Jewish Athletes at the 2024 Olympics — Alan Mashensky
This story was written by Alan Mashensky, the president of NYU’s Jewish Athletes Alliance.
The 2024 Olympic Games are underway as athletes from all over the world are competing under the brightest lights and biggest stage. We are lucky to have witnessed some incredible feats. How about Kate Ledecky and her incredible performance to capture the title of most gold medals in female swimming history. What about Simone Biles and her incredible 4 medal run, securing first in 3 different Gymnastics events. An honorable mention goes out to all the participants in the triathlon event as they had to swim in the Seine river; Incredible. With all these great moments and triumphs of victory, I began to think about the hundreds of athletes whose name I will never know. Growing up playing at my local JCC, participating in the Maccabi games, and influenced by famous Jewish athletes like Amar’e Stoudemire (2004 Olympic Games) and Lenny Krayzelburg (2000/2004 Olympic Games), I began to look for some participants in this year’s games outside of Israel’s team.
Here’s what I found:
Australia
Jessica Fox — Canoeing, from New South Wales
Noemie Fox — Canoeing, from New South Wales
Jemima Montag — Racewalking, from Melbourne
Josh Katz — Judo
Jess Weintraub — Rhythmic Gymnastics
Alexandra Kiroi-Bogatyreva — Rhythmic Gymnastics
Sienna Green — Water Polo
Canada
Sam Schacter — Beach Volleyball
Shaul Gordon — Fencing, from Tel Aviv (Israeli-Canadian)
New Zealand
Jo Aleh — Sailing
Ukraine
Elina Svitolina — Tennis
USA
Eli Dershwitz — Fencing
Nick Itkin — Fencing
Mitchell Saron — Fencing
Maia Weintraub — Fencing
Jackie Dubrovich — Fencing
Elizabeth Tartakovsky — Fencing
Claire Weinstein — Swimming
Jesse Grupper — Rock Climbing
Sarah Levy — Rugby
Amit Elor — Wrestling
Ada Korkhin — Pistol Shooting
Sam Mattis — Discus Throw
Taylor Fritz — Tennis
With the Olympic Games coming to a close in the next couple of days, it has been inspiring to watch these athletes compete on such a prestigious platform. Their dedication and achievements continue the legacy of Jewish participation in the Olympics. As we celebrate their successes, let’s recognize the hard work and determination that brought them to this stage, setting an example for future generations to come.
