Menschwarmers: Recent Episodes
The CJN Podcast Network
Join Gabe and Jamie as they discuss Jewish trends and athletes, interview industry figures and keep you updated on everything related to Jews in sports. Brought to you by The Canadian Jewish News.
It's May, which means you can still wish people a happy Jewish Heritage Month. You can also wish them a happy Asian Heritage Month—because, in Canada, both minority groups got their politically fluffy cultural celebrations crammed into the same 31-day timespan.
To honour the stuffing-together of both heritage months, the Menschwarmers wanted to take a look at a different minority group with some solidarity in mind: Asian athletes. The similarities and societal hurdles between both Asian and Jewish athletes are striking, with both groups coming from largely immigrant communities, facing stereotypes about mathematic abilities and flippant derogatory comments.
To examine the subject, we invited on Adrian Lee, an opinion editor at the Globe and Mail who is also a longtime sports fan and good friend of the hosts. They discuss these themes and more, including the complicated relationship between minority fans and players who share their ethnicity—and even rattle off a few Asian-Jewish athletes worth remembering.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
You may not be familiar with Rickwood Field, America's oldest baseball field. It isn't used by any Major League Baseball teams. It's not even regularly used by the team it was built for, the Minor League Birmingham Barons in Alabama. But it's still standing—more of a working museum than a proper field, hosting occasional games and special events, preserving the sport's complicated history.
That will change on June 20, 2024, when the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants face off at Rickwood to commemorate Juneteenth, in honour of the field's status during the Negro leagues. The field will undergo intense renovations and updates in preparation for media attention unlike any it has seen in more than a century, telling stories of the many historical figures involved in its creation—including several key Jews, such as team owner Abe Saperstein and Yankees announcer Mel Allen.
One person helping to share these stories with modern audiences is Alana Schreiber, a producer with New Orleans Public Radio. She's spearheading a new radio documentary called Road to Rickwood, produced by NPR with help from the MLB, and hosted by comedian Roy Wood Jr. A longtime listener of Menschwarmers, Schreiber joins to discuss the project and all the complex Jewish themes within.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
By now, you've probably had one seder. You may have even had two seders. But it's time for an annual CJN tradition totally unlike those slow-moving family get-togethers: the Menschwarmers' Jewish baseball seder.
Combining the start of baseball season with the week of Passover, our Jewish sports experts have rewritten the haggadah to focus on Jewish baseball legends and potential future stars, from Hank Greenberg to Spencer Horwitz, with commemorations and celebrations in between.
And before that, as always, the boys give a roundup of the latest news of Jews in sports, including Jewish NHL stars dominating the playoffs, Max Homa's near-win at the 2024 Masters Tournament and whether New Orleans Pelicans fans consider themselves Zionists.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
This weekend, the long-running Jewish comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm will air its final episode. Over more than 20 years, creator Larry David did more than redefine what improv comedy could look like in a single-camera sitcom—he also showed the world what diehard Jewish sports fandom looked like.
But before the show plays its iconic theme song one last time, the hosts of our Jewish sports podcast, Menschwarmers, wanted to pay tribute to what they've decided is the most Jewish sports TV show of all time. It's unlikely we'll see another TV program so unabashedly Jewish embrace baseball, basketball and golf in the same culturally specific way, so let's dive in and remember some of the show's best sports episodes and gags.
Plus, the boys talk about Zach Hyman's recent "Jew-bilee", scoring 50 goals this season (to much acclaim and a little antisemitism), as well as Jewish golfers to root for this month and Jewish NHL players worth keeping eyes on ahead of the summer Olympics.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
In Game 6 of the Major League Baseball World Series in November 2021, in the bottom of the second inning, the Houston Astros' two-time All-Star Alex Bregman stepped up to bat. He faced off against the Atlanta Braves' Max Fried, slammed the ball high into the right field, and found himself out of luck when outfielder Joc Pederson caught the ball.
Jewish baseball fans recognized the significance of this swift moment, in which all three players in this high-stakes game were themselves Jewish. It has since been called the most Jewish play in any MLB matchup, let alone a World Series. But Bregman himself didn't think about it until later—he has since joked about it in his group chat with other Jewish MLB players, in between pipedream chats about joining up to play for Team Israel at the World Baseball Classic.
He tells these stories and more on the latest episode of Menschwarmers, The CJN's Jewish sports podcast. Will he suit up for Team Israel in 2026? What was it like when he finally met Sandy Koufax? What was the reception like after he wore a Star of David on the field in the aftermath of Oct. 7? Listen and subscribe to find out.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
Mitch Albom has sold tens of millions of copies of his popular inspirational books—among them Tuesdays with Morrie, The Five People You Meet in Heaven and The Stranger in the Lifeboat—but never has the Jewish author focused so explicitly on Judaism until his latest book, The Little Liar. Set in Greece during the Holocaust, the novel tells the story of a young boy who never tells a lie—until he is tricked into doing so by a Nazi officer, changing the trajectory of his life after he war.
Albom will be in Toronto to discuss the book at Beth Tzedec Congregation on Feb. 29, but before heading north, he spoke to The CJN's sports podcasters to discuss his decades-long career as an award-winning sportswriter. On this week's episode of Menschwarmers, Albom drops by to share stories of dining over subs with Brendan Shanahan and how he came to write "Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)" for Warren Zevon.
Plus, hosts Gabe and James recap the latest news in Jews and sports, including the now-infamous incident involving two Jewish fans being removed from a Toronto Raptors game and how the new Netflix docuseries about Formula 1 racing focuses its debut episode on Jewish Montrealer Lawrence Stroll.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
They say two events can be a coincidence, but three make a trend. And in the past month, three Jewish or Israeli athletes have been controversially kicked out of the public sphere.
First, Israel's hockey team was barred from competing in an international match in Bulgaria—the decision was reversed, and Israel wound up winning the tournament. Around the same time, the Jewish captain of South Africa's cricket team, David Teeger, was relieved from his captaincy after vocally supporting Israel on a public stage; the saga resulted in tremendous backlash from activists on both sides. Finally, this week, Canadian cyclist and motivational speaker Leah Goldstein learned her keynote address at an International Women's Day event in Peterborough would be cancelled because she served in the Israel Defense Forces more than 30 years ago. Within days, organizers decided to simply scrap the entire event.
These trends extend beyond the world of sports into broader culture. The CJN has covered numerous examples of Jewish artists, playwrights and comics having performances heavily protested or outright cancelled. In this week's episode of Menschwarmers, producer Michael Fraiman joins host Gabe Pulver to give a rundown of these controversies and ask the inevitable question: How does it all end?
Related links
- Champion cyclist and IDF veteran Leah Goldstein felt ‘angry and heartbroken’ after being disinvited by a women’s festival
- Prominent Canadians in Israeli hockey speak out after the IIHF abruptly banned Israel from competition
- ‘A very dangerous precedent’: Two Jewish theatre artists respond to Victoria, B.C.’s Belfry Theatre cancelling a play set in Israel
- The cancelling of culture: What happens when arts and politics collide in Canada during the Israel-Hamas war
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
Feb. 7, 2024, marks the 28th annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day, a global movement that aims to inspire and encourage young girls and women around the world to get active, play sports and break boundaries.
But the barriers are real. There are societal prejudices and fewer opportunities for girls to get into sports—and even more stereotypes about Jews as un-athletic, giving young Jewish girls twice as many hurdles to overcome.
Chelsey Goldberg knows those hurdles firsthand. Growing up in California, her only option to play hockey was to play in a local boys' league, eventually rising the ranks of women's hockey to play professionally in Canada and the United States. She spent years lobbying the Maccabiah Games to create a women's hockey division—a fight she won in 2022, when she became the captain for Team USA at the Maccabiah, winning silver. Goldberg joins Menschwarmers co-host James for a frank talk about the value of sports for women and girls and what the future looks like.
Plus, Gabe and James take a deep dive into the keffiyeh controversy that overtook the recent NHL All-Star Game in Toronto, in which the singer of the national anthem wore a piece of clothing that vaguely resembled a keffiyeh. And we respond to a few listeners to wrote in after our last episode about Jewish NHL players.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
This weekend, on Feb. 3, Toronto will host the NHL All-Star Weekend—and it might just be the most Jewish one yet. There are three (maybe four?) Jews playing, including two of the three Hughes brothers (Quinn and Jack), the New York Rangers' Artemi Panarin, and Jeremy Swayman—who may or may not be Jewish, with different media outlets putting out conflicting reports.
