Overview

This is a splendid oral history of a time between World War I and World War II when Jewish athletes were the dominant ethnic group in professional boxing in the United States. The author draws on his own personal experience in New York City's fight arenas, and incorporates interviews with more than thirty former boxers, trainers, managers, promoters, and boxing judges to report on this overlooked aspect of sports history. Bodner explores the stories of the Jewish boxers both inside and outside the ring, and also examines their lives as they left the ring to pursue their careers which ranged from fire chiefs to boxing judges to hospital presidents. Boxing was a means many second generation urban immigrants—including Jews—used to get ahead in the early 20th century. The Jewish boxers interviewed reported that they took up fighting to earn money, not to defend their race or negate stereotypes that Jews were weak. These boxers were proud of their heritage and displayed Stars of David on their robes and trunks until religious symbols were banned in the 1940s. During the 1920s nearly one-third of all professional boxers were Jewish, and by 1928, they were the dominant ethnic group in the sport earning 30 World Championship titles between 1910-1940. Bodner's interest in the subject was kindled by his father who was an amateur boxer and professional manager during this period.

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9780275953539

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Reviews

.,. Allen Bodner reminds us in this welcome work of devoted research, clearly a labor of love, that we have seen in the first half of the 20th century a Golden Age of Jewish Boxing, score on score of Jewish champions of the world, not to mention fierce and gifted contenders like Allie Stolz, Artie Levine, Maxie Shapiro, Georgie Abrams, Leach Cross...the brave boys who made their statement for all of us. -Budd Schulberg Screenwriter, On the Waterfront and The Harder They Fall

Bodner's book is less about boxing than it is about boxers, and it is a loving and thoughtful tribute to a generation of fighters whose stories might otherwise go untold....The affection he feels for the ex-fighters he met underscores his entire book and, more than anything else, makes it a compelling chronicle....Bodner's tribute to the men he was able to meet and interview is a thoughtful and moving collection of stories about what it meant to earn a living as a Jew in a distinctly American game. Passionate without romanticizing its subject, When Boxing was a Jewish Sport preserves some of the first-hand stories we were in danger of losing altogether. -Jewish Book Guide The strength of the book...concerns the struggles and triumphs of the fighters. -Newsday Bodner has written a wonderfully engaging book about a little-known aspect of American Jewish life. -Multicultural Review ... Bodner often manages to capture the long-gone, blue-collar, Julius Kniplesque world of smoky arenas, surly ticket-takers, and clattering manual typewriters that permeated his boxing-fan childhood. -Washington City Paper ... Bodner has written a readable book about a mostly forgotten phase of American history, one whose like the American Jewish community will probably never see again. You don't have to be Jewish, and you don't have to be a sports fan, to appreciate his achievement. -Washington Post Book World ... Bodner offers a valuable addition to the numerous tomes that chronicle the Jewish experience in America. In giving us more than just another recitation of Jewish sports greats, he treats us to a look at a time that no longer exists through the eyes of the people who made it what it was. -The Jerusalem Report Bodner is extremely informative. His historical perspective of the Jews in America...is enlightening....It's the people, those actual boxers telling of their youth and fights, that makes the book pay off for readers....Bodner's oral history is an important contribution to what would ultimately become part of the social fabric of America. -The West Coast Review of Books [Bodner] presents a concise overview of boxing as it involved Jewish participants, as well as a capsule social history of the Jewish experience in 20th-century New York City....Generally New York's leading Yiddish paper, the Daily Forward, ignored the exploits of boxers, as do most major Jewish histories, so Bodner has rescued many from oblivion. Boxing fans will be intrigued by the arcana here. -Publishers Weekly Mr. Bodner's book is a welcome addition to the literature on Jews in American sports. -Forward YBodner presents a concise overview of boxing as it involved Jewish participants, as well as a capsule social history of the Jewish experience in 20th-century New York City....Generally New York's leading Yiddish paper, the Daily Forward, ignored the exploits of boxers, as do most major Jewish histories, so Bodner has rescued many from oblivion. Boxing fans will be intrigued by the arcana here. -Publishers Weekly ?The strength of the book...concerns the struggles and triumphs of the fighters.?