Jews in the Gym

Download or read book Jews in the Gym written by Leonard Jay Greenspoon and published by Purdue University Press. This book was released on 2012 with total page 307 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For some, the connection between Jews and athletics might seem far-fetched. But in fact, as is highlighted by the fourteen chapters in this collection, Jews have been participating in"and thinking about"sports for more than two thousand years. The articles in this volume cover a wide chronological range: from the Hellenistic period (first century BCE) to the most recent basketball season. The range of athletes covered is equally broad. The authors of these essays raise a number of intriguing questions such as: What differing attitudes toward sports have Jews exhibited across periods and cultures? In what sports have Jews excelled, and why? How have Jews overcome prejudices on the part of the general populace against a Jewish presence on the field or in the ring? This volume features a number of illustrations (many of them quite rare). It is accessible to the general reader and contains much information of interest to the scholar in Jewish studies, American studies, and sports history.