It's just one of the big Jewish sports stories happening this month. A major Super Bowl ad on antisemitism is debuting next weekend (listen to The CJN Daily episode about the making of that commercial); Israel's U20 national hockey team dominated their division at a controversial international tournament (read more about Canada's players on the team), which almost saw them banned for alleged security purposes; and golfer Daniel Berger made a promising return from an injury that kept him off the greens for over a year.
The CJN's sports podcasters recap all these stories and more in the latest episode of Menschwarmers.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
This is the most recent episode of The CJN Daily, about the recent fracas between the International Ice Hockey Federation and Israel's national teams. We thought Menschwarmers subscribers would be especially interested, so we're cross-posting it on this feed—listen and enjoy.
Last week, the International Ice Hockey Federation—the sport’s governing body—announced they were barring Israeli national teams from competing in crucial championship matches this winter. The move is seen by many as an unfair penalty against the Jewish State in the wake of the war with Hamas, in which an estimated 25,000 Palestinians have been killed, resulting from Hamas’s terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
IIHF officials insist their decision was not political, but instead made purely for security reasons: they couldn’t guarantee Israeli athletes’ safety from protestors during upcoming matches in Bulgaria, Serbia and Estonia, nor the safety of all participants and fans. Nonetheless, Israel’s hockey federation has announced a legal appeal.
In the meantime, the IIHF’s ruling has shocked the team’s fans around the world—not to mention Israel’s athletes and coaches themselves, including a handful of Canadians closely tied to Israel’s hockey program. On today’s episode of The CJN Daily, you’ll hear from two of them: Esther Silver, the Canadian-born manager of Israel’s women’s hockey team, and Eliezer Sherbatov, a veteran of the men’s team, now based in Montreal._
On January 6, 2024, a record-breaking 13,361 attendees filled an arena in Minnesota to watch their new women's hockey team trounce visitors from Montreal. The game made history as the biggest crowd on record to turn out to watch women's hockey—and it happened less than a week into the start of the newly formed Professional Women's Hockey League.
Kaleigh Fratkin was excited to see it happen. She wasn't in Minnesota that day, instead preparing for her own matchup as part of Boston's PWHL team. (As a new league, none of the teams have monikers or logos yet.) But Fratkin—possibly the PWHL's only Canadian Jewish player, who grew up in Burnaby, B.C.—has spent more than a decade playing the sport. In previous leagues, she's broken records as a leading scorer among defenders, leader in penalty minutes and championship winner. With Boston, she brings veteran wisdom and grit to a league that's already made a huge international splash—but needs to keep momentum going to avoid a collapse and cultivate broader interest from audiences. Fratkin joins The CJN's sports podcasters to pull the curtain back on what it's been like as a pioneer player in this new movement.
And before that, hosts Gabe and Jamie catch you up on the latest news in Jewish sports, including a late-breaking relevation that Israel has been indefinitely removed from the International Ice Hockey Federation, and the announcement a new Netflix docuseries that could shed light into the Jewish conversion of NBA All Star Domantas Sabonis.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
Hanukkah is a festival of light, hope, gambling with dreidels (maybe a sport?) and remembrance—and so, this week, in the final episode of Menschwarmers for 2023, we remember eight crazy Jewish sports stories from a great year.
Our list includes shout-outs for the historic Canadian Open held at the Oakdale Golf & Country Club and Israel's triumphs in baseball and soccer; individual mazel tovs for rising stars like the Blue Jays' Spencer Horwitz, the three hockey Hughes brothers and MMA fighter Natan Levy; and breakdowns of more recent stories, like Mark Cuban selling the Dallas Mavericks.
So grab a latke, gather round the hanukkiah and settle in for a candlelit recap of the year 2023 in Jewish sports.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
At 24 years old, Lior Berman has already spent years playing NCAA Division I basketball for Auburn University in his home state of Alabama. But it was only this past summer that the walk-on athlete—and the only Jewish player on the team—got promoted to a full scholarship. The 6'4" guard decided to stick around for a fifth year, taking a few classes after graduating with a degree in industrial design, continuing to learn the game under one of college basketball's most outspoken Jewish coaches, Bruce Pearl.
While Berman is appreciative of being able to keep living and playing just two hours from his home city of Birmingham, he also remains laser-focused on his true goal: playing professionally in Israel. He's visited a handful of times, having played for the Maccabi USA Open Men's Basketball team, and even visiting once with his Auburn Tigers, where some of his Christian teammates got baptized.
Berman joins Menschwarmers to chat about his relationship with Coach Pearl, his journey so far, and what it's been like as one of the few openly proud Jewish basketball players competing at the highest level of college sports.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
Kevin Youkilis doesn't crave attention. But in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel, the Jewish MLB All Star and World Series champion has become especially vocal, taking to social media to talk about resiliance and Jewish pride in the face of antisemitism.
It's a mission that began when he started playing for Team Israel Baseball, which made him realize how important representation is on a global stage.
He explains these thoughts in a new article in the Boston Herald written by Gabrielle Starr, the paper's Red Sox reporter. Starr joins the Menschwarmers to break down her hour-long conversation with Youkilis, key takeaways and the new appointment of Craig Breslow as the new Jewish chief baseball officer of the Red Sox.
Plus, we recap what's new in Jewish sports, including Alysha Clark's WNBA championship, the three Jews playing in the NBA's season openers, and how this year breaks a possibly record-setting streak of consecutive baseball World Series featuring Jewish players.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow us on Twitter @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
In the early days of the latest war between Hamas and Israel, something unusual happened in the sports world: a lot of Jewish athletes, and their teammates, went public with their support of Israel. Even Israeli athletes like Deni Avdija of the Washington Wizards, who has refrained from speaking about Middle Eastern politics in the past, posted a lengthy message, in Hebrew and English, disclosing that he personally knows victims and is advocating on the country's behalf to his teammates and the NBA at large.
That kind of advocacy is rare—and speaks to the severity of the situation. Dozens of Jewish, Israeli and allied athletes have come out in support of the Jewish homeland. And Louis Keene, a reporter with the Forward who covers sports and religion, has been tracking as many of them as he can, compiling a growing list on Twitter.
We invited Keene on to discuss reactions to the war, how Jewish athletes have performed this week, and the distinction between teams' statements, from fervent to mealy-mouthed.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
This is the first in a series of live conversations hosted by The CJN and the Prosserman JCC. To learn more and get tickets, visit thecjn.ca/events.
In many ways, Michael Landsberg filled a position in Canadian broadcasting that had never even existed before. A founding face of TSN since 1984, Landsberg anchored SportsDesk, recapping everything in sports with highlights and commentary. He moved on to host the debate and interview show Off the Record with Michael Landsberg, which ran from 1997 to 2015, making it one of the longest-running talk shows in Canadian history.
Along the way, however, he struggled with deep-seated anxiety, depression and emetophobia—a fear of vomiting. Compounding all of this has been his Jewish upbringing, family values and a not-so-coincidental public perception of arrogance, which he describes in this special live episode of Menschwarmers, recorded at the Prosserman JCC in Toronto on Sept. 12, 2023.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
Join the Menschwarmers for their upcoming live show, in conversation with legendary broadcaster Michael Landsberg, at the Prosserman JCC in Toronto on Sept. 12, 2023. Reserve your seat here.
Outside of executive offices, David Thorpe is one of the biggest Jewish names in the NBA—a player development coach who's helped countless athletes, especially young prospects, reach new heights and meet their goals of competing on the world's biggest basketball stage.
Among those athletes have been Omri Casspi and Gal Mekel, two of Israel's biggest basketball stars; after he helped them get drafted into the NBA, word began to spread in the Holy Land, and Coach Thorpe found himself flown into Israel to help cultivate a homegrown scene there.
Hear him tell these stories and more, including some FIBA discussions and how his parents instilled Jewish values in him personally, in this deep-dive interview on Menschwarmers.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
When AJ Edelman tried out for the Israeli Olympic skeleton team at Lake Placid in 2014, he was told, flat-out, he'd never make it. Not only was he 30 pounds underweight, but the Israeli Olympic commitee wouldn't support him, because Israelis didn't care about the obscure winter sport in which an athlete slides down an icy track head-first as fast as 130 kilometres per hour.
