5 Jewish Sports Legends They Don’t Talk About Enough

From ancient heroes to modern champions, Jewish athletes have shaped sports history in unforgettable ways.

Whether it’s Aly Raisman’s powerful routines or Mark Spitz’s record-breaking golds, these five legends proved that being a champion isn’t just about winning—it’s about courage, resilience, and standing up for what matters.

00:00 Intro
00:40 Aly Raisman
02:25 Mark Spitz
03:20 Yarden Gerbi
04:28 Hank Greenberg
05:41 Mark Baer
07:20 Outro

Sources:
“Alexandra Raisman (1994 – ).” Jewish Virtual Library.
“Aly Raisman.” Jewish Women’s Archive
“Aly Raisman: Facts & Related Content.” Britannica
https://youtu.be/HoQVii31BSY
https://youtu.be/DVAMKnfrQBk
https://youtu.be/tqLCAhf1dBk
https://youtu.be/d4tGPLAS3H4
https://youtu.be/Ofm0-XuntHo
https://youtu.be/QiIlcKiREUU
Harari, Renee, and Renee Beyda. “Aly Raisman Talks Judaism And Gymnastics.” The New York Jewish Week, 20 Oct. 2016.
Karpen, Elizabeth. “Get to Know Jewish Olympic Gymnast Aly Raisman.” Jewish Unpacked, 2 May 2023.
Blas, Howard. “Jewish Former Olympian Mark Spitz Recalls His History as he is Honored by Israel Guide Dog Center.” The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle, 24 Mar. 2022
Harpaz, Beth. “Mark Spitz Made Olympics History in 1972. Here’s Why His Jewish Identity Mattered in Munich.” The Forward, 1 Sept. 2022
https://youtu.be/exEByovgyXQ
https://youtu.be/3xkMjchI-T0
Longman, Jeré. “For Mark Spitz, Olympic Greatness Came Amid Tragedy.” The New York Times, 4 Sept. 2022
“Mark Spitz (1950 – ).” Jewish Virtual Library
“Mark Spitz: American Swimmer.” Britannica
“Mark Spitz.” International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
https://youtu.be/o76m0WVXDXY
Bondarenko, Veronika. “5 Interesting Facts About Israeli Judo Bronze Medalist Yarden Gerbi.” The Forward, 11 August. 2016
https://youtu.be/cBUdo6oAPzs
Froim, Yoni. “She Put a Ring on it: Israeli Olympic Medalist Announces Engagement.” Ynet News, 16 Apr. 2024
“Israeli Wins Bronze in Judo in Rio.” Ynet News, 8 Sept. 2016
Sinai, Allon. “Person of the Year in Israeli Sports: Yarden Gerbi.” The Jerusalem Post, 27 Dec. 2013
https://youtu.be/I7MnPYLGXwU
Yanover, Yori. “Israeli Takes Judo World Championship Gold.” The Jewish Press, 30 August. 2013
https://youtu.be/M1w4xrfje_A
https://youtu.be/4AM36J1jMUk
“Yarden Gerbi Takes Gold at Worlds, First for Israeli Judoka.” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 2 Sept. 2013
Enten, Harry. “An Ode to Perhaps the Greatest Jewish Baseball Player on Passover.” CNN Sports, 23 Apr. 2024
“Hank Greenberg: American Baseball Player.” Britannica
https://youtu.be/8TgsOs4hSjk
“Hank Greenberg.” Baseball Reference
Hassenfeld, Noam. “Hank Greenberg: Caught Between Baseball and his Religion.” WBUR, 22 Sept. 2017
“Jackie Likes Greenberg.” The Register-Guard, 18 May 1947
Kriegel, Leonard. “Hank Greenberg, Reluctant Jewish Hero.” The Forward, 8 June 2011
Rich, Dan. “Hank Greenberg: The Hebrew Hammer’s Legacy of Breaking Barriers and Inspiring Pride.” Jewish Unpacked, 16 Feb. 2024
https://youtu.be/_BIpTX9KAGM
https://youtu.be/leGcc71bSvc
“Adolf Hitler (1889 – 1945).” Jewish Virtual Library
Eisen, Yosef. “10 Anti-Semitic Myths” – excerpt from Miraculous Journey. Chabad
Evans, Jules. “Nazi Spiritual Eugenics (II): Hitler and the Will of Nature”. Philosophy for Life, 3 June 2022
“Max Baer.” International Boxing Hall of Fame
“Max Baer: American Boxer.” Britannica
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dAPwG5eEAk
https://youtu.be/ChSJcuYco7g
https://youtu.be/KUXXklL3zcQ
Zanon, Paul. “Livermore Laruppter – The Max Baer Story.” British Vintage Boxing, 29 Mar. 2023

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———–
Image and footage credits:
International Olympic Committee
International Judo Federation
Pure Flix
Boomtown Films
MLB
CTV
NBC
Getty Images
Sports Illustrated
Dotdash Meredith
CNN
60 MINUTES
PEOPLE NOW
GMA
Aol.
DW
SURVIVOR ISRAEL
NINJA WARRIOR ISRAEL
KESHET 12
ערוץ רשת 13
HOT 3
ספורט 5
The Weinstein Company
Universal Pictures
British Pathè
CBS 5
REUTERS
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Team USA
ESPN
ESPN Classic
———–
Executive Producer:
— Barry Skolnick
Co-Executive Producer:
— Shmuel Katz
———–
Translation credits:
Portuguese: Saymon Pires

Unpacked provides nuanced insights by unpacking all things Jewish. People are complex — yet we’re constantly being pushed to oversimplify our world. At Unpacked we break the world down with nuance and insight to drive your curiosity and challenge your thinking.

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