SubscribeSage Rosenfels and Ryan Braun: A question of identity
Are Jews that desperate for sports heroes that they’ll claim an athlete, regardless of whether he perceives himself as Jewish or not?
Take this piece on Sage Rosenfels from the St. Paul (MN) Pioneer Press website in which his father, Robert, briefly discusses the family heritage.
Eating organic was hardly the norm for Maquoketa, and neither was Robert’s background. Only two other Jewish families were in Maquoketa, Robert said. Although he’s proud of his religious background, Robert said, he doesn’t regularly practice Judaism. Same with Sage — on both counts. Sage was more than a little surprised when he learned one day during his NFL rookie season that he was being enshrined into a Jewish sports hall of fame.
“It would have been hard for us to be practicing Jews in Maquoketa, Iowa,” Robert said. “In the Jewish faith, it’s the woman’s religion that makes you either a Jew or not. My wife is not Jewish.”
So, do Jews “claim” him anyway? Who should decide? The individual? The rabbis? The parents?
Food for thought. For some more nibbling, check out Nate Bloom’s essay on “The Jewing of Ryan Braun“, which appeared on InterfaithFamily.com in 2007, when the Brewers’ infielder was enjoying his Rookie of the Year season, which was actually a follow-up to an earlier piece on Jewish celebrities.
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My personal rule of thumb is that if someone with at least an arguably Jewish background reaches the heights of a glamorous profession (MLB, Oscar winners, NBA, etc.), I’ll consider him or her Jewish.
That status is revoked only if the celebrity/athlete clearly renounces that categorization and/or does something blatantly anti-Jewish (e.g., Bobby Fischer).
There are many jews and half-jews in
Pro Football, wether they practice Judiaism
or not. The Rabbis will decide. Here’s some
to think about. DB Kevin Kaesviharn, Werner
Hippler, who served three months in the Is-
raeli ISS in 1999, and is NFL E’s alltime
leader in games played, catches by a TE
(14-yr. Pro; 2 NFL, 1 XFL, 11 NFLE), et,al.
Let’s stop fighting over how much Sage Ros-
enfels or the other guys are jewish. Thanks
for the site. I played in the USFL and Ar.FL
myself and don’t practice the jewish religion
because I never set out to be a Rabbi…so
what? Am I therefore to be thrown into the
‘briar patch’?! – R.A.S
This has gone far enough. By all means, we should claim Braun and Kinsler as Jewish athletes.
Frankly, I don’t understand why I’m supposed to be happy to find out a half Jewish athlete is acceptably Jewish because his mother gave it up to a non Jew, yet I’m supposed to dismiss a half Jewish athlete as non Jewish cause his father knocked up a non Jew. Seriously, which scenario are we supposed to be happier about? What kind of way is this to organize a people? The rabbis might as well have called it the cuckold rule. Very foolish long term planning from the early Jews.
A man plants his flag, damnit. Literally, and figuratively. No Italian ever cared who Mike Piazza’s mother was. And for good reason, I’d say. Why should they? On this one, Id have to admit Islam also got it right. The man claims whats his. But with our tribe, women are allowed to procreate with any random slob and the kids are Jews.
Meanwhile Omri and I have to wander around this world, limiting ourselves to .2 percent of the female population.
Enough is enough. Kinsler and Braun are in. We claim them. Whether their mothers like it or not. Both seem to be happy with this, especially Kinsler according to an SI interview.
This probably not publishable, I know, but nevertheless figured I’d post it. Just the rambling ideas from a half Jew……on his mother’s side, of course.