ꓘ For Kosher Paperback – August 23, 2024

Baseball has been a huge part of my life. I attended my first game when I was seven months old. I played baseball starting in kindergarten so it has been most of my life. My love for Jewish baseball started when I was nine years old and my rabbi gifted me a copy of Great Jews in Sports by Robert Slater. For my Bar Mitzvah, my grandparents gave me a baseball signed by the legendary Sandy Koufax. I wondered, "what if I got all Jewish players?" and my quest began. Like most people, I didn't know just how many Jewish players there were. Despite only making up ~0.2% of the world's population, ~1% of MLB players throughout history have been Jewish. Using Jewishbaseballnews.com's list of players, I put together a spreadsheet of all the players. From Nate Berkenstock, the earliest-born player and 115th in MLB history, to Zack Gelof, the most recent Jewish player to debut and 23,010th in MLB history, Jews have been in baseball for more than a century and a half.Through any means possible, whether it be selling stuff on eBay, umpiring Little League games, or using the money I was given for my bar mitzvah, I worked towards collecting everyone I could. Each item in my collection tells a story. As I continue to expand my collection, I am constantly learning more about the players, their experiences, and the challenges they faced. In addition to my deep love for baseball, my passion for history is another significant part of my life. I've always been fascinated by the stories and events that shaped our world. It's not just about owning a piece of history; it's about immersing myself in the history of baseball and connecting with the stories of those who paved the way for future generations.This is not just a collection of stories about great Jewish athletes; it's also the story of my journey into Judaism over the past two years, explored through my unique passion for baseball and its Jewish players. From interviews with players to rooting for team Israel to playing baseball in Israel, this is my story. Read more