It wasn't the first time Edelman had been told he'd fail, and it wouldn't be the last. In the end, the American-born Orthodox athlete did ultimately represent the Holy Land on his skeleton bobsled in the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, though he retired shortly afterwards. Instead, he decided to plunge head-first into a different impossible-seeming task: reviving Israel's dormant bobsled team.
Despite once again not receiving any support from the Israel, he's nonetheless set a goal of qualifying for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. All he needs is a team. And funding. The dream may sound impossible, but as Edelman explains on this week's episode of Menschwarmers, "impossible" is a challenge he's happy to take on.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
On July 19, Josh Sokol, a 29-year-old Scrabble influencer from Montreal, won the top prize of US$10,000 at the 2023 North American Scrabble Players Association championship in Las Vegas. But, as Sokol explains on this episode of Menschwarmers, he isn't even the first Jewish Montrealer to win this competition—one of his local club colleagues took home the top prize last year. What is it about Montreal that's producing such high-quality gamers with encyclopedic memories of the dictionary? And why are so many of them Jewish?
To give answers and insight into the world of professional word gaming, Sokol joins our podcast about Jews and sports—because, you know what, it's summer, and board games are competitive enough that we consider them a sport. Subscribe to Sokol's channels on YouTube or Twitch to watch him play.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
This year, the Washington Capitals' training camp will take place on Sept. 15, 2023. For most players, this won't be a problem. For Andrew Cristall, the Jewish rookie out of B.C., it will cause a slight conflict—Rosh HaShanah.
It won't be the first time Cristall has to navigate his game around Jewish holidays, though. Last year, for Yom Kippur, he fasted until the sun went down, with just enough time to eat a pre-game meal before suiting up on Oct. 5, 2022.
Shortly after being drafted to the Capitals, Cristall sat down with Menschwarmers host Gabe Pulver and The CJN Daily's Ellin Bessner. We're now airing the full, half-hour interview—alongside commentary from Gabe and his co-host, James Hirsh, on everything new in the world of Jews and sports, including the Gelof family's big week, Daniel Weinman winning the $12-million World Series of Poker, and whether the MLB's Cade Povich is Jewish. (The answer may surprise you!)
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
We're deep into summer and the sports world is moving slowly, so we're giving you a comprehensive round-up of Jewish sports stories you need to know. Israel qualified for Olympic soccer with big dreams for its young squad; a second Jewish guy named Amari was drafted into the NBA (well, the first was Amar'e, but still) in Amari Bailey for the Charlotte Hornets; the NHL now has another Canadian Jewish hockey talent to watch, drafting Talmud Torah alum Andrew Cristall out of British Columbia; and with the Tour de France in full swing, we recap some great Jewish moments in cycling, including a righteous-gentile racing cyclist, the tour's antisemitic origins and the surprising birth of Curious George.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
This week, the RBC Canadian Open kicks off at the historically Jewish Oakdale Golf & Country Club. And while we have an interview with Mark Sadowski, the club's immediate past president, and general manager Molly Jagroop, the impact of this monumental event happening on Jewish grounds isn't actually the biggest story of the week. It's been overshadowed by the surprise merger (or acquisition, really) of the PGA Tour and the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League. That shock has transformed the Canadian Open—and Oakdale—into ground zero for heated reactions and geopolitical analysis from players, media and experts.
Gabe and James will be visiting the tournament this week, and give a breakdown of what to expect from a Jewish perspective. Plus, they talk about the death of the Iron Sheik (and his deep connections to Toronto's Jewish community), Israel's incredible upset victory over Brazil in the U-20 World Cup, and a recent BBC article reflecting on Jewish hockey star Rudi Ball, who competed on the Olympic stage for Nazi Germany—and survived the Holocaust because of it.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
We know Jewish athletes are out there, on rinks and in arenas, breaking the stereotype of Jews as the People of the Book. But we don't hear as often about the people working to break other Jewish stereotypes: namely, that said Jewish athletes are not just fit, but sexy. It's a unique mission adopted by Stacey Agdern, a romance novelist who specializes in the hyper-specific niche of "romance novels that prominently feature Jewish hockey players". Her new book, B'Nai Mitzvah Mistake, tells just such a story. Agdern joins to talk about Jewish athletes, the importance of representation and what's behind semitic sex appeal.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
Jonah Fialkow's name isn't very well known—but his social handle, @JewishJonah, definitely is. With nearly 20,000 followers on TikTok, Fialkow has risen the ranks of the most recognizable food vendors in North American sports stadiums. His "Day in the Life of a Wrigley Field Vendor" videos, in which he narrates a prosaic itinerary to lo-fi piano jazz, are soothing and insightful, especially for fans of the backroom economics and private lives of the men and women who pace around baseball stadiums shouting about beer and peanuts. Fialkow joins for an in-depth interview about how he got started hawking, how many Jews work at Wrigley (spoiler: a lot) and why he proudly wears his Judaism on his sleeve.
Plus, Gabe and James recap all the Jewish plotlines of the NHL and NBA playoffs, including Jack Hughes's stellar game with the New Jersey Devils and the recently uncovered rivalry between the Jewish mortgage-broker owners of the Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
You don't often see athletes converting to Judaism. When they do, they aren't often All Stars. And when they are—well, we get excited.
This week, the Menschwarmers firmly hop aboard the Sacramento Kings bandwagon. Not because they've won their first playoff game in 17 years, nor because their coach and star point guard won big NBA awards. It's because Domantas Sabonis, their 26-year-old All-Star centre, is converting to Judaism to share the faith of his wife, Shashana Sabonis. We dig into what this means for Jewish sports fans, the legacy of Jewish basketball players and whether Draymond Green's now-infamous chest stomp on Sabonis should be considered a hate crime.
Plus, the boys chat about Jewish stars rising in the NHL playoffs and give a shout-out to Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, who led this year's March of the Living in Poland.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
Craving more Jewish sports stories before Passover? We're pleased to present this recent episode of The CJN Daily about the the King David Lions, a Jewish high school basketball team in B.C. that recently won their first-ever provincial championship, defeating the reigning champs, Christian Unity. Hear more Canadian Jewish stories at thecjn.ca/daily.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
In 1988, Paul Shindman founded an unlikely organization in the Middle East: the Israel Ice Hockey and Figure Skating Association. The Canadian expat became the country's first "hockey madrich", overseeing the development, recruitment and growth of the sport in Israel. Shindman joins the Menschwarmers to tell his story, describe how quickly Israeli kids laced up on the ice, and showcase how far the country has evolved—to the point that their youth teams are now winning competitions on the world stage.
Plus, Gabe and James recap Israel's promising fall at the World Baseball Classic and the disappointing lack of Jewish basketball players competing in this year's NBA playoffs.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
Read transcript
Spencer Horwitz hasn't suited up for the Toronto Blue Jays yet. Actually, he hasn't even been to Toronto yet. But the 25-year-old first baseman and outfielder is already making waves on an international stage: just days ago, as a rookie member of Team Israel's roster at the World Baseball Classic, where the Holy Land is the unanimous underdog in a group of Latin American powerhouse teams, Horwitz tied the game in the eighth inning by hitting Israel's first RBI. That completely swung the game's momentum, leading to two more runs by Team Israel—and a upset victory for the Jews.
Days before Horwitz's herculean swing, he joined the Menschwarmers for a friendly interview about his upbringing in Baltimore, why he joined Team Israel and how excited he is to get to Toronto for his first-ever major league game. Plus, Gabe and Jamie catch up on Max Homa's continued rise to stardom, Lance Stroll's feat of broken-wrist racing and the (unfortunately) historic game Team Israel played at the WBC after that initial Nicaraguan victory.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast or donating to The CJN.
Next week, Israel is heading back to the World Baseball Classic, five years after their meteoric rise in the 2017 competition created a lasting impact that changed the way international fans saw Jewish athletes. Israeli baseball is now a thing, with the small country fielding a competitive team in the Olympics and beyond.
So in anticipation of the WBC, the Menschwarmers couldn't help but put together a special hour-long episode dedicated to full-blown analysis—including a surprise guest appearance by MLB vet and World Series champ Ryan Lavarnway, a stalwart of the team who fills us in on where Team Israel has been and what their expectations are for the coming weeks.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.
