Jewish Sports Legends: The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame (Sports Publications)

Here's the ultimate gift book for all sports fans! It features profiles and photographs of the greatest Jewish athletes throughout world history. Many are well-known names: legendary pitcher Sandy Koufax, "Hammerin'" Hank Greenberg, basketball czar Red Auerbach, and all-star quarterback Sid Luckman. These, and countless other sports greats, are honored by the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in this grand coffee-table volume. Following the 1972 Olympics, a sportswriter referred to super-swimmer Mark Spitz as "the first great Jewish Athlete". How wrong he was! While Spitz’s seven-gold-medal achievement may never be topped, this book - reaching back two centuries to England's Jewish boxing champ Daniel Mendoza - illuminates the lives and unforgettable accomplishments of Jews in every major sport known to the world. This book reveals how Jews conceived baseball's World Series, invented basketball's "zone defense", and elevated the T-Formation to football's state-of-the-art high scoring offense. And in "The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame" you'll also discover Jewish athletes who achieved worldwide honors in fencing, figure skating, tennis, wrestling - and more. In addition, you'll learn that there have been no fewer than 29 boxing titles held by victorious Jewish fists. This comprehensive showcase of Jewish sports talent will enable you to answer questions such as: What rabbi's son pressed 200 lbs. above his bodyweight to be deemed world's strongest man in the 1964 Olympics? Which San Diego Chargers star was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979 - only the second AFL player and sixth offensive lineman ever to be so honored? What cousins won six gymnastics gold medals in the same Olympic Games? In what sport is the perpetual championship trophy named for a Jewish mother? What Jewish wrestler won 400 consecutive bouts from 1939 to 1952? Which 14-year Major League catcher served as an American spy in World War II? Which Jewish NBA star retired with five all-time records, including most career points? The 1928 New York Giants purchased the entire Detroit Wolverines football team in order to acquire what triple-threat rookie quarterback? "The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame" received its official charter in 1981 in Jerusalem. The Hall of Fame museum was inaugurated in July of the same year in ceremonies at the Wingate Institute in Netanya, Israel.