-Newsday ?Mr. Bodner's book is a welcome addition to the literature on Jews in American sports.?-Forward ?Bodner has written a wonderfully engaging book about a little-known aspect of American Jewish life.?-Multicultural Review ?With first person accounts, Bodner vividly retells of life inside and outside the ring in [this] overdue tribute.?-Jewish Telegraph ?...Bodner often manages to capture the long-gone, blue-collar, Julius Kniplesque world of smoky arenas, surly ticket-takers, and clattering manual typewriters that permeated his boxing-fan childhood.?-Washington City Paper ?...Bodner has written a readable book about a mostly forgotten phase of American history, one whose like the American Jewish community will probably never see again. You don't have to be Jewish, and you don't have to be a sports fan, to appreciate his achievement.?-Washington Post Book World ?Bodner is extremely informative. His historical perspective of the Jews in America...is enlightening....It's the people, those actual boxers telling of their youth and fights, that makes the book pay off for readers....Bodner's oral history is an important contribution to what would ultimately become part of the social fabric of America.?-The West Coast Review of Books ?[Bodner] presents a concise overview of boxing as it involved Jewish participants, as well as a capsule social history of the Jewish experience in 20th-century New York City....Generally New York's leading Yiddish paper, the Daily Forward, ignored the exploits of boxers, as do most major Jewish histories, so Bodner has rescued many from oblivion. Boxing fans will be intrigued by the arcana here.?-Publishers Weekly ?...Bodner offers a valuable addition to the numerous tomes that chronicle the Jewish experience in America. In giving us more than just another recitation of Jewish sports greats, he treats us to a look at a time that no longer exists through the eyes of the people who made it what it was.?-The Jerusalem Report ?Bodner's book is less about boxing than it is about boxers, and it is a loving and thoughtful tribute to a generation of fighters whose stories might otherwise go untold....The affection he feels for the ex-fighters he met underscores his entire book and, more than anything else, makes it a compelling chronicle....Bodner's tribute to the men he was able to meet and interview is a thoughtful and moving collection of stories about what it meant to earn a living as a Jew in a distinctly American game. Passionate without romanticizing its subject, When Boxing was a Jewish Sport preserves some of the first-hand stories we were in danger of losing altogether.?-Jewish Book Guide With first person accounts, Bodner vividly retells of life inside and outside the ring in [this] overdue tribute. -Jewish Telegraph .,. Bodner often manages to capture the long-gone, blue-collar, Julius Kniplesque world of smoky arenas, surly ticket-takers, and clattering manual typewriters that permeated his boxing-fan childhood. -Washington City Paper .,. Bodner offers a valuable addition to the numerous tomes that chronicle the Jewish experience in America. In giving us more than just another recitation of Jewish sports greats, he treats us to a look at a time that no longer exists through the eyes of the people who made it what it was. -The Jerusalem Report .,. Bodner has written a readable book about a mostly forgotten phase of American history, one whose like the American Jewish community will probably never see again. You don't have to be Jewish, and you don't have to be a sports fan, to appreciate his achievement. -Washington Post Book World Finally, an insightful study of the world of Jewish boxing. -Henry Feingold Professor and editor, The Jewish People in America .,. Allen Bodner reminds us in this welcome work of devoted research, clearly a labor of love, that we have seen in the first half of the 20th century a Golden Age of Jewish Boxing, score on score of Jewish champions of the world, not to mention fierce and gifted contenders like Allie Stolz, Artie Levine, Maxie Shapiro, Georgie Abrams, Leach Cross...the brave boys who made their statement for all of us. -Budd Schulberg Screenwriter, On the Waterfront and The Harder They Fall A very satisfying trip down boxing's memory lane. When Boxing was a Jewish Sport captures the flavor, history and pride of an era when Jewish athletes were kings of the ring. -Mike Silver Boxing historian and journalist, Ring Magazine

