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.

By Allen Bodner

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.