Emancipation through Muscles: Jews and Sports in Europe

by Michael Brenner (Editor), Gideon Reuveni (Editor)

Although the study of Jewish identity has generated a growing body of work, the topic of sport has received scant attention in Jewish historiography. Emancipation through Muscles redresses this balance by analyzing the pertinence of sports to such issues as race, ethnicity, and gender in Jewish history and by examining the role of modern sport within European Jewry. The accomplishments of Jews in the intellectual arena and their notable presence among Nobel Prize recipients have often overshadowed their achievements in sports. The pursuit of sports among Jews in Europe was never a marginal phenomenon, however. In the first third of the twentieth century numerous Jewish sport organizations were founded throughout Europe, and prowess in the realm called “muscle Jewry” by the Zionists was a symbol of widespread pride among European Jews. Some Jewish teams were remarkably the legendary Austrian soccer champion Hakoah Vienna was arguably the most visible Jewish presence in interwar Vienna, and many readers will be surprised to learn that outstanding soccer teams such as Ajax Amsterdam and Tottenham Hotspur are still considered “Jewish teams.” The contributors to this volume, an international group of scholars from a variety of fields, explore the diverse relationships between Jews and modern sports in Europe.

Genres: Judaism

278 pages, Hardcover

First published January 3, 2006

Reviews

[busyreadingwithASD⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 out of 5 stars

Muscular Judaism was a term coined by Max Nordau in 1898 (in Basel, which I believe is now Switzerland). It follows that genocide, pogroms, and terror against Jews was not nearing any sort of end, and so a widespread Jewish athletic training and muscle building had to occur in order to defend oneself against antisemitic attacks. While the movement first rallied Jewish men, it opened up to Jewish women as well. Not only did Jewish men and Jewish women organize sports and athletic training for themselves in gymnasiums, but it also built confidence among Jewish youth -- essentially, that they were capable of fighting terror that they were experiencing everyday and night.

This book not only does a great job at explaining the origins of "Muscular Judaism", but it also introduces us to Jewish athletes that remain unnoticed, despite their immense talent and success. It is by no means a "happy" book; for example, the wonderful story of the all Jewish soccer team, Hakoah Vienna of the 1930s (fun fact: worldwide, countries were afraid to play them in soccer because they played so differently and successfully) does not end with a victory. Most of the players were sent to Auschwitz and gassed, thus resulting in an end to Jewish soccer.

It is a great book for understanding just how nuanced Zionism, the right to Jewish self-determination, really is and how Jewish history is full of grasping at any means for survival.