For perhaps the first time in history, two Jewish golfers recently won big competitions in a single week: Canadian Ben Silverman won on the Korn Ferry Tour and rising star Max Homa earned his sixth victory on the PGA Tour. To commemorate the Jewish success stories, we invited Dan Rapaport, a golf reporter and podcaster with Barstool Sports, to hang out and chat about how the status of Jews in golf has changed over the decades.
Plus, Gabe and James find the Jewish connections in this year’s Super Bowl, gush about Zach Hyman’s very good year, and answer the unfortunate Kyrie Irving question: Did he get away with it?
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.
As we wrap up this year (and the third season of Menschwarmers), we're taking a look back at some of the most impactful stories, biggest successes and most unfortunate fizzle-outs that Jewish athletes went through in 2022.
While Israel didn't perform particularly well at the Winter Olympics and the few Jews in the NFL are flailing, we've had lots of victories to celebrate—including Alex Bregman's second World Series win, Max Homa's stellar year and Taylor Fritz becoming a top-10 tennis player. Plus, there are babies!
Thanks for listening this year—we'll see you all in 2023.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.
Sheldon Plener didn't set out to become a sports lawyer. But that's where his legal journey took him: first, by helping to negotiate the expansion of an NBA team into Toronto in the mid-1990s; then as a key figure in the Ottawa Senators organization, where he's currently the chairman and governor, after former owner Eugene Melnyk died this past spring. Plener now finds himself heading up the sale of the NHL team—an issue he unfortunately was not at liberty to discuss on this podcast.
But Plener still has plenty of stories to share, from his behind-the-scenes access to the birth of the Toronto Raptors to his all-star days with the Toronto Maple Leafs intercounty baseball club. And he explains how he got to where he is, including his tip for any young lawyers hoping for a career in professional sports law.
Elsewhere in the episode, the boys chat about who they're rooting for at the World Cup (hint: not a lot of European countries with regrettable mid-20th-century histories), and they give props to Denis Shapovalov for helping to secure Canada's victory at the recently wrapped Davis Cup.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.
As the World Cup launches in Qatar, a country not historically known for its friendliness toward Jews and Israelis, Menschwarmers hosts Gabe and James wanted to look at the implications for Jewish fans. It's one thing to scope out Jewish players and talk about Israeli-Qatari relations, but we wanted to dive deeper, so we're bringing you a summary of the rise and fall of Chuck Blazer, a FIFA administrator-turned-informant who was partly responsible for bringing the World Cup to Qatar in the first place—and then blowing the whistle on the whole operation.
The boys also recap what else is new in the world of Jews and sports, including Alex Bregman's World Series championship to Spencer Horwitz joining the Blue Jays' 40-man roster.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.
The biggest sports story of the past week has revolved around an antisemitic documentary that NBA star Kyrie Irving posted to social media. The film, Hebrews to Negroes, peddles antisemitic conspirary theories, repeats fake Hitler quotes and espouses Black Hebrew Israelite ideology that claims Black people are the real Jews. After all the controversy, on Nov. 2, 2022, Irving and his team, the Brooklyn Nets, made a joint announcement with the Anti-Defamation League that both he and his team would each be making a $500,000 donation to anti-hate charities.
As the issue appears to come to a close, there's no better podcast equipped to discuss the politics and stereotypical undertones than Menschwarmers, so James sat down with the three-hour video in question—and is here to tell you what he saw. After that, Rivka Campbell, host of The CJN podcast Rivkush, joins to explain who the Black Hebrew Israelites are and how their movement makes life difficult for Black Jews like herself.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.
Even if Canadian sports fans didn't know that their government recently lifted its ban on single-game sports betting, they would have noticed the ads: everywhere, on every game, following you across the internet. No doubt Jewish sports fans have taken part in the new craze, inundated at every opportunity with incentives to guess the outcomes of games and how players will perform.
But what does Jewish law say about this? What does the Talmud say on the ethics of parlaying Zach Hyman points over 1.5 with Alex Bregman total bases over 2.5?
We wanted to ask a rabbi—so we did. Rabbi Avi Finegold, host of The CJN's weekly current affairs podcast Bonjour Chai, joins to chat about the halakhic implications of sports gambling—and, while we're at it, combat sports and gambling in general.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.
In September, the San Francisco Giants made Major League Baseball history—in fact, probably pro sports history—as the first-ever team to hire a master sommelier. Evan Goldstein, one of just 269 master sommeliers in the world, has spent decades working with wine and watching sports. Now he gets to combine those passions: it's his job to bridge beer-loving baseball fans with the world of tannins and oak, introducing new wines to Giants games, striking partnerships across the country and introducing wine tasting events for fans.
Goldstein joins the Menschwarmers for an rich dive into what the job will entail, the state of wine in ballparks across the world and what vinos pair best with hot dogs and garlic fries.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.
Eliezer Sherbatov has played hockey all around the world. Born in Israel to Russian parents, with a career that's taken him from Quebec to Kazakhstan, Slovakia and Ukraine, Sherbatov has wandered between worlds, considered an outsider by every culture in which he's played. He was the first Israeli player to compete in the Kontinental Hockey League and remains captain of Israeli's national men's hockey team. When Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this year, he found himself nearly trapped in the country, making an 11th-hour escape to his adoptive home in Canada.
What's perhaps most remarkable is how he's accomplished all this while while suffering from drop foot, a handicap that forces him to limp everywhere—except on the ice, where the stiffness of his hockey skates doubles as a brace.
Sherbatov is the subject of a new book, My Left Skate: The Extraordinary Story of Eliezer Sherbatov, by Anna Rosner, published by Yellow Dog, coming out October 2022. He and Rosner join to discuss the new book, his life's story and his excellent hockey hair.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.
Allan Leibel was a three-time Olympic sailor who competed for Team Canada in 1972, 1976 and 1980. The first of those was, of course, the Munich Games, which were notoriously marred by a terrorist hostage situation that resulted in the deaths of 11 Israelis.
As a Jewish athlete, Leibel—now a lawyer in Toronto—was deeply affected by the crisis. Today, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Munich massacre, Leibel joins Menschwarmers, our podcast about Jews and sports, to share his story.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.
Golf is enjoying a post-pandemic boom—socially distanced, outdoors and more accessible than ever before. While this may result in longer tee-time waits for avid golfers like the Menschwarmers, it's good news for Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum, who's on a mission to spotlight the country's beautiful and often under-appreciated courses, both domestically and on the global stage.
Applebaum joins the show to chat about his years as a young Jewish athlete, the upcoming Canadian Women's Open (and which Jewish players will be attending), and how excited he is to see the historically Jewish Oakdale club host next year's Canadian Open.
Plus, the boys chat about the Yankees' two Jewish players, Sue Bird's last regular season home game and Lenny Dykstra's bizarre antisemitic tweet tirade.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.
Israel isn't exactly known for golf. And with just one 18-hole course in the whole country, neither is it a destination for many pro golfers or passionate fans. That may be why it took until 2014 for the country to produce a player who qualified to join an LPGA Tour: Laetitia Beck.
Since then, she's competed at the highest levels for her home country: at the Olympics, the Women's British Open, the LPGA and, of course, the Maccabiah, where she's won numerous gold medals. In all that time, she's proudly represented Israel, even displaying the Magen David on her golf shoes.
This year, on Aug. 15, she'll be teeing up at Montreal's Beaconsfield club as part of B'nai Brith Canada's second annual Chip Away at Hate Classic. We caught up with her while she was on the road in Michigan to hear about golf culture in the Holy Land and her thoughts about Montreal's abundance of Jewish greens.
Also in this episode, Gabe and Jamie give a quick Maccabiah 2022 recap, play a clip from Zach Hyman's recent fundraiser tournament and give props to the greatest Jewishly named pro MLB player to ever grace a baseball diamond: Bubby Rossman.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.
With 80 countries and 10,000 participating athletes, the 21st Maccabiah Game—the third-largest sporting event in the world—will be bigger than ever before. And one country poised to make a splash, as usual, is Canada, which sending a delegation of 600 staff and athletes to the Holy Land.
In arguably no sport are the stakes higher than in hockey. The Canadian men's team won gold at the last Maccabiah in 2017, and the men's masters team came in second to Ukraine; however, the big story is women's hockey, which is making its Maccabiah debut this year.
