Rabbi Michael Siegel and Rabbi Stephen Weiss, the spiritual leaders at synagogues in Chicago and the Cleveland area, respectively, have placed a friendly wager on the World Series.
The rabbi in the losing city will travel to the synagogue in the winning city to engage in a debate on the Jewish significance of baseball.
The Cleveland Indians defeated the Chicago Cubs 6-0 in Game 1 in Cleveland on Oct. 25, and as of press time held a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 2 was scheduled for Oct. 26.
Siegel is the rabbi at Anshe Emet Synagogue in Chicago and Weiss is the rabbi at B’nai Jeshurun Congregation in Pepper Pike, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb. Both are Conservative congregations.
“We’re just looking for a way to have a little bit of fun with the World Series and to connect our congregations and engage our people in a little Jewish learning at the same time,” Weiss told the Cleveland Jewish News.
Weiss and Siegel are longtime friends who have been involved in projects together through the Rabbinical Assembly and United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, according to the newspaper. — jta