 The Golden Age of
the American Jewish Boxer
Between 1910 and 1940 there
were 27 Jewish
world-boxing champions at a
time when the sport was an integral part of
American popular culture.
This exhibition spotlights artifacts from a time when Jewish boxers
dominated the sport, including posters,
photographs, boxing apparel,
training equipment, films, title belts, and personal items. By special
arrangement, paintings of Jewish boxers by Charles Miller are also
featured in the exhibition.
The exhibition tells the stories
of the fighters, including some of the sport’s notable characters, such
as Daniel Mendoza, recognized as the first Jewish boxing champion
(1791-95) and considered by many historians as the father of scientific
boxing. Also highlighted is triple champion Barney Ross, who later won
a Silver Star for his service in World War II, and provided the
inspiration for the movies “Body and Soul” and “Monkey on My Back.”
Sting Like a Maccabee: The Golden Age of the American Jewish Boxer also
explores the business of boxing, and the sport’s impact on popular
culture, attested to by the numerous movies, books and art work that
relate to boxing.
“From the 1890s to the early 1950s,
boxing was second only to baseball in popularity,” said boxing
historian and journalist Mike Silver. “It was an integral part of
American culture. Jews, both as boxers and in supporting roles, were
major players. In fact, during the 1920s and 1930s, almost one-third of
all professional boxers were Jewish. For many sons of struggling
immigrant parents, boxing was a path to rapid economic advancement.
Even a four round preliminary boxer could make more money in one bout
than his sweatshop laboring father could earn in an entire week.”
Mr. Silver, a consultant for
numerous documentaries and films related to boxing, is a former
Inspector with the New York State Athletic Commission and guest curator
of Sting Like a Maccabee: The Golden Age of the American Jewish Boxer.
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Robert
Strauss
| In this corner
Philadelphia
Inquirer, Thursday, December 30, 2004 -- "Sting
Like a Maccabee" - Maccabee, which means hammer in Hebrew, was
the name of an ancient tribe of Jewish warriors whose uprising against
their Syrian-Greek oppressors is celebrated in the festival of Hanukkah
- is the brainchild of museum executive director Gwen Goodman. She was
inspired by a photograph in the Forward, a weekly Jewish newspaper, of
a painting depicting Tendler with a Star of David sewn on his boxing
trunks.
Stan
Hochman | Exhibit packs a punch
Philadelphia Daily News, PA -
Friday, November
19, 2004
"These were the sons of immigrants,"
said Silver, a boxing historian
and journalist. "This (boxing) was a way to move up and out of the
ghetto. A preliminary boy in the `20s could earn more in a four-rounder
than his sweatshop-laboring father earned in a week."
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