Hank Greenberg in extra innings

Published on May 9, 2013

"I think Hank Greenberg was the great American hero," Washington filmmaker Aviva Kempner says. "What he did on Yom Kippur. What he faced. He was our Jackie Robinson."

Hank Greenberg's Jewishness

By Jonathan Kirsch
Published on May 8, 2013

The big question in Detroit in the fall of 1934 had nothing to do with the troubled state of the world. Rather, the fans of the Detroit Tigers wanted to know whether their star first baseman, Hank Greenberg, was going to play on the Jewish High Holy Days. After all, the Tigers were in first place and they were contesting the New York Yankees for the pennant.

All-star Jewish baseball team

Published on October 3, 2012

During Yom Kippur, many Jews fret over whether Jewish Major Leaguers will play on the holiest of holidays. This has become a growing problem, because the number of Jews playing Major League Baseball (MLB) has been increasing.

Jewish Major Leaguers and why we care about them

Published on March 22, 2012

Nearly all fans of baseball history have heard of Hank Greenberg. Most have heard of Al Rosen. But fewer have heard of Cal Abrams, and hardly any, it’s safe to say, have heard of Lou Limmer. All four are members of a compelling team -- the 165 American Jews who played Major League Baseball between the 1870s and the end of the 2010 season.

Baseball’s reluctant Jewish hero

Published on May 5, 2011

Hyman (Hank) Greenberg, Major League Baseball player extraordinaire and subject of “Hank Greenberg: The Hero Who Didn’t Want to Be One” by Mark Kurlansky (Yale University Press, $25.00), probably would have disliked being included in the “Jewish Lives” series published by Yale University Press.

Are these the top Jewish athletes of all time?

By The Web Guy
Published on October 10, 2008

Friday Night Game Earns Green a Strike

By Seth Swirsky
Published on September 30, 2004

In professional baseball's 135-year history, there have been, at last count, 143 Jewish ballplayers. Yet only two of them are bona fide stars: the great slugger, Hank Greenberg, who played from 1930-1947; and the game's greatest left-handed pitcher Sandy Koufax, 1955-1966 (along, that is, with Lefty Grove).

Remembering Greenberg

By Richard Sandomir
Published on May 18, 2000

In late September 1934, Hank Greenberg, the great Detroit Tigers slugger, chose not to play a crucial game against the Yankees so that he could observe Yom Kippur.

Where the Heart Is

Published on May 18, 2000

In late September 1934, Hank Greenberg, the great Detroit Tigers slugger, chose not to play a crucial game against the Yankees so that he could observe Yom Kippur.