Review: Nicole Kidman commands the erotic office drama ‘Babygirl’From the baseball diamond to the soccer pitch, from Vancouver to Paris, 2024 was a historic year for Jews in sports. Jewish athletes distinguished themselves across events, venues and tiers of competition — from the Olympics to the major leagues to college ball. This year also saw notable sports moments off the field, be they in the front office or during the commercial breaks. Some of the year’s top moments featured familiar stars in the Jewish sports world, like ace pitcher Max Fried, Olympian Jessica Fox and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Fans also met some up-and-coming Jewish athletes, like college football player Sam Salz, or watched familiar faces like BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff and USC basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb reach new heights. Here are our top Jewish sports moments of 2024, presented chronologically — including two on the same day! The fight against antisemitism gets the spotlight in a Super Bowl ad As more than 100 million people tuned in to watch Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11, they saw what is believed to be the first-ever Super Bowl ad focused on antisemitism. The New England Patriots weren’t in the big game, but their owner, Robert Kraft, paid an estimated $7 million for the 30-second spot by his charity, the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism. The ad featured Clarence B. Jones, the former lawyer and advisor to Martin Luther King Jr. who drafted King’s famous 1963 “I Have A Dream” speech. It drew mixed reviews. The ad was one of a series by FCAS, which is known for its “#StandUpToJewishHate” campaign, that sought to promote the fight against antisemitism by connecting it to other forms of discrimination. The group placed a number of TV ads during popular televised events this year, including one spot depicting a real-life synagogue bomb threat, which aired during the Oscars. Another, about antisemitism at campus protests, aired during the NBA playoffs. And a recent ad calling for a “timeout against hate” featured sports icons including Shaquille O’Neal and Billie Jean King. Jessica Fox, with two more golds, steals the show in Paris Jewish and Israeli athletes won a slew of medals in Paris this summer — 18 at the Olympics and 13 more at the Paralympics. Jews took home medals in rugby, fencing, track, swimming and numerous other competitions, while Israel returned to Olympic soccer for the first time since 1976. One of the brightest Jewish stars of the Games was Australian paddling legend Jessica Fox, who won two gold medals in three days, bringing her career total to six, half of them golds. She won gold in both the canoe single and the kayak slalom. Fox is the most decorated Olympic canoe slalom competitor ever, and the only Australian Olympian in history with six individual medals. She had served as one of Australia’s flag bearers at the Paris opening ceremony. And the magic didn’t stop there. Fox’s younger sister, Noemie Fox, earned a gold medal of her own in the inaugural kayak cross event. The win put the Fox sisters in rare company among Jewish siblings to medal at the same Olympics. Amit Elor wrestles her way to Olympic history A Jewish Olympian dominated on the wrestling mat as well as the water: Amit Elor, a California native with Israeli parents, entered Paris as the youngest U.S. Olympic wrestler in history, and left as its youngest medalist in the sport. Elor, an eight-time world champion, made quick work of her opponents, extending her undefeated streak of five years with a gold medal win. Elor, the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors who moved to Israel, experienced both online antisemitism and the sudden deaths of both her father and a brother during the years when she broke into the elite ranks of U.S. women’s wrestling. She wrestles at the 68-kilogram weight class and in October 2023 became the youngest American wrestler — male or female — ever to win a senior world title. After her win, Elor spoke out against antisemitism — something she had largely avoided in the lead-up to Paris. “Eighty years ago my grandparents survived the Holocaust, but antisemitism is still all around us,” Elor said in a video posted on social media. The clip showed a comment directed against her saying “you belong in the gas chamber.” 3 Jewish players appear in one MLB at-bat Pitcher Max Lazar’s first career strikeout on Aug. 10 was special for more than one reason. Lazar, a Jewish Philadelphia Phillies rookie, was pitching to Jewish catcher Garrett Stubbs and struck out Diamondbacks designated hitter Joc Pederson, who is also Jewish. The moment marked a rare trifecta — in which the pitcher, catcher and batter were all Jewish. (Stubbs and Pederson both played for Team Israel at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.) According to the Jewish Baseball Museum, it was only the third instance of a Jewish pitcher-catcher-batter combination in MLB’s more than 100-year history. And Stubbs and Lazar made up only the eighth-ever Jewish pitcher-catcher pairing, known as a battery. It wasn’t Stubbs’ first historic moment of the season. In July, with the Phillies trailing the Oakland Athletics, Stubbs took the mound, faced fellow Team Israel alum Zack Gelof — and gave up a grand slam. It was the first-ever grand slam hit by a Jewish batter off a Jewish pitcher. USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb notches her 300th career basketball win University of Southern California women’s basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb has established herself as one of the sport’s best. Gottlieb, who in 2019 became the first women’s collegiate head coach to join an NBA staff, led USC to the No. 1 seed in the NCAA March Madness tournament this year after winning the Pac-12 Conference’s last-ever women’s championship (the conference since dissolved). USC made it to the Elite Eight in the Big Dance before losing to the University of Connecticut. In April, Gottlieb signed a contract extension with USC that will keep her at the helm through the 2029-2030 season. And this season, USC is off to another strong start, now in the Big Ten. On Nov. 12, Gottlieb reached another milestone: her 300th career coaching win, a 124-39 rout over Cal State