Baseballs Basketballs and Matzah Balls

Baseballs Basketballs and Matzah Balls offers a sweeping exploration of sports: of contests and heroes of triumph and adversity and how they relate to the festivals that Jews have celebrated for thousands of years. Among the chapters: Remembering Simpler Times: What central message of Sukkot is enthusiastically espoused by winning college coaches? Kindling the Light of Confidence: What Hanukkah teaches us about the kind of confidence that builds champions? A Purim Perspective on Competitive Anger: Why so many athletes lose their cool just like the villainous Haman did becoming their own worst enemies? Coach K and the Meaning of Passover: How Mike Krzyzewski's success explains the Exodus? A compelling entertaining illuminating work that will stir the hearts and intellect of Jews and non-Jews alike. - Seth Davis Sports Illustrated/CBS Sports Rabbi Mitch Smith has written a book that gives all sports fans occasion to think about the meaning of sacrifice teamwork leadership and other virtues in a different light. - Bud Selig Commissioner Major League Baseball This book is a great read! It offers all of us a roadmap to becoming more fulfilled human beings - Lenny Krayzelburg 4-time Olympic Gold Medalist Informative insightful inspirational... Mitch Smith scores on every level with this tonic for the soul. - Tim Green former defensive end Atlanta Falcons Fox Sports NFL analyst A MUST-READ! Mitch Smith brings age-old texts to life and conveys how concepts like team work resilience and refusing to succumb to defeat -- mainstays in sports -- not only allowed the Jewish people to weather history's storms but to constantly engage in self-renewal. To paraphrase the old Levy's Rye Bread ad you don't have to be Jewish to love this book. - Dr. Richard Lapchick Director Institute for Diversityand Ethics in Sport