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Every Jewish baseball fan knows that Sandy Koufax prioritized his faith over the World Series. In 1965, he passed up the opportunity to pitch Game 1 for the Los Angeles Dodgers because it coincided with Yom Kippur.    

If Sacramento State University catcher Elie Kligman ever reaches the major leagues, his religious conflicts will number much higher. Kligman, who is Orthodox, observes Shabbat and does not play for about 25 hours starting at sunset each Friday. 

In the meantime, Kligman has found his college baseball program to be particularly accommodating to his needs as an observant Jew. Even though college baseball teams typically play games on Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons, the Sacramento State Hornets try to avoid playing home games during Shabbat. The team schedules Friday games to take place before Shabbat when possible, according to Marc Kligman, Elie’s dad, and the team tries to schedule Saturday games to begin during the evening.

On the road, the team has less control over its schedule. Kligman has stayed in the hotel during Friday evening and Saturday games but has shown up to a Saturday game late once Shabbat has ended. Thursdays and Sundays are dedicated to travel, so there’s been no issue with that.

“Overall it’s been a really positive experience,” Kligman told J. “I hope that they’re happy to have me on the field, and that’s why they’re making sacrifices.” 

Kligman, by the way, has a legitimate chance to play in the majors one day. 

In 2021, the Washington Nationals selected him in the 20th round of the draft out of Cimarron Memorial High School in Las Vegas. Kligman became only the second observant Jew ever drafted into Major League Baseball, JTA reported in 2021. Instead of turning pro right away, though, he decided to attend Wake Forest University. 

After one year at Wake Forest he transferred to Fullerton College in Southern California, where he played the 2023 season. He then transferred to Sacramento State, where he appeared in 36 games in the 2024 season this past spring. 

Starting this season, 21-year-old Kligman will no longer be the only observant Jew — nor the only Kligman — on the Hornets. 

His younger brother, Ari Kligman, has joined him on the Hornets. Ari, who is just 20 months younger than Elie, is a powerful right-handed pitcher, who said Sac State appealed to him in part because it’s been so accommodating to his brother.

The elder Kligman made 30 starts for the Hornets during last season, 23 as catcher and seven as the designated hitter. Kligman is a switch-hitter, meaning he can bat both right-handed and left-handed. He batted .292 last season and hit two home runs.

“I know there are a lot of Jewish kids who look up to me and my brother,” Ari said.

In addition to assisting with Shabbat observance, the Hornets helped out Elie Kligman this past spring by obtaining kosher food when the team was on the road. Kligman or his father would tell staff members about a kosher restaurant in the area or connect them with a local rabbi who could hand off meals.

“That was part of their pitch when they were recruiting me,” Kligman said of the accommodations Sac State has made. “I’m very grateful that they were able to do this.”

Kligman’s teammates’ interest in his Jewish identity has gone beyond just asking questions, though. After the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre in Israel, Kligman began wearing an Israeli arm sleeve during fall practices. He said some of his teammates found it cool and wanted to wear one too. 

“One, it was a pretty good looking sleeve, and two, they were showing support for me in light of what was happening in the world,” he said.

The center fielder, who started wearing the sleeve during the fall, excelled. Like many baseball players tend to be, he’s superstitious and decided to stick with the accessory during the spring season. 

Ari played his first two seasons of college baseball at junior colleges. He will be on the Hornets this season but his role will be determined by how he performs this fall. Nonetheless, his decision to join Sac State was an easy one.

“It was a good opportunity to play with my brother, and they’re cool with our Judaism practices which are all set up,” Ari said. “It was a no-brainer.”

They will also each have someone to observe Shabbat with, especially during away games. 

“It’s probably going to be a good thing to have another guy going through what I go through,” Elie said.

On top of all that, the brothers will become batterymates for the first time — and the only known Orthodox Jewish batterymates in Division I college baseball. (A “battery” in baseball refers to a pitcher-catcher duo). When the brothers overlapped as teammates in high school, Elie did not play catcher.   

“Not a lot of brothers get to do it,” Ari said. “It would be pretty special.”

This spring the elder Kligman will play his fourth season of college baseball and his second with Sac State. It will be an important season for his development. If he performs well enough to get drafted, this time he will sign a contract and finally become a professional baseball player.

“After four years of college,” he said, “I’m much more prepared to be successful in professional baseball than I was when I was 18 years old.”

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