I’ve never been all that interested in the Olympics. Every couple of years while channel surfing, I might pause on an event, temporarily mesmerized by an athlete’s superhuman prowess,or watch a few moments of the opening and/or closing ceremonies, discovering countries I never knew existed.
But these Summer Olympics were different in oh-so-many ways (to begin with, calling them “Tokyo 2020”, when the year is actually 2021; I’m confused enough just remembering what day of the week it is lately!), and like many COVID-mandated house-centric people, I found myself tuning in more frequently than anticipated.
And now I fully understand the purpose of these events. If I had to define the Olympics in a single word, one immediately rises to the podium above all others: Pride. Yes, I now realize the Games are all about pride – concentric circles of pride, a ripple effect of pride. Starting, of course, with the athlete him/her/themself, who – after years of grueling practice, trials and tribulations – has proven that he/she/they is/are better than anyone else in the world. The next level of pride comes from those personally associated with said athlete – family, friends, neighbors (Side note: I got to experience this first hand; Penny Oleksiak, the swimming phenomenon who just became the most medal-decorated Olympian in Canadian history is from my Beaches neighborhood in Toronto). After that, comes the pride displayed by the demographic that the athlete represents. Those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender had more reason to be proud than ever this summer, with trans and non-binary Olympians coming into their own. A form of “racial profiling” actually took a positive spin as African-Americans rejoiced at each medal racked up by one of their own. And most certainly, almost every one of us Jews beams with pride as we search out those athletes who have any Jewish heritage whatsoever, doing whatever we need in order to claim one as our own. (“Did you know that her mother’s uncle’s brother-in-law was Jewish?!”)
And then, of course, there is the raison d’etre for the Olympics: national pride. It is impossible not to get verklempt (choked up) when your country-person is glowing on the podium wearing a gold medal, while your national anthem is playing in the background. (Another side note: As a dual citizen, I have been asked for years whether I feel more American or Canadian. The answer only became clear to me thanks to the Olympics, where I found myself cheering for the Canadian athletes above all others, and mouthing the words to “O Canada” when the opportunity presented itself.) We Jews excel at national pride (when we’re not tearing ourselves apart, but let’s leave that alone for now), so excited to be able to proclaim that Israel won more Olympic medals this year than ever before, with two golds and two bronze. Gotta keep that Kleenex handy when “Hatikvah” is being played to the world (even if the stadium is empty)!
And speaking of Jewish pride (which is really what this column was supposed to be about; sorry if it got away from me), numerous stories popped up this summer that puffed out my chest. Keeping with my Olympics theme, I have selected the top three, and am now ready for the medal ceremony:
Bronze: Goes to Jackie Mason. Posthumously, of course, as the story is about his passing at the tender age of 93, after an amazing career trajectory that took him from the (Orthodox) rabbinate to the Borscht Belt and far beyond. The Ultimate Jew (as his last one-man show in New York was called) became one of the world’s most beloved comedians while always wearing his religion on his sleeve proudly and respectfully. “Every time I see a contradiction or hypocrisy in somebody’s behavior,” he once told The Wall Street Journal, “I think of the Talmud and build the joke from there.” Rest in Peace, Yacov Moshe Maza.
Silver: Goes to Jacob Steinmetz, the 17-year-old Long Island native who made headlines around the world by becoming the first Observant Jewish baseball player ever drafted. He was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third round of the MLB draft. For Shabbat games, he plans on walking to the ballpark, and actually looks forward to the challenge of trying to be the first Orthodox player in the majors.
“The plan is to keep doing what I’ve been doing my whole life... I always thought to myself why can’t I be the first? There’s no reason why not,” he said in an interview. (Ah, to be young and naive – take it from experience, Boychuk – plenty of reasons why not. Wait until playoff season rolls around and there’s a Jewish Holiday every other day... But I shan’t burst your bubble.)
If this were a team event, this medal would be shared with Elie Kligman of Las Vegas, the even-more-observant 18-year-old drafted (by the Washington Nationals) the next day.
Gold: Goes to Idit Harel Segal. This 50-year-old kindergarten teacher from northern Israel decided to donate one of her kidneys to a stranger. But not just any stranger; one who would help her set an example of generosity and kindness in her land of perpetual conflict. That turned out to be a three-year-old Palestinian boy from Gaza.
In a letter she wrote to the boy – right after the most recent clash in May – she said: “You don’t know me, but soon we’ll be very close because my kidney will be in your body... I threw away the anger and frustration and see only one thing. I see hope for peace and love. And if there will be more like us, there won’t be anything to fight over.”
This story barely made the news, and this woman attained none of the fame of my other two medalists. But in my book, she not only deserves a gold medal, but the Nobel Peace Prize.
So there you have it. This summer’s “Jewlympics” medals, given out to those who – by being proud Jews themselves – strengthen the pride of all of us who are honored to be members of the tribe.
The author is a Toronto-based writer and can be reached at ken.gruber5@gmail.com.