August 11, 2010 | 10:07 am

Top 7 Jewish Sports Stories of the Decade

Posted by Jeremy Fine

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What could story #1 be? We have gone through baseball, basketball, hockey, wrestling and even swimming. And this story I bet is a sport that very few people even care about. No, I am not talking about soccer. To get a better sense of what I am talking about watching this video.

Yes, in the sport of windsurfing in the 2004 Olympics, Gal Fridman won Israel’s first gold medal. The video gives me chills. From the excitement of the announcers, to the crowd, to the Hatikvah. This gold medal is a defining moment in the world of Jewish sports. For a moment in time, Israel was on time of the sporting world. No one in the world was better than Gal Fridman. It was not up for debate like who is better Sandy Koufax or Bob Gibson. Israel, the Jews, had the best windsurfer in the world. Period.

But winning the gold does so much more than a Shawn Green day off or a gold medal from Jason Lezak. It shows the world that Israel is thriving and normal. That people in Israel are not just Yeshiva students and soldiers, they are also athletes.

So Gal Fridman is the story of the decade.

I am sure the next decade will bring even more great stories. Maybe a defensive MVP from Taylor Mays or a home run title from Ryan Braun or maybe a smaller sports star will make headlines again. We here at TGR plan on bringing you those stories.

And Let Us Say…Amen.
-Jeremy
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