Like his fellow competitors on “American Ninja Warrior,” 25-year-old Akiva Neuman pushed himself to his physical limits — climbing, jumping and running through an intense obstacle course — in the hopes of making it to the national finals in Las Vegas.
But unlike the athletes who competed with him at the Philadelphia qualifiers, which will air Monday, June 27 on NBC, Neuman prepared by saying the Shema. He also wore tzitzit and a kippah throughout the competition, with supporters cheering,“rabbi, rabbi!”
Dubbed #ninjarabbi for the occasion, Neuman is an Orthodox Jew and rabbinical student at Yeshiva University who is also pursuing a master’s degree in taxation at St. John’s University.
As of press time, it was not known whether Neuman makes it to Vegas. — jta