To chat about what it takes to make it to the Israeli stage and how the teams are feeling going in, the Menschwarmers are joined by three hockey players: Lauren Weisbarth and Melissa Wronzberg of the women's team, and Mike Zbriger of the men's masters team.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.
Basketball legend Sue Bird rocked the sports world last week by announcing her retirement at the end of the 2022 season. One of the most decorated Jewish athletes of all time, the five-time Olympic gold medalist and four-time WNBA champion spent her entire 21-year career with the Seattle Storm. She's the all-time WNBA leader in assists and games started, and ranks in the top 10 for career three-pointers made, steals and points. To discuss the legacy she's leaving behind, we're joined by Larry Stone, a sportswriter with the Seattle Times, who's covered her career for years.
Plus, Gabe and Jamie catch up on Jewish sports news, from Lance Stroll's latest race to Mike Jacobs all-star Moritz Seider winning the NHL's rookie of the year award. And Producer Michael pops in to discuss the new Adam Sandler movie Hustle, which is more Jewish than you might think.
- Read Larry Stone's article, "Sue Bird gets to retire on her terms. But the void she'll leave will be substantial"
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.
Howard Megdal first published the The Baseball Talmud: The Definitive Position-by-Position Ranking of Baseball's Chosen Players in 2009. But a lot of Jewish ball players have come and gone since then. So when the Menschwarmers heard Megdal—whose journalism has appeared in The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, FiveThirtyEight and elsewhere—was releasing an updated edition in May 2022, we knew we had to sit down for a chat about all things Jewish baseball, including Megdal's hot take on the endless debate over who's better: Sandy Koufax or Hank Greenberg.
Plus, in this episode, Gabe recalls his adventures in sportfishing; we discuss Gabe Kapler's brief protest against America's inaction on gun control; we dig into Joc Pederson's slapping squabble with Tommy Pham; and we catch up on everything else new and noteworthy about the world of Jews and sports.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.
The Survivor is a new film by Barry Levinson about Harry Haft, a Jewish prisoner in Auschwitz who was forced to box other inmates to survive. Haft went on to work a brief professional boxing career in Germany and the United States, though it didn't last very long.
Gabe and James sit down to discuss what they thought of the movie, where the Hollywood adaptation took some liberties in storytelling and what the tale means for other postwar Jewish athletes and survivors. And while we're talking movies, on a much lighter note, we'll take a look at Adam Sandler's sports filmography to commemorate the newly dropped trailer for his upcoming film, Hustle. Plus we've got your usual update in all things Jews and sports, from Rowdy Tellez's hot streak to Lance Stroll's finish at the Miami Grand Prix.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.
Historically, young Jewish athletes have had to choose between embracing a Jewish life and turning pro. But Brad Eisen is hoping to change that. Despite not having a background in baseball, the longtime sports front-officer staffer, formerly of the Los Angeles Clippers and LA Galaxy, is embarking on a new project to showcase Jewish prospects from across North America for Israel's national baseball team, fostering an international community while giving a platform to young Jewish athletes. It's called the Israel Baseball Academy, and events are being held across the United States starting in May.
Eisen sits down with James to explain his passion project. And before that, the hosts give their usual roundup of Jewish sports news, plus they dive deep into recent examples of non-Jewish athletes doing Jewish stuff, inspired by a long-hidden photo of the late Guy Lafleur holding a siddur.
What we talked about
- Read about Guy Lafleur's secret Jewish photograph
- Check out the Israel Baseball Academy
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.
Spring has sprung, which means two things to the Menschwarmers: baseball's opening day and Passover are mere days apart. For the second year in a row, the boys are burning their chametz and settling in for long innings of watching Blue Jays games from (mostly) pandemic-induced isolation, recalling stories of the most iconic type of Hebrew freedom: the freedom of Jews to play really great baseball.
So pull up a chair, grab your haggadah and a hot dog, a cap with some karpas, a salty egg with some salty pretzels, and enjoy the second annual Menschwarmers Jewish baseball seder.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.
This week is Wrestlemania, the biggest weekend in wrestling. It's as good a time as any to air an interview with acclaimed wrestling journalist David Bixenspan, where he and the boys chat about the long and complicated history of Jews, Jewish stereotypes and antisemitism in wrestling, from Bill Goldberg's reign to Brian Kendrick's unsurfaced claims of Holocaust denial.
Plus, Gabe and Jamie update listeners on the standings of our GADYA tournament to determine the greatest Jewish athlete of all time, and we get an update on Roman Abramovich's departure from Chelsea FC.
Related links
- Listen to the Menschwarmers' interview with Colt Cabana
- Vote in our GADYA tournament at thecjn.ca/gadya
- Listen to The CJN Daily episode about Israel's first women's national hockey team
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.
Roman Abramovich is one of Russia's most prominent billionaire oligarchs. As the owner of Chelsea F.C. who routinely throws money to combat antisemitism in sports, he has been accused of "sportswashing" his controversial career and close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. But sanctions by the British government in light of the Russian war on Ukraine have thrown the century-old soccer club into a state of flux, its future in the Premier League uncertain.
The story is developing just a month after another Premier League team, Tottenham Hotspur, publicly requested its fans to stop using the "Y word": Yid. For ages, the team and its fans have been known as the Yid Army, in a weirdly deep-seated backstory that has nothing itself to do with antisemitism. Was the Yid Army ever good for the Jews? Will Spurs fans actually stop using it?
To discuss these wild times of being a Jewish soccer fan, we're joined by David Gass, a sports broadcaster for Major League Soccer and early Menschwarmers guest from our very first season.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers or TikTok @menschwarmers. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.
There weren't a lot of Jews involved with the "Showtime" Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s. But there was Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and coaches Paul Westhead and Pat Riley, and all these big characters and iconic stories are coming to TV in a new show, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, debuting March 6, 2022, on HBO Max (Crave for Canadians).
Aside from a handful of Jewish actors involved—notably Adrien Brody and Jason Segal as coaches Riley and Westhead, respectively—the real Judaism comes behind the scenes. The show's creators, Jim Hecht and Max Borenstein, are both Jewish, as is the man who wrote the book on which the show is based.
Jeff Pearlman is a veteran sportswriter who's written several books that haven't been turned into TV shows, as well as one, now, that has. He joins for a lengthy interview about his book, his writing process and, to settle an argument with his mother, his bar mitzvah.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network—find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers, and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter @cjnpodcasts.
Despite the usual fanfare before the games began, hype around the 2022 Winter Olympics died down tremendously during the games themselves and TV ratings have hit historic lows. Maybe it's the inconvenient time zone; maybe audiences are boycotting the Olympics for being held in China, given the attention paid to the Uyghur genocide; maybe the whole spectable is just too close to the delayed Summer Olympics last year.
Or maybe there just aren't enough Jews winning medals.
To discuss what went wrong at the Beijing Winter Olympics, and look at how Jewish and Israel athletes performed, we're joined by Louis Keene, a reporter at the Forward who's been covering the games. Follow him on Twitter @thislous.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network—find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers, and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter @cjnpodcasts.
David Warsofsky has spent over a decade playing pro hockey. He's skated for the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche. Now with ERC Ingolstadt in Germany, he's heading to the Winter Olympics in Beijing on behalf of the American national hockey team this month. We caught up with the half-Jewish, half-Catholic defenceman days before he flew out to China.
Plus, we discuss the least-Jewish Superbowl in years and the complicated politics that go into China hosting another Olympic games.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network—find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers, and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter @cjnpodcasts.
From Olympic-level sibling snowboarders to several LPGA contenders, 2022 looks packed with Jewish sports stories to keep your eyes on. Gabe and Jamie return for what we're calling the third season of Menschwarmers with a look ahead to Jews competing in tennis, golf, football and the controversially Chinese-hosted Winter Olympics.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network—find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers, and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter @cjnpodcasts.
For our last episode of the year, we're recapping the biggest Jewish sports moments of the year. From Joc Pederson's streak to Meyers Leonard's slur, Sue Bird's basketball victory to Team Israel's baseball loss, this was how 2021 looked for Jewish sports fans around the world.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network—find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers, and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter @cjnpodcasts.
From Team Israel's fairy tale run to Sue Bird's unbroken Olympic victories, Jewish athletes have long beaten the odds. To celebrate Hanukkah, the Menschwarmers run through their picks for the greatest Jewish sports streaks and miracles of all time.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network—find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers, and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter @cjnpodcasts.
