranked that occur only once every four years. World’s #1 in 2004, and winner of inductions multiple gold, silver and bronze medals And, of course, there’s occurs 24/7 every day of every year! at World Championships from 2000 to 2006, and silvers and bronzes at the For more information aboutthe Holythe Hall Land, of 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. Fame event, see the insert on the next page, or contact: which LOUIS BENDER: Columbia University 1930 and 1932 All-America basketball [email protected] star, he was All Ivy League 1930–32, and the League’s top scorer 1930 and 1931. One of the most celebrated basketball stars of his era, he played professionally 1934-41 with the Boston Celtics, Union City Reds, Boston Trojans and New 1979 - THE FIRST INDUCTIONSNDUCTI York Whirlwinds. BEN JEBY: Won the World Middleweight boxing championship with a 12-round TKO over Frankie Batt aglia in January, 1933. New York-born Jeby registered 22 KOs in 54 victories over 73 pro fi ghts. continued on Page 3 BELGIAN MICHEL GRUN ~ 2012 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT In May, 1979, sports royality made a command RECIPIENT appearance at the very fi rst Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Michel Grun, chairman of the inductions, held at the Beverly Hills (CA) Hilton Hotel. European Maccabi Confederation Veteran observers called it the greatest collection of from 1984 to 1999, and co-chair of the American Jewish sports superstars ever assembled at a 1987 (Copenhagen), 1991 (Marseilles) single event. Two years later, ‘International’ was added and 1995 (Amsterdam) European Maccabi Games, is to the name, and the IJ SHOF Museum was introduced recipient of the IJ SHOF’s 2012 Lifetime Achievement on the Wingate College campus in Netanya, Israel. Award. Presentation of the award is scheduled for Among those on hand that spring of ’79 evening: (l-r) Nat Holman, Red Auerbach, July 2013 ceremonies at the Hall of Fame Museum in Dolph Schayes, Sylvia Wene Martin, Hank Greenberg, Warren Abrams Netanya. (Maccabiah Games chairman), Dick Savitt, Jackie Fields, Jimmy Jacobs, continued on Page 4 Irving Jaffee. FRROMOM TTHEHE CHHAIRMANAIRMAN ....Who..Who Knew?Knew? Plans are being • That Hank Greenberg was the fi rst • That when she wasn’t winning formulated for an Major League player to enlist in U.S. Olympic medals and sett ing world exciting MISSION military service aft er the Japanese records, American track and fi eld TO ISRAEL, and bombed Pearl Harbor (Dec. 7, 1941). phenom Lillian Copeland was a Los elsewhere in this He volunteered for the U.S. Army Angeles County Sheriff . newslett er you can Air Force and served 45 months, see more details. the longest of any MLB player. Two • That trainers Ray Arcel and Whitey days before Pearl Harbor, Hank had Bimstein, partners for 10 years Our goal has been and always will been honorably discharged from his and independent for 40-plus more, be to show the world what great original military service! trained 45 World boxing champions. Jewish sportsmen and sportswomen • That three- have accomplished. To this end, in • That two ... Ladany was the lone member of the time Indy ‘500 addition to a wonderful but limited Jews, Eddie 1972 Israeli men’s Olympic track champion Maury museum, we have established an Gott lieb team who survived the Arab terrorist Rose’s day job excellent website: www.jewishsports.net, and Harry att ack that murdered 11 teammates. was engineer at published four Jewish Sports Legends Simmons, General Motors, books, and provide worldwide media, made up the NBA and MLB regular season where he invented the original device museums, documentarians and schedules for a combined 47 years. that allowed amputees to drive an historians with research information automobile. and photographs. • That Kenny Bernstein was the fi rst NHRA driver to break the 300 mph • That Hungarian tennis star Suzy We need to expand our horizons. barrier (301.70 mph in March 1992). Kormoczy, at the 1958 French Open, To accomplish this we need to raise was the fi rst (and still only) Jewish substantial funds. We have our Dedicate • That Bill Davidson’s Detroit Pistons woman to win a Grand Slam Singles an Honoree Display Case program, were valued upwards of $430 million championship. as well as our Trustee program. For when he passed away in 2009. He