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Hi there! It was a historic week for Jews in sports, from Max Fried’s record-breaking contract with the New York Yankees to the likely first-ever instance of three Jewish hockey players appearing on the same team in an NHL game.
Read on for more on all the above, plus our lead story about Jewish athletes going pro in Israel.
Meet three American Jews who went pro in Israel during the war
Nikki Bick, Rachel Dallet and Ryan Turell each made aliyah in 2024 to play professional sports in Israel. (Courtesy; Turell via Amit Smikt; Design by Grace Yagel)
Ryan Turell and Nikki Bick both played basketball at Yeshiva University, with dreams of bigger things. Now, the pair are each playing professionally in Israel, for the men’s and women’s teams, respectively, of Ironi Ness Ziona.
For them, as well as soccer player Rachel Dallet, the draw of going pro in Israel was strong, even during a war. All three made aliyah in recent months, inspired both by a Jewish sense of belonging and the chance to continue their athletic careers at an elite level.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to play basketball in Israel professionally, ever since I was in high school and I was thinking maybe playing professionally can happen,” Turell told me. “I always wanted to do it.”
I caught up with the three athletes to hear about their immigration experiences and how they’re adjusting to a new language, culture and playbook — both on the field, or court, and off.
Halftime report
GOING LIVE. “September 5,” the new drama that retells the story of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre, during which 11 Israelis were murdered by terrorists after being taken hostage in the Olympic Village, hits theaters this week. The film, which is drawing awards buzz, spotlights the ABC Sports broadcast team that covered the attack live. Check out our interview with the film’s director.
ICYMI. Thanks to those who joined us on Tuesday for our online event marking the 75th anniversary of the City College basketball championship and scandal! I had a fascinating conversation with author Matthew Goodman — if you missed it, you can watch the recording here.
REFUAH SHLEIMAH. The baseball world is rallying around Jonah Rosenthal, a Jewish scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers who suffered a stroke on Tuesday. A GoFundMe set up by Rosenthal’s wife had raised over $75,000 in the first two days, exceeding its $60,000 goal.
WANDERING JEW. Team Israel alum Spencer Horwitz experienced quite the rollercoaster ride on Tuesday. The infielder, who made his MLB debut in 2023, was traded twice in a matter of hours, first from the Toronto Blue Jays to the Cleveland Guardians, and then from the Guardians to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Most of us will never make it to the big leagues, but at least Horwitz can say he was on three MLB teams in one day!
HIS NAME STILL ISN’T COHEN. Former star pitcher-turned-broadcaster David Cone is not Jewish, but his partner and son Sammy are. Check out these photos from Sammy’s bar mitzvah, including the five-time World Series champion and perfect game hurler donning a prayer shawl.
THIS ISRAELI HAPPENING. Veteran outfielder Kevin Pillar has announced that he not only intends to continue playing in the Major Leagues next season, but that he also plans to compete in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Pillar had committed to playing for Team Israel in 2023 but had to back out to focus on winning a roster spot in Spring Training (which he did, for the Braves). Pillar told me last summer that he hopes to represent Israel in 2026 whether or not he’s still in the league.
RED CARD. The Premier League club Arsenal is investigating an employee over a string of antisemitic social media posts. A since-deleted X account associated with equipment staffer Mark Bonnick had interacted with several Jewish users, including posting about “Jewish supremacy” and accusing Israel of ethnic cleansing in Gaza.
Max Fried makes Jewish MLB history
Max Fried pitches during Game 5 of the NLCS between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodgers Stadium, Oct. 21, 2021. (Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Ace pitcher Max Fried entered the baseball offseason as one of the most coveted free agents on the market. On Tuesday, he got his payday, signing an eight-year, $218 million contract with the New York Yankees.
The deal is the largest-ever for a Jewish player, and biggest overall for a left-handed pitcher in raw numbers in baseball history. The 30-year-old has a 3.07 ERA in 151 career starts and is a two-time All-Star, a three-time Gold Glove winner, a Silver Slugger winner and a 2021 World Series champion.
Fried is also a Los Angeles native who grew up worshipping Hall of Famer, and fellow Jewish Dodger southpaw, Sandy Koufax. Now Fried could spend the rest of his career playing in the city with the most Jews in the world. He joins fellow Jewish pitcher Scott Effross on a Yankees team that features bench coach Brad Ausmus and multiple highly-touted Jewish prospects, including flamethrowing pitcher Eric Reyzelman.
Read more about Fried’s record-breaking deal here.
Jews in sports to watch this weekend (all times ET)
⚽ IN SOCCER…
Manor Solomon and Leeds United play Preston Saturday at 7:30 a.m. The squad is in second place in the Championship and has won four of its past five games. Matt Turner and his Premier League club Crystal Palace take on Brighton Sunday at 9 a.m.
🏒 IN HOCKEY…
Jakob Chychrun and the Washington Capitals host Jason Zucker and the Buffalo Sabres Saturday at 7 p.m. The Vancouver Canucks and their three Jewish players — Quinn Hughes, Mark Friedman and Max Sasson, likely the first Jewish trio to appear in a game for the same team — host Jeremy Swayman and the Boston Bruins Saturday at 10 p.m. Jordan Harris and the Columbus Blue Jackets face the Carolina Hurricanes Sunday at 5 p.m. There are no PWHL games this weekend.
🏈 IN FOOTBALL…
Michael Dunn and the Cleveland Browns host the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday at 1 p.m.
🏀 IN BASKETBALL…
Deni Avdija and the Portland Trail Blazers host the San Antonio Spurs tonight at 10 p.m. and face the Phoenix Suns Sunday at 8 p.m. In the G League, Amari Bailey and the Long Island Nets face the Capital City Go-Go Sunday at 3 p.m.
Fantasy baseball
After Fried signed, Alex Bregman remains one of the top available players on the free agent market. He’s joined by fellow Jews Pillar, Joc Pederson, Harrison Bader and Rowdy Tellez, each of whom is also looking for a new team.
Have a prediction about where these Jewish stars will sign? Email us at sports@jta.org with your official picks — feel free to include years/dollar amounts if you’re so bold — and we’ll shout out the closest guesses when the players sign!
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