It's an off week for the Menschwarmers, but we have a bonus episode for you all: a full-length interview with Mitch Garber, a Montreal business mogul and philanthropist. Garber brought the Montreal Alouettes back to the CFL and is working with Stephen Bronfman to bring back the Expos, but he joined _The CJN Daily_ podcast earlier this week to talk about his other investment: the newest NHL team, the Seattle Kraken. Also joining the conversation is Irv Osterer, an Ottawa-based historian of all things Jewish hockey.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network—find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers, and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter @cjnpodcasts.
Former pro basketball player Dan Grunfeld spent years confirming this one basic fact: that his father, Ernie Grunfeld, an acclaimed NBA player-turned-executive, is the only son of Holocaust survivors to play in any of the Big Four pro leagues. As far as he can tell, it's true. And that unique situation, in which generational trauma mixed with generational athleticism, fuelled his book, By the Grace of the Game: The Holocaust, a Basketball Legacy, and an Unprecedented American Dream, coming out later this month.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network—find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers, and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter @cjnpodcasts.
Who's the greatest Jewish athlete of all time? How would you measure their success: by records held, peaks reached, popularity earned? The longevity of their career? Who deserves to be mentioned in this massive debate?
Ask Mark Hebscher, and he'll tell you his answer: Ida Schnall. Hebsy is writing a four-part series for The CJN on why Schnall—whose career spanned sprinting, diving, baseball and Hollywood fame—deserves the spotlight over everyone else. After that, the Menschwarmers reveal their picks for the G.A.D.Y.A (Greatest Athlete: Division Yiddish Athletics).
Read Part 1 and Part 2 of Mark Hebscher's series on Ida Schnall at thecjn.ca.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network—find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers, and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter @cjnpodcasts.
Peri Goodman is a cheerleader for the Brock University Badgers. She's toured the world as a flyer—that's the one who, yes, flies in the air, thrown up by her teammates—and has navigated the surprisingly intense behind-the-scenes politics of cheerleaders versus gymnasts. She joins to chat about life on a cheer team, cheer's odds at becoming an Olympic sport and her team's trip to compete in Poland.
Plus: a baseball recap, a hockey preview and a debate over the age-old question: if you could choose one antisemitic conspiracy to be true, which would it be?
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network—find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers, and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter @cjnpodcasts.
As a co-host of Menschwarmers, James has interviewed pro athletes, journalists and historians. But the one guy whose job he really wants is Josh Rawitch, the newly minted president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Rawitch, whose family more than doubled the Jewish population of Cooperstown, NY, joins to talk about how he landed the job and share stories of a few lesser-known Jewish entrants in the hall.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network—find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers, and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter @cjnpodcasts.
Since his humble beginnings in the Midwest wrestling scene in the early 2000s, Scott Colton, a.k.a. Colt Cabana, has grown into a seismic force in the pro wrestling world. After diving into the WWE as Scotty Goldman—a character presented a little antisemitically by the organization—a he made a name for himself as a world heavyweight champion in numerous global competitions and recently signed with the All Elite Wrestling league, rivaling his former titanitc overlords at the WWE.
Cabana joins the Menschwarmers to chat about his rise to fame, his podcast, his decision to join the nascent AEW and how he faced antisemitism along the way.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network—find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers, and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter @cjnpodcasts.
For years, Mike Wilner has been beloved by Torontonians as the voice of Blue Jays baseball on the radio, calling games, taking fan calls and interviewing players. His tenure with the team ended unceremoniously last fall, when Rogers, which owns the team, let him go.
But the veteran announcer hasn't disappeared: he landed a gig as the baseball columnist for the Toronto Star; his baseball podcast, Deep Left Field, is one of the highest-rated baseball podcasts on Apple; and he recently finished a run calling games for Team Israel Baseball during their barnstorming tour of the Northeastern United States.
Wilner joins Gabe and Jamie to chat about his long career, his new ventures and why he doesn't often ask ball players if they're Jewish.
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network—find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers, and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter @cjnpodcasts.
Zach Hyman, Toronto's homegrown Jewish hockey star, recently signed a seven-year contract worth $38.5 million with the Edmonton Oilers. The move will sadly take him away from his belowed hometown, where he played for the Maple Leafs since 2015 and where his whole family lives.
Before jetting off to Edmonton with his wife and eight-month-old son, Hyman spared some time to join us for a conversation about his Jewish roots in Toronto, looking for a new community in Edmonton and why his jersey is hanging on a wall at the Burger Shack at Avenue and Eglinton.
Plus: Gabe and Jamie break down a few recent Jewish Olympic medalists and give props to Rowdy Tellez for his latest hot streak.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network—find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter @menschwarmers, and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter @cjnpodcasts.
From Australians Jessica Fox (canoe slalom) and Jemima Montag (racewalking) to Israel's mixed judo team and gymnasit Artem Dolgopyat, Jews were well represented at this year's Tokyo Olympics. In fact, so many Jews medalled that, if Jews comprised their own country, they would have ranked alongside Belgium and Jamaica. Here's a rundown of all the Jews who've won medals so far, as well as those who've fallen short.
This episode was recorded live on Zoom at an event hosted by Stand With Us Canada on Aug. 5, 2021.
Credits
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter and Facebook, or find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.
Shalom, sports fans! We've got a special episode for you today: the Menschwarmers appeared on Bonjour Chai, The CJN's weekly current affairs podcast, to chat about Olympic history, Jewish athletecism and much more. Subscribe to Bonjour Chai on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Plus: don't forget to register for the Menschwarmers' first-ever live event! We'll be reviewing how Jewish Olympians fared at the games, including highlights, lowlights and Shabbat candlelights. We're organizing it with StandWithUs Canada and it's happening Thursday, Aug. 5 at 7:30 p.m. Register at thecjn.ca/tokyo2020
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter and Facebook, or find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.
With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics starting this week, Jewish sports fans are abuzz with one question: Who's representing the tribe? As it happens, there are plenty of promising Olympians with fascinating stories, from Argentine tennis phenom Diego Schwartzman to Jewish Japanese basketballer Avi Schafer and a whole lot of American and Canadian fencing stars—to say nothing of Israel's contenders in marathons, Judo and racewalking.
To give an overview, the Menschwarmers are joined today by Emily Burack, deputy managing editor of Alma, who has spent the last few months investigating and writing about Jewish Olympians from around the world.
Relevant links:
- Follow Emily on Twitter (@emburack) or Instagram (@emburack)
- Read her stories at heyalma.com
- Listen to the Menschwarmers' past Olympics episodes: an interview with Canadian fencer Eli Schenkel, baseball pitcher Dean Pelman and baseball coach Nate Fish
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter and Facebook, or find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.
While no Jewish baseball fan is looking forward to waking up at 5 a.m. to watch Team Israel compete at the Tokyo Olympics, every Jewish baseball fan is still rooting hard. Gabe and Jamie are no exceptions—and they're equally excited to chat with Dean Pelman, a pitcher for Team Israel, mere days before he sets out on the road to the Olympics.
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter and Facebook, or find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.
This year marks the first time since 1988 that Canada has fielded a full roster of men's and women's Olympic fencers. Eli Schenkel, a young Vancouver-based fencer, is taking a stab at putting the cerebral sport back on Canadians' radars.
In today's episode, Eli joins the Menschwarmers to explain how he got into the game, why Jews have excelled with the epee, and how excited he is to go to the fences to represent our country in next month's Tokyo Olympics. Will Eli and his team medal—or will their plans be foiled?
Related links
- Learn more about Eli's fencing club, S-Class Fencing, at sclass.ca
- Follow Eli on Instagram (@one.seven.three)
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter and Facebook, or find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.
There are many Jewish musicians. There are many songs about sports. But how many songs about sports (or even songs that just mention sports) were written (or even just once recorded) by Jewish musicians? In this episode, Gabe and Jamie cast an admittedly very wide net into the broadly defined world of Jewish sports music. Listen to find out what made the cut—and then add your own picks to our open playlist on Spotify.
Plus: the boys play a good old round of "Jew or Not a Jew" with owners of the remaining NBA and NHL playoff teams. Tony Ressler? Mike Chipman? Ann Walton Kroenke? Place your bets and play along!
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter and Facebook.
