![]() ![]() ![]() Greenberg was the most successful Jewish sports figure in the mid-twentieth century in the national pastime. And Hank Greenberg was playing his final year in the Major Leagues, at first base for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Holocaust was too painful even to contemplate. In 1947 Israel (the nation state) was still one year from its founding. When we thought not only about what was good for the Jews, when we felt emboldened to hope for a better world for everyone, and when we actually played a role in trying to make that world a reality. The quotation inspires a memory from my youth-a moment in time when American Jews acted with hesed. The prophet relays what he hears as God’s words to Israel: “I will remember you because of the hesed (loving kindness) of your youth.” (2:2). ![]() The connection begins with one of my favorite quotations, from the Hebrew Bible in the book of Jeremiah. But for me, thinking about Jews and their role in “America’s game” is primarily about the Jewish passion for social justice. The subject of Jews and baseball is one that often inspires nostalgia, not thoughts about Jewish values. ![]()
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