National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum facts for kids
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| Formation | March 21, 1993 |
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| Type | Hall of Fame |
| Headquarters | Commack, New York |
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Region served
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United States |
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Chairperson
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Jason Bartow |
The National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is a special place in Commack, New York. It celebrates amazing American Jewish athletes and sports figures. This museum honors people who have achieved great things in sports.
The main goal of the Hall of Fame is to help people connect with their Jewish identity through sports. It also remembers sports heroes from a group not always known for athletics. The museum is located at the Suffolk Jewish Community Center.
Contents
Honoring Sports Heroes
The Hall of Fame recognizes people from many different sports. These include popular games like American football, baseball, and basketball. It also includes sports like fencing, gymnastics, swimming, and wrestling.
Beyond athletes, the Hall also honors people who write about sports. This includes authors, broadcasters, and newspaper writers. They all helped share the stories of these incredible athletes.
Inducted Members
Being "inducted" into the Hall of Fame means you are officially recognized for your achievements. Many famous athletes have joined this special group. Here are some of the people who have been honored:
| Name | Induction Year | Sport | Notes |
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| Sandy Koufax | 1993 | Baseball | A legendary baseball pitcher |
| Red Holzman | 1993 | Basketball | A famous basketball coach |
| Marv Albert | 1993 | Broadcasting | A well-known sports announcer |
| Hank Greenberg | 1995 | Baseball | A powerful baseball player |
| Sid Luckman | 1995 | Football | A star football quarterback |
| Red Auerbach | 1996 | Basketball | A very successful basketball coach |
| Barney Ross | 1997 | Boxing | A champion boxer |
| Al Rosen | 1998 | Baseball | An All-Star baseball player |
| Ken Holtzman | 1999 | Baseball | A baseball pitcher who threw two no-hitters |
| Anthony Ervin | 2001 | Swimming | An Olympic gold medalist swimmer |
| Deena Kastor | 2001 | Track and Field | An Olympic medalist in marathon running |
| Jason Lezak | 2001 | Swimming | An Olympic gold medalist swimmer |
| Sage Rosenfels | 2001 | Football | A professional football quarterback |
| Sarah Hughes | 2003 | Figure Skating | An Olympic gold medalist in figure skating |
| Brad Ausmus | 2004 | Baseball | An All-Star and Gold Glove catcher |
| Shawn Green | 2005 | Baseball | A powerful baseball hitter |
| Mark Spitz | 2007 | Swimming | A legendary Olympic swimmer with many gold medals |
| Kerri Strug | 2008 | Gymnastics | An Olympic gold medalist gymnast |
| Lenny Krayzelburg | 2008 | Swimming | An Olympic gold medalist swimmer |
| Dara Torres | 2009 | Swimming | An Olympic medalist swimmer |
| Bill Goldberg | 2010 | Wrestling | A famous professional wrestler |
| Aly Raisman | 2013 | Gymnastics | An Olympic gold medalist gymnast |
| Maxwell Jacob Friedman | 2023 | Professional Wrestling | A well-known professional wrestler |
Munich Eleven
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2023 | Olympics | Victims of the Munich Massacre |
| Mathieu Schneider | 2024 | Ice Hockey | A professional ice hockey player |
| Kenny Albert | 2025 | Broadcasting | A well-known sports announcer |
Special Awards
The Hall of Fame also gives out special awards to recognize outstanding achievements. These awards celebrate different kinds of contributions to sports.
The Marty Glickman Outstanding Jewish Scholastic Athlete of the Year
This award honors the best Jewish college athletes each year. It is named after Marty Glickman, a famous broadcaster. Many talented young athletes have received this award.
Some past winners include Yael Averbuch (soccer), Cliff Bayer (fencing), Jay Fiedler (football), Sada Jacobson (fencing), Jon Scheyer (basketball), and Gabe Carimi (football). In 2025, Vassar College basketball player Tova Gelb won the award.
The Jules D. & Pearl D. Mazor Awards for High School Scholar Athletes
This award celebrates outstanding Jewish high school students who excel in both sports and academics. It recognizes young people who are great students and great athletes.
Winners have included Adam Balkan (baseball), Rachel Blume (softball), Emily Jacobson (fencing), and Jon Scheyer (basketball).
The Dick Steinberg Good Guy Award
This award is given to people who show great sportsmanship and character. It honors those who are known for being helpful and kind in the sports world.
Recipients include Andy Bloom (shot put), Jay Fiedler (football), Nicole Freedman (bicycling), and Boyd Melson (boxer and humanitarian).
The George Young Award
The George Young Award is given to someone who shows the same high ideals as George Young. George Young was a respected football executive. This award can go to Jewish or non-Jewish individuals.
Past winners include Ernie Accorsi (football), Lou Carnesecca (basketball), and James Metzger (lacrosse).
Advisory Committee
A group of experienced people helps guide the Hall of Fame. This group is called the advisory committee. Some members have included Marty Appel, Len Berman, Howard David, Ernie Grunfeld, and Paul Zimmerman.
See also
- International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
- Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
Images for kids
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Brad Ausmus, All Star and Gold Glove catcher
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Barney Ross
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Lennie Friedman
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Sage Rosenfels
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Eric Nystrom
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Yael Averbuch
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Jason Lezak
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Deena Kastor
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Gabe Carimi
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Jon Scheyer
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