Rudi Ball, a member of the International Ice Hockey Hall of Fame, was one of two Jewish athletes to represent Germany in the 1936 Winter Olympics. His career spanned 1928-1952, during which he led his teams to eight German championships and represented Germany in 49 international games. He scored 19 goals across multiple world championships and three in the 1932 Olympics, where Germany earned a bronze medal. Despite pressure to remove him from the 1936 Olympic team due to his Jewish heritage, Ball’s teammates supported him, threatening to boycott if he was excluded.
Chris Berman is a pioneering sports broadcaster and one of the first anchors of ESPN’s SportsCenter, starting in 1979. He has won six National Sportscaster of the Year awards, 10 Emmys, and 12 CableACEs. His accolades include a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award, and induction into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame.
David Blatt, a standout player and coach, was a four-time Israeli Super League Coach of the Year and led his teams to numerous European and international championships, including a EuroLeague title in 2014. He coached the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in 2015 and represented the USA at the Maccabiah Games, winning a gold medal in 1981.
Deena Kastor won a bronze medal in the marathon at the 2004 Olympics and has set American records in multiple distances. A seven-time U.S. cross country champion, she has won numerous national and international awards, including induction into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
Ilona Elek, one of the greatest female fencers in history, won two Olympic gold medals 12 years apart (1936 and 1948) and a silver in 1952. She also secured multiple World Championship medals across two decades.
John Frank was a key player for two Super Bowl-winning teams with the San Francisco 49ers before retiring to become a board-certified otolaryngologist. At Ohio State, he was a record-setting tight end, Academic All-American, and MVP. He co-founded Israel’s national bobsled team and has been inducted into several sports halls of fame.
Merrill Moses, a three-time Olympian and silver medalist, was a standout goalkeeper for Pepperdine University and the U.S. national team. He played in the Olympics (2008, 2012, 2016) and won multiple gold medals in the Pan American Games, as well as induction into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame.
After a spinal stroke, Moran Samuel shifted from basketball to para-rowing, becoming a world champion and Paralympic medalist. She famously sang Hatikvah at a competition in Italy and won gold at the World Rowing Championships.
Mordechai Spiegler, Israel’s greatest soccer player, scored the nation’s only World Cup goal in 1970. He remains Israel’s all-time leading scorer and played for both Paris Saint-Germain and the New York Cosmos. He later transitioned to a successful coaching career.
Dwight Stones was a dominant high jumper, setting 10 world records and winning two Olympic bronze medals. He was named World Indoor Athlete of the Year twice and inducted into multiple sports halls of fame.
Ariel Ze’evi won an Olympic bronze medal and was a four-time European heavyweight champion. He also claimed silver at the World Judo Championships and served as chairman of the Maccabiah Games in 2022.