We've got a special treat for you, Jewish sports fans! Our most-requested guest, Cody Decker, is here with a generous interview about his career and Jewish identity. Cody may have retired from pro baseball, but he's still very active in the sports world. He's working with charities and hosts his own podcast, but more importantly, he's been involved with training Israel's Olympic baseball team this year in Scottsdale, Arizona. On today's episode, Cody talks about all this and more—including his part in Team Israel's legendary run in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
Related links:
- Read James's piece, "The anti-Semitic double standard faced by every Jewish athlete", at thecjn.ca
- Follow Cody Decker on Twitter (@Decker6) and Instagram (@antiherobaseball)
- Listen to Cody's podcast, Big Time Baseball, at Audacy
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter and Facebook.
Nate Fish, the self-proclaimed "King of Jewish Baseball", has been a coach and player with Team USA at the Maccabiah Games, the Tel Aviv Lightning, the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox and the Savannah Bananas, a "baseball circus" team that focuses on entertainment, costumes and dancing. This spring, he's heading to Arizona with Team Israel to prepare for their historic appearance at the Tokyo Olympics.
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter and Facebook.
It's hard to get kids to care about culture and religion. It's much easier, on the other hand, to get them to play video games. Bridging that gap is Lost Tribe Esports, a non-profit organization that organizes video game events, competitions and communities for young Jewish gamers. (And if you don't think gaming is a sport, you've clearly never watched competitive Super Smash Bros.) Andrew Exler, director of content and strategy for the company, joins to talk about their project.
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter and Facebook.
Star NFL wide receiver and Superbowl MVP Julian Edelman has arguably been the most popular Jewish athlete of our time. This week, he announced that time has come to a close, as he retired from pro football after 12 seasons with the New England Patriots. James brings on guest host Alex Rose to talk about his legacy and Jewish identity.
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter and Facebook.
We're still digesting matzah brei and baseball season is right around the corner. What better way to celebrate both than by smushing them together into one giant celebration of Jewish baseball—in seder form? James leads the first-ever "Jewish baseball"–themed Passover seder, from the Ten Players to the Four Questions (About Jewish Baseball Athletes).
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter and Facebook.
Episode Notes Outrage ensued after Miami Heat player Meyers Leonard used the K-word on a public broadcast. How did the league respond? Plus: Author Andrew Maraniss joins to chat about "Games of Deception", his book about the 1936 Berlin Olympics, as well as his new title, "Singled Out".
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Coby Lipovitch, and our outro music is "Organ Grinder Swing" by chēēZ π. This show is a member of The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter and Facebook. Follow Andrew on Twitter and check out his books on his website.
Episode Notes When Dodgers Stadium was built, it displaced an entire community of Latinos in Los Angeles. It's a story told by sports journalist Eric Nusbaum in his new book, Stealing Home: Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the Lives Caught in Between. Eric joins the Menschwarmers to chat about this and more.
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. The theme music is "4bstr4ck3r" By Brass (feat. Daman). It's distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter and Facebook. Find Stealing Home on Amazon (or at a more ethical bookseller, if you can), and follow Eric on Twitter.
Episode Notes When 19-year-old Israeli basketball player Deni Avdija was drafted to the Washington Wizards, Jewish NBA fans went nuts. The Wizards have since created websites and social media accounts in Hebrew to cater to their newfound fans. To chat about the effect Deni's had on the team and the city, the Menschwarmers are joined by Fred Katz of The Athletic.
Menschwarmers is hosted by James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. The theme music is "4bstr4ck3r" By Brass (feat. Daman). It's distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and The CJN Podcast Network on Twitter and Facebook. You can find Fred Katz on Twitter and at _The Athletic_.
Episode Notes Did we miss anything? The Menschwarmers are back in full swing, after a 10-month hiatus (and the closure, then revival, of The CJN). Jody Avirgan, the former host of ESPN's 30 for 30 podcast and a current host of This Day In Esoteric Political History—as well as an avid ultimate disc tosser—joins Jamie and Gabe in the first show of, uh, we'll call this Season 2. Sure. Why not.
Menschwarmers is hosted by Gabe Pulver and Jamie Hirsh, and produced and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our music is “Brass” by 4bstr4ck3r feat. Daman. You can follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and follow The CJN Podcast Network on Facebook, or follow Jody on Twitter.
Former NFL and Iowa State quarterback Sage Rosenfels joins the show to talk about the differences between being a Jewish athlete in rural Iowa compared to Miami, and more.
Menschwarmers is hosted by Gabe Pulver and Jamie Hirsh, and produced and edited by Alex Rose. Michael Fraiman is the supervising producer. Our music is “Brass” by 4bstr4ck3r feat. Daman. You can follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and check out more podcasts by The CJN Podcast Network here.
Ethan Zohn, winner of the third season of Survivor and contestant on this season's Winners at War, joins the show to talk about that log challenge on the Edge of Extinction, his soccer career and charity in Africa, his audion for Curb Your Enthusiasm with Larry David, and more.
Menschwarmers is hosted by Gabe Pulver and Jamie Hirsh, and produced and edited by Alex Rose. Michael Fraiman is the supervising producer. Our music is “Brass” by 4bstr4ck3r feat. Daman. You can follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and check out more podcasts by The CJN Podcast Network here.
Eric Koreen, who covers the Raptors for The Athletic, joins menches Jamie and Gabe to talk about David Stern and Adam Silver, the future of basketball in Israel, and how he uses his doubt for the greater good.
Menschwarmers is hosted by Gabe Pulver and Jamie Hirsh, and produced and edited by Alex Rose. Michael Fraiman is the supervising producer. Our music is “Brass” by 4bstr4ck3r feat. Daman. You can follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and check out more podcasts by The CJN Podcast Network here.
Read Eric's work at The Athletic, or follow him on Twitter . Use this link for a 40% discount to The Athletic.
Tim Hortons teamed up with Wayne Gretzky to make a commercial—but something's not right about it. Also on the episode, Jamie chats with Nathan Abrams, a Jewish professor and cricket aficionado, about the "gentilization" of Jewish sporting life.
Menschwarmers is hosted by Gabe Pulver and Jamie Hirsh, and produced and edited by Alex Rose. Michael Fraiman is the supervising producer. Our music is “Brass” by 4bstr4ck3r feat. Daman. You can follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and check out more podcasts by The CJN Podcast Network here.
Read Nathan's work at The Forward, or follow him on Twitter.
From Chariots of Fire to School Ties and the debatably Jewish Happy Gilmore (does the Sandman ever not play a default Jew?), Gabe and Jamie curate a list of the best Jewish sports movies to keep you warm over the holidays.
Menschwarmers is hosted by Gabe Pulver and Jamie Hirsh, and produced and edited by Alex Rose. Michael Fraiman is the supervising producer. Our music is “Brass” by 4bstr4ck3r feat. Daman. You can follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and check out more podcasts by The CJN Podcast Network here.
As Hanukkah approaches, gather 'round the stereo system as Gabe tells the story of the great miracle that was the birth of the Maccabiah Games. Plus: one ice skater's head-slapping Holocaust costume, and the mixed blessing that is a stereotypically Jewish wrestler.
Menschwarmers is hosted by Gabe Pulver and Jamie Hirsh, and produced and edited by Alex Rose. Michael Fraiman is the supervising producer. Our music is “Brass” by 4bstr4ck3r feat. Daman. You can follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and check out more podcasts by The CJN Podcast Network here.
With the NHL in full swing, the Maple Leafs' Jewish player Zach Hyman returns on the heels of coach Mike Babcock's departure. But the real story deserving Jews' attention is ousted octogenarian Don Cherry, whose racist comments about immigrants should anger Jews across Canada.
Menschwarmers is hosted by Gabe Pulver and Jamie Hirsh, and produced and edited by Alex Rose. Michael Fraiman is the supervising producer. Our music is “Brass” by 4bstr4ck3r feat. Daman. You can follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and check out more podcasts by The CJN Podcast Network here.
When the entire editorial board of Deadspin walked out in resignation last week, one unsuspecting freelance writer walked in. That writer, Alan Goldsher, joins us over the phone from his home in Chicago to explain what happened.
