5 Jewish Sports Legends They Don’t Talk About Enough | Unpacked

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 Subscribe and turn on your notifications so you don’t miss future uploads! https://www.youtube.com/UNPACKED?sub_confirmation=1 Recommended video—10 Jewish Inventions That Changed the World https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqP8QD3m43Y&list=PL-DNOnm… We have merch! – http://shop.Unpacked.media/?utm_medium=youtube&utm_source… Let’s connect: Website — https://www.Unpacked.media Instagram — /unpackedmedia Twitter — /unpackedmedia TikTok — /unpackedmedia Facebook — /unpackedmedia ----------- 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. #sports #olympics #value