more information on these programs bought the NBA franchise 35 years • That NFL Film’s founder Ed Sabol, please call or e-mail me. earlier for $6 million. a mid-1930s Ohio State University swimming All-American, was With warmest wishes for a pleasant • That Shaul Ladany was the lone named to the 1936 U.S. Olympic summer, member of the 1972 Israeli men’s team but declined to participate Olympic track team who survived in Hitler’s games. Alan Sherman the Arab terrorist attack that 310.602.9953 murdered 11 teammates. [email protected] BOOBB LEEVYVY REECEIVESCEIVES LIIFETIMEFETIME HOONORSNORS IINN PHHILADELPHIAILADELPHIA Philadelphia’s Bob Levy received the IJSHOF’s 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award at a reception in his honor at the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia. Friends, past Hall of Fame honorees, and members of the Levy family were on hand. Principal speakers: (l-r) Joe Siegman (IJSHOF founder & past chairman), David Montgomery (Philadelphia Phillies president), Michael Rosenzweig (president and CEO of the NMAJH), Bob Levy, and Alan Sherman (IJSHOF chairman). Page 2 NNEWEW HHONOREESONOREES (continued from Page 1) JEWS DOS & DON’TS MURRAY CHASS: New York Times icon Jews do this, Jews don’t do that. baseball sportswriter 1969 to 2008 was recipient of the 2003 G. Taylor Spink A prominent Los Angeles rabbi remarked Award, media’s election to the MLB Hall three-plus decades ago when declining of Fame in Cooperstown. He was the to deliver the invocation at the first Times’ New York Yankees “beat” writer Jewish Sports Hall of Fame inductions: 1970-86, then appointed Times national “What do Jews have to do with sports?” baseball writer. More oft en than not, Jewish accomplishments in sports BILL DAVIDSON: Storied owner of the are perceived to be a revelation, pure amazement NBA’s Detroit Pistons 1974-2009. Elected that there is or has been a signifi cant Jewish presence to the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2008, he on a playing fi eld, arena or court (without the word also owned the WNBA’s Detroit Shock, Supreme, Superior or Municipal preceding it). NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning and several The IJ SHOF’s mandate is to establish and call att ention other pro franchises. A modern sports to the contributions to sports by exceptional Jewish pioneer, his Pistons, Lightning and Shock athletes and sportsmen. It’s not about the Talmud. all won World championships in 2004. Pistons also won NBA It’s about the successful Jewish role in contemporary titles in 1989 and 1990. The Shock repeated 2006 and 2008. culture via physical and competitive talents. PETRA BURKA: Canadian Petra Burka was the 1965 We’ve been doing this for nearly 35 years; at the same World Figure Skating Champion. A time encouraging, inspiring and oft en assisting other year earlier, she took the bronze medal regional groups to establish their own community at the Winter Olympics, and earned Jewish sports hall of fame. There are currently 20 such bronzes at the 1964 and 1966 Worlds. regional JSHOFs in the U.S., as well as others in Great The Netherlands-born champion was the Britain, Europe, and South Africa. fi rst woman to land a Triple Salchow in It’s no bulletin that financial times are difficult, competition. She is the daughter of Ellen certainly no more so than in the State of Israel. To Burka, the IJ SHOF’s 2010 fi gure skating honoree. continue our work, we can use your financial help ERWIN KOHN: Austrian Erwin Kohn NOW! Donations are tax deductible. won the 1936 World Table Tennis Doubles We need YOU on our team! Championship (w/R. Bergmann), and a gold medal with the Austrian team at the Joe Siegman ’36 Swathling Cup (World Championships). IJ SHOF Past Chairman He also captured either silver or bronze medals in Singles, Doubles and/or Team competitions at the 1932 thru 1935 CRITERIA FOR ELECTION Worlds. Fleeing to Argentina at the outset of WWII, he n addition to a potential candidate having at least dominated South American table tennis from 1940-52. one Jewish parent AND considers him/herself SHAUL LADANY: One of the top race-walkers of the IJewish, the candidate must have accomplished at 1960s-1970s. The Israeli’s 50-mile event least one of the following: record (7:44:47.2) in 1972 is still the world • An Olympic gold medal mark.