In the movie “Airplane,” a passenger requesting some “light reading” is immediately presented with a book titled “Jewish Sports Legends.”
Bay Area native frank winston can see the humor there, but he isn’t laughing to beat the band.
He helped form the Northern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, and now he’s turning matters over to the community at large in determining who should make the cut in the hall’s inaugural class.
“I think it’s something that encompasses all the Jewish agencies. Many of them are devoted to teaching, Israel, benevolence societies or religious institutions. But ours, we encompass them all. We have an interest in not just Jews as a culture, but as a people,” said winston, the hall’s “commissioner” and a former lawyer and law professor who once counted heavyweight champion George Foreman as a client.
A former president of the American Jewish Congress and B’nai B’rith, winston, incidentally, prefers not to use any capital letters in his name.
“Also, it’s particularly important for kids to recognize that it’s OK to be involved in sports,” he continued. “The emphasis for [Jewish] families has always been in education. And that’s great, we’re not trying to demean that. But you can be involved in sports and still be all the other things you want to be.”
Jack Anderson, the hall’s deputy commissioner, laughs when he notes that everyone thinks their “cousin Irving” is hall-worthy. He encourages community members to brainstorm and nominate “well-recognized, high-profile athletes who happen to be Jewish.”
For the record, there are 15 other Jewish Sports Halls of Fame across the nation, and an international hall in Israel. But, other than the Southern California hall, the newly formed Northern California hall is the only one west of St. Louis.
“It’s never been done here before,” chimes in hall board member Harry Gluckman.
“There are a number of them around the country and we have more than our quota of top-notch Jewish athletes. So, why not?”
In addition to trolling for community participation, the hall has also planned its first public event, a May 19 speech by sports agent Leigh Steinberg at Peninsula Temple Sholom in Burlingame. Tickets are $18 in advance or $25 at the door.
Board members eagerly anticipate the crackling debates that accompany any sports ranking system, but note that it can’t happen without community input.
“There are many, many Jewish athletes who deserve recognition. And other ethnic groups have always been proud of their heritage,” said Anderson, a former teacher, talk-show host and collegiate fencing champion.
“We have so many worthy people who are athletes and people might not even know that they’re Jewish,” he added.
Those interested in the May 19 Steinberg event can contact winston at [email protected] or (650) 738-9400. He can also be contacted by community members interested in obtaining a form and making nominations to the hall.