Bodner's book is less about boxing than it is about boxers, and it is a loving and thoughtful tribute to a generation of fighters whose stories might otherwise go untold....The affection he feels for the ex-fighters he met underscores his entire book and, more than anything else, makes it a compelling chronicle....Bodner's tribute to the men he was able to meet and interview is a thoughtful and moving collection of stories about what it meant to earn a living as a Jew in a distinctly American game. Passionate without romanticizing its subject, When Boxing was a Jewish Sport preserves some of the first-hand stories we were in danger of losing altogether. -Jewish Book Guide Mr. Bodner's book is a welcome addition to the literature on Jews in American sports. -Forward Bodner has written a wonderfully engaging book about a little-known aspect of American Jewish life. -Multicultural Review ... Bodner has written a readable book about a mostly forgotten phase of American history, one whose like the American Jewish community will probably never see again. You don't have to be Jewish, and you don't have to be a sports fan, to appreciate his achievement. -Washington Post Book World Bodner is extremely informative. His historical perspective of the Jews in America...is enlightening....It's the people, those actual boxers telling of their youth and fights, that makes the book pay off for readers....Bodner's oral history is an important contribution to what would ultimately become part of the social fabric of America. -The West Coast Review of Books The strength of the book...concerns the struggles and triumphs of the fighters. -Newsday ... Bodner often manages to capture the long-gone, blue-collar, Julius Kniplesque world of smoky arenas, surly ticket-takers, and clattering manual typewriters that permeated his boxing-fan childhood. -Washington City Paper ... Bodner offers a valuable addition to the numerous tomes that chronicle the Jewish experience in America. In giving us more than just another recitation of Jewish sports greats, he treats us to a look at a time that no longer exists through the eyes of the people who made it what it was. -The Jerusalem Report [Bodner] presents a concise overview of boxing as it involved Jewish participants, as well as a capsule social history of the Jewish experience in 20th-century New York City....Generally New York's leading Yiddish paper, the Daily Forward, ignored the exploits of boxers, as do most major Jewish histories, so Bodner has rescued many from oblivion. Boxing fans will be intrigued by the arcana here. -Publishers Weekly YBodner presents a concise overview of boxing as it involved Jewish participants, as well as a capsule social history of the Jewish experience in 20th-century New York City....Generally New York's leading Yiddish paper, the Daily Forward, ignored the exploits of boxers, as do most major Jewish histories, so Bodner has rescued many from oblivion. Boxing fans will be intrigued by the arcana here. -Publishers Weekly ?Bodner has written a wonderfully engaging book about a little-known aspect of American Jewish life.?-Multicultural Review ?...Bodner often manages to capture the long-gone, blue-collar, Julius Kniplesque world of smoky arenas, surly ticket-takers, and clattering manual typewriters that permeated his boxing-fan childhood.?-Washington City Paper ?...Bodner offers a valuable addition to the numerous tomes that chronicle the Jewish experience in America. In giving us more than just another recitation of Jewish sports greats, he treats us to a look at a time that no longer exists through the eyes of the people who made it what it was.?-The Jerusalem Report ?[Bodner] presents a concise overview of boxing as it involved Jewish participants, as well as a capsule social history of the Jewish experience in 20th-century New York City....Generally New York's leading Yiddish paper, the Daily Forward, ignored the exploits of boxers, as do most major Jewish histories, so Bodner has rescued many from oblivion. Boxing fans will be intrigued by the arcana here.?-Publishers Weekly ?The strength of the book...concerns the struggles and triumphs of the fighters.?-Newsday ?Mr. Bodner's book is a welcome addition to the literature on Jews in American sports.?-Forward ?With first person accounts, Bodner vividly retells of life inside and outside the ring in [this] overdue tribute.?-Jewish Telegraph ?...Bodner has written a readable book about a mostly forgotten phase of American history, one whose like the American Jewish community will probably never see again. You don't have to be Jewish, and you don't have to be a sports fan, to appreciate his achievement.?-Washington Post Book World ?Bodner is extremely informative. His historical perspective of the Jews in America...is enlightening....It's the people, those actual boxers telling of their youth and fights, that makes the book pay off for readers....Bodner's oral history is an important contribution to what would ultimately become part of the social fabric of America.?-The West Coast Review of Books ?Bodner's book is less about boxing than it is about boxers, and it is a loving and thoughtful tribute to a generation of fighters whose stories might otherwise go untold....The affection he feels for the ex-fighters he met underscores his entire book and, more than anything else, makes it a compelling chronicle....Bodner's tribute to the men he was able to meet and interview is a thoughtful and moving collection of stories about what it meant to earn a living as a Jew in a distinctly American game. Passionate without romanticizing its subject, When Boxing was a Jewish Sport preserves some of the first-hand stories we were in danger of losing altogether.?-Jewish Book Guide With first person accounts, Bodner vividly retells of life inside and outside the ring in [this] overdue tribute. -Jewish Telegraph .,. Bodner has written a readable book about a mostly forgotten phase of American history, one whose like the American Jewish community will probably never see again. You don't have to be Jewish, and you don't have to be a sports fan, to appreciate his achievement. -Washington Post Book World .,. Bodner offers a valuable addition to the numerous tomes that chronicle the Jewish experience in America. In giving us more than just another recitation of Jewish sports greats, he treats us to a look at a time that no longer exists through the eyes of the people who made it what it was. -The Jerusalem Report .,. Bodner often manages to capture the long-gone, blue-collar, Julius Kniplesque world of smoky arenas, surly ticket-takers, and clattering manual typewriters that permeated his boxing-fan childhood. -Washington City Paper A very satisfying trip down boxing's memory lane. When Boxing was a Jewish Sport captures the flavor, history and pride of an era when Jewish athletes were kings of the ring. -Mike Silver Boxing historian and journalist, Ring Magazine Finally, an insightful study of the world of Jewish boxing. -Henry Feingold Professor and editor, The Jewish People in America .,. Allen Bodner reminds us in this welcome work of devoted research, clearly a labor of love, that we have seen in the first half of the 20th century a Golden Age of Jewish Boxing, score on score of Jewish champions of the world, not to mention fierce and gifted contenders like Allie Stolz, Artie Levine, Maxie Shapiro, Georgie Abrams, Leach Cross...the brave boys who made their statement for all of us. -Budd Schulberg Screenwriter, On the Waterfront and The Harder They Fall

Author Information

ALLEN BODNER is an attorney with a remarkable entry into the world of boxing as his father was an amateur boxer during the 1920s and a professional manager during the 1930s and 1940s.

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