Saturday, June 27, 2015

Trenton's Jewish Athletes

 CITY OF TRENTON                            ADULT TENNIS
                                     CHAMPIONS
MENS
WOMENS
1943
Gil Sussman

1944
Gil Sussman

1962
Carl Witonsky

1963
Carl Witonsky

1965
Stanley Shambron
Marilyn Rosenthal
1966
John McGrath
Marilyn Rosenthal
1967
Helmuth Meertz
Carla Gaiser
1969
John McGrath
Jackie Zinner/Carla
Gaiser/Dorothy Katz/Marilyn
Rosenthal
CITY OF TRENTON
JUNIOR BOY’S AND GIRLS CHAMPIONS
YEAR
JUNIOR SINGLES
MIDGET SINGLES
Junior Sngles

Boy's Champion
Boy's Champion
1925
Ty Kennedy
Isadore Aroniss
1926

Joe Waldron
1931
Leon Levy
Edgar Levy
1932
Joe Waldron
Edgar Levy
1933
Jim Dwyer
Edgar Levy
1934
Billy Dwyer
Lou Applestein
1935
Jim Dwyer
Milton Rosenthal
1942
Mort Nusblatt
Ed Meara
1948
Steve Holzman

1951
Marty Siegel

1956
Albert Stark


1957
Albert Stark


1963
Denis Ross

Lynn Taylor
1964



1965
Dan Haggerty III

Nancy Scheurman
1967
Scott Stoner

Karen Garfing
1969
Steve Bash

Karen Garfing
1970


Mary Lapidus

Boxing: A Jewish Sport

Jews' participation in professional boxing in the interwar period is not as surprising as it might seem to be.

When Jewish sports fans are asked to name Jewish boxers, invariably they will mention Benny Leonard and Barney Ross, the famous champions. Sometimes Ruby Goldstein, a contender, will be added, and more infrequently "Slapsie" Maxie Rosenbloom, a great light-heavyweight champion. And there it ends.

Michael Schlossberg


Even knowledgeable sports fans have no notion that there were many outstanding Jewish champions and contenders, and thousands of Jewish boxers in the twenties, thirties, and even forties. "How was it possible?" they will ask. "It is so contrary to Jewish tradition and culture. It is astounding."
In fact, Jews entered the ranks of American boxing in large numbers and by 1928, were the dominant nationality in professional prizefighting, followed by the Italians and the Irish. Ten years later, Jews sank to third place, preceded by the Italians and the Irish.
When World War II ended and the G.I. Bill of Rights and other avenues of advancement became available, boxing was no longer attractive to the Jews as participants. By 1950, there were virtually no Jewish boxers, and their number has been minuscule ever since. A similar decline occurred among Jewish trainers, but Jewish managers, promoters, and matchmakers continue to maintain a presence.
On the surface, it seems unlikely that Jews ever participated in such a brutal sport. It is assumed that Jewish pursuits were traditionally more cerebral and that education played an overriding role in the Jewish culture. Who would box when he could go to college and become a professional?
But going to college and becoming a professional were not necessarily options for the vast majority of Jewish youths in the 1920s and 1930s. When that choice as well as other economic opportunities became possible, after the Second World War, Jewish boxing rapidly disintegrated.



Navigation by WebRing.

2 comments:

  1. Art The boxer Schlossberg you mention must have been related to one of the really nice guys ( particularly for a lawyer) I knew growing up; Johnny Schlossberg. I woujld like to add another Jewish boxer who made a name for himself here in River city; Georgie Levy. After retirement George ran a fuel oil business. He was a contemporary of "Young Terry, the Trenton Buzzsaw"

    ReplyDelete
  2. Art- I produced a video last year for the Rotary Club of Trenton. My contact at the club was a Welsh gentleman by the name of Bud Gough. Bud's father boxed and was a favorite of the Jewish fight fans. It was suggested to him that he might do better with a more Jewish name, so in the ring, he became Bud Roth. His son still has a pair of his boxing shorts with the name Bud Roth on them and a Jewish Star emblazoned. He fought in Trenton and Max Schmelling was the referee of one of his fights.

    ReplyDelete