Jack Hertz

I, Jack A. Hertz, aka Abraham Jacob Hertz, was presented with this book on May 25, 1960. I was eleven-years-old at the time, attending the Hebrew Institute of Pittsburgh after regular school, Monday through Thursdays, and Sundays. I would rather have been playing ball in the schoolyard, but this education was a prerequisite to attaining bar mitzvah status. 

I cannot remember if the  awarding  of the book was unique to me, or if everyone in the class was so honored. I only can tell you that I was not an inspired student. Maybe the progress referred to on the flyleaf was that I had mastered the Hebrew alphabet. 

The Jew in American Sports was written by Harold U. Ribalow, and the book was once described as the “quintessential bar mitzvah gift of the 1950s and 1960s.” Ribalow was an author and sports editor of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

This book is thicker than you would think. Jewish boxers were prolific in the period between the two world wars. There were many colorful world champions including Benny Leonard, Barney Ross, and Jackie “Kid “ Berg.  In baseball, aside from the famous superstars written about like Hank Greenberg and Al Rosen, there are chapters about Dolly Stark, the first Jewish major league umpire, and Al Schacht, the “clown prince of baseball” who entertained generations, performing at both major league and minor league parks.

The book covers bullfighters, chess champions, tennis and golf stars, luminaries of basketball (Dolph Schayes) and football. One of the greatest college football players of all time was Marshall Goldberg, a two time All American, and two time national champion who played at Pitt in the late 1920s. His rushing records held up until Tony Dorsett eclipsed them in 1974.

Mr. Goldberg later played football professionally for the Chicago Cardinals, before becoming a successful Chicago businessman and philanthropist. I had the pleasure of seeing Marshall annually at the Pitt Club of Chicago dinners, which were also attended by Bears’ coaches Mike Ditka and Dave Wannstedt. 

I own many books about Jewish athletes, but this was my first.  After sixty years it remains a star in its own right.