The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how Jews have withstood anti-semitism through sport in America. I look at the history of Jews in sports starting from the German immigrants in the 1850s, then going to the Eastern European Jewish immigrants in the 1890s, and the dominance of Jews in boxing until WWII. I then highlight the machinations that led to a decrease in anti-semitism and a shift of Jews to the suburbs after WWII. I follow that with athletes who were rallying points for Jews against anti-semitism. Finally, I finish out with a description of the current state of affairs, and how I am tied to this topic. To accomplish this goal, I mainly focus on various jewish athletes as case studies over the course of my chronology using autobiographies, and articles that contain quotes, with background information from general history books and interviews that highlight how the wider Jewish community responded to these athletes. Overall, I found that Jews were successful in utilizing sports to improve their image in America, and to iconize a few Jewish athletes to be rallying points for the community. They were able to combat the anti-semitic stereotypes that Jews weren't manly through physicality. Then after WWII and the tri-faith consensus, Jewish athletes were able to act as rallying points of faith for their community. This research takes a concept that is subconsciously understood by most Jews and compiles its history into one cohesive story that helps in understanding how that concept developed over time. This thesis can be updated in the future as more Jewish athletes take up the mantle to fight against anti-semitism, and become beacons for their people.
"},{"label":"Degree","value":["Bachelor of Arts with Departmental Honors"]},{"label":"Author-supplied Keywords","value":["American Jews","Sports","Anti-Semitism"]},{"label":"Administrative Note","value":"Drupal Node ID: 33874