Menschwarmers is hosted by Gabe Pulver and Jamie Hirsh, and produced and edited by Alex Rose. Michael Fraiman is the supervising producer. Our music is “Brass” by 4bstr4ck3r feat. Daman. You can follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and check out more podcasts by The CJN Podcast Network here. Follow Alan Goldsher on Twitter here.
When Gabe and Jamie realized their regular schedule coincided with the Toronto Raptors' ring ceremony, they figured: why not record it? This week, the boys recap the Raps' Jewish connections, spitball the talmudic metaphors behind the NBA and fact-check a recent Tablet article claiming Jews play poorly on Yom Kippur.
Menschwarmers is hosted by Gabe Pulver and Jamie Hirsh, and produced and edited by Alex Rose. Michael Fraiman is the supervising producer. Our music is “Brass” by 4bstr4ck3r feat. Daman. You can follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and check out more podcasts by The CJN Podcast Network here.
Born in Alaska to Christian parents, longtime NHL player Nate Thompson converted to Judaism after meeting a nice Jewish girl. But his story isn't exactly what people expect. The Menschwarmers chat with Thompson, who was recently traded to the Montreal Canadiens, about his reasons for converting, plans for the new year and the great Jewish hotspots of Montreal. Plus: Gabe and Jamie ask which Jewish holidays have the most mainstream appeal, and a fond farewell to Bob Tufts.
Menschwarmers is hosted by Gabe Pulver and Jamie Hirsh, and produced and edited by Alex Rose. Michael Fraiman is the supervising producer. Our music is “Brass” by 4bstr4ck3r feat. Daman. You can follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and check out more podcasts by The CJN Podcast Network here.
In a true instance of Hebrew miracles, Israel's baseball team beat the odds to earn an early slot as a qualifier for the 2020 Olympics. Plus: a breakdown of Miami Dolphins QB Josh Rosen, and a cameo discussion about famous Jewish hairstylist and anti-fascist Vidal Sassoon.
Menschwarmers is hosted by Gabe Pulver and Jamie Hirsh, and produced and edited by Alex Rose. Michael Fraiman is the supervising producer. Our music is “Brass” by 4bstr4ck3r feat. Daman. You can follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and check out more podcasts by The CJN Podcast Network here.
This week, director Max Winkler joins the Mensches live on tape from TIFF to discuss the premiere of his new movie Jungleland. They also talk about their favourite Jewish Dodgers, Fred VanVleet's alleged Jewish ancestry and the Bruce Springsteen Cinematic Universe. Plus, a call from a special guest!
Menschwarmers is hosted by Gabe Pulver and Jamie Hirsh, and produced and edited by Alex Rose. Michael Fraiman is the supervising producer. Our music is “Brass” by 4bstr4ck3r feat. Daman. You can follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and check out more podcasts by The CJN Podcast Network here.
This week, Mensches Jamie and Gabe preview the upcoming NFL season through a Jewish lens and challenge each other to a game of "Jew or Not Jew" about the NFL owners. See if you can beat their scores!
Menschwarmers is hosted by Gabe Pulver and Jamie Hirsh, and produced and edited by Alex Rose. Michael Fraiman is the supervising producer. Our music is “Brass” by 4bstr4ck3r feat. Daman. You can follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and check out more podcasts by The CJN Podcast Network here.
Tennis writer Marvin Glassman, who has been covering the Canadian Open for The CJN since 1981, joins hosts Jamie and Gabe to discuss the past, present and future of Jews in tennis. Read Marvin's story on the Jewish echoes of Bianca Andreescu's historic victory at The CJN.
Menschwarmers is hosted by Gabe Pulver and Jamie Hirsh, and produced and edited by Alex Rose. Michael Fraiman is the supervising producer. Our music is “Brass” by 4bstr4ck3r feat. Daman. You can follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and check out more podcasts by The CJN Podcast Network here.
Why does NFL star Antonio Brown have a synagogue in his Miami mansion? What inspired Steph Curry to get a tattoo in Hebrew? This week on The Menschwarmers, Jamie and Gabe explore non-Jewish athletes' bizarre fascination with Jewish culture, and Jamie reveals why you may have difficulty temporarily understanding him.
Menschwarmers is hosted by Gabe Pulver and Jamie Hirsh, and produced and edited by Alex Rose. Michael Fraiman is the supervising producer. Our music is “Brass” by 4bstr4ck3r feat. Daman. You can follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and check out more podcasts by The CJN Podcast Network here.
Relive the glory days of Jewish boxing, when sluggers Barney Ross and Sammy Luftspring ruled the ring, with the Menschwarmers’ special guest, Lou Eisen, an encyclopedia of boxing knowledge. Lou talks about the earliest Jewish boxers, the sport’s evolution and an era when thuggish Nazis forced Jews to hit back in the streets.
Menschwarmers is hosted by Gabe Pulver and Jamie Hirsh, and produced by Alex Rose. Michael Fraiman is the supervising producer and edited this episode. Our music is “Brass” by 4bstr4ck3r feat. Daman. You can follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and check out more podcasts by The CJN Podcast Network here.
The CJN office is coming up on a summer vacation, so the Canadian Jewish Shmooze and Menschwarmers are taking a couple weeks off. But when we get back, we've got some exciting news — The CJN Podcast Network is growing.
Famed soccer commentator Andrés Cantor best sums up our feelings about the Toronto Raptors winning the NBA Finals: "¡GOOOAAAAALLLLLL!" But God forbid we have a parade and someone not rain on it — in this case, those someones are BDS supporters who took issue with Raptors co-owner Larry Tanenbaum promising to fly the team to Israel. Plus: checking anti-Semitism in the FIFA Women's World Cup.
Menschwarmers is hosted by Gabe Pulver and Jamie Hirsh, and produced by Alex Rose. Michael Fraiman is the supervising producer and edited this episode. Our music is “Brass” by 4bstr4ck3r feat. Daman. You can follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and check out more podcasts by The CJN Podcast Network here.
The NBA Finals are afoot, and the Toronto Raptors are roaring ahead as potential first-time champions. Behind them every step of the way—sometimes too literally—is probably the most famous Canadian Jew alive, Forest Hill's own Aubrey "Drake" Graham. Hosts Gabe and Jamie chat about the concerns that he's not acting like a nice, quiet Jewish boy.
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Menschwarmers is hosted by Gabe Pulver and Jamie Hirsh, and produced and edited by Alex Rose. Michael Fraiman is the supervising producer. Our music is “Brass” by 4bstr4ck3r feat. Daman. You can follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and check out more podcasts by The CJN Podcast Network here.
How many football stadiums do you think serve kosher food? The answer: fewer than you think.
Menschwarmers is hosted by Gabe Pulver and Jamie Hirsh, and produced and edited by Alex Rose. Michael Fraiman is the supervising producer. Our music is “Brass” by 4bstr4ck3r feat. Daman, and our ad music is “Our Big Adventure” by Scott Holmes. Follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter.
The Menschwarmers interview Jonathan Mayo about baseball journalism, Team Israel's surprise success and the new documentary, Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel.
Menschwarmers is hosted by Gabe Pulver and Jamie Hirsh, and produced and edited by Alex Rose. Michael Fraiman is the supervising producer. Our music is “Brass” by 4bstr4ck3r feat. Daman. You can follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter, find Jonathan on Twitter and learn about Heading Home here, or read The CJN‘s interview with the film’s directors.
The deep history behind Tottenham Hotspur's legion of fans, who are, for some reason, known as the "Yid Army". Soccer commentator Dave Gass joins.
Menschwarmers is hosted by Gabe Pulver and Jamie Hirsh, produced by Michael Fraiman and Alex Rose, and edited by Alex Rose. Our music is “Brass” by 4bstr4ck3r feat. Daman. You can follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter, and find Dave Gass on Twitter and MLSsoccer.com.
What's a bigger shanda: slicing bagels St. Louis–style, or Corey Pavin converting to Christianity?
Menschwarmers is hosted by Gabe Pulver and Jamie Hirsh, and is edited by Alex Rose. Michael Fraiman is the supervising producer, and the music is “Brass” by 4bstr4ck3r feat. Daman.
Menschwarmers is the second podcast we’re launching under the The CJN Podcast Network. It's hosted by Jamie Hirsh and Gabe Pulver. It's produced and edited by Alex Rose. Michael Fraiman is the supervising producer. Our music is “Brass” by 4bstr4ck3r feat. Daman.