Northridge. The victory set USC records for points scored in a single game and widest margin of victory. Gottlieb is a member of the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame of Northern California. Following WNBA legend Sue Bird’s retirement in 2022, some fans turned to Gottlieb as the new face of Jewish basketball. “I wondered if there would be someone to assume [Bird’s] place as basketball’s Jewish role model,” Sophie Bravo wrote for JTA’s partner site Hey Alma in April. “Lindsay seems to have stepped into the role seamlessly, balancing success, humility and determination, using her actions to guide and inspire.” Sam Salz blazes a trail for Orthodox Division I athletes Speaking of Jewish firsts, Texas A&M’s Sam Salz became likely the first-ever Orthodox Jew to appear in a Division I college football game when he took the field Nov. 16 with the Aggies. Salz’s debut marked the culmination of a years-long journey, one that took him from Kohelet Yeshiva High School — a Modern Orthodox school in Philadelphia with roughly 100 students and no football team — to a legendary college football program that peaked at No. 15 in the national rankings this season and plays in the vaunted Southeastern Conference. Salz, who had never played a snap of organized football in his life, let alone DI college ball, had walked onto the team in 2022 but had yet to appear in a game — in part because most college football games take place on Shabbat, when Salz doesn’t play. But on the school’s senior night, with 42 seconds left in the game, he heard his name called and ran out on the gridiron. “There’s probably a Jewish kid, and maybe even especially an Orthodox kid, who wants to play football, or wants to play sports, and is sitting somewhere confused about what he should do, or who’s told that he’ll never be able to do it,” Salz said in an interview. “Even getting to see me run down on that field, successful play or not, could have given him all the hope that he wanted.” Jake Retzlaff enjoys a breakout season — and celebrates with some matzah It sounds almost like the opening of a comedy routine: A proudly Jewish player at the flagship university of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints becomes a household name for college football fans. But it’s no joke. For Brigham Young University quarterback Jake Retzlaff, this was a breakout season. Retzlaff goes by “BY-Jew” and made national headlines both for his on-field play and for how he publicly embraced his Jewish identity. Retzlaff, who grew up attending a Reform synagogue in Pomona, California, is BYU’s first Jewish starting quarterback and one of only three Jewish students at the Utah school. He threw 20 touchdowns this season as he led BYU to a 10-2 record in the Big-12 Conference and a top-25 national ranking — peaking at No. 9 on Nov. 5, a program record. And earlier this month, Retzlaff inked a sponsorship deal with Manischewitz, the Jewish food company’s first-ever sports deal. The package is set to include special-edition boxes of Manischewitz matzah emblazoned with Retzlaff’s likeness. Max Fried signs the largest contract in Jewish baseball history Retzlaff isn’t the only Jewish athlete with a landmark deal. Pitcher Max Fried entered the MLB offseason as one of the most coveted free agents on the market. And on Dec. 10, he got his payday. Fried signed an eight-year, $218 million contract with the New York Yankees, the largest contract ever for a Jewish player as well as for a left-handed pitcher (topping David Price’s 2015 deal by $1 million in raw terms). Fried, who turns 31 in January, has a 3.07 ERA in 151 career starts, all with the Atlanta Braves, and is a two-time All-Star, a three-time Gold Glove winner, a Silver Slugger winner and a 2021 World Series champion. In 2024, Fried posted an 11-10 record with a 3.25 ERA and 166 strikeouts in 174.1 innings. Now, the Los Angeles native, who grew up worshipping Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax, will likely spend the rest of his career playing in the city with the most Jews in the world. Fried joins fellow Jewish pitcher Scott Effross, who was traded to the Yankees in 2022 but missed all of 2023 and most of 2024 with multiple injuries. Jewish Yankees pitching prospect Eric Reyzelman is working his way through the minor leagues. Brad Ausmus, the team’s bench coach, is also Jewish. Aerin Frankel and Quinn Hughes headline a banner year for Jewish hockey On the same day Fried signed his massive deal with the Yankees, the Vancouver Canucks became the first team in NHL history to feature three Jewish players in the same game. Defensemen Quinn Hughes and Mark Friedman and forward Max Sasson all played for the Canucks as they lost to the St. Louis Blues 4-3 in overtime. The Jewish hat trick capped a banner year for Jews in hockey. Jews featured prominently in the inaugural season of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, which dropped the puck on New Year’s Day, led by Boston Fleet goalie Aerin Frankel, who is arguably the best Jewish player in the league. Frankel posted a .929 save percentage in 18 games last season, but her breakout came in the playoffs, when the Northeastern alum saved over 95% of shots and earned the moniker “Green Monster” — an homage to another formidable Boston sports presence — for her clutch performances. Boston lost to Minnesota in the finals in May despite Frankel’s brick wall. In the NHL, Edmonton Oilers star Zach Hyman put on a career performance last season, tallying 54 goals, the third-most in the NHL, plus 16 more in the playoffs. And Hughes finished with 75 assists, the third-most in the league, and won the James Norris Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the NHL’s best defender. During the offseason this summer, Ryan Warsofsky became the first Jewish NHL head coach in three decades, University of Denver star Zeev Buium was selected 12th overall in the NHL Entry Draft and Jack, Luke and Quinn Hughes became the first brothers to grace the cover of the flagship NHL video game. Israeli Yaniv Bazini leads UVM to its first-ever NCAA soccer championship Before this month, the University of Vermont had won six national championships in the school’s history — all in skiing. On Dec. 16, the Catamounts captured the NCAA Division I soccer championship, thanks in large part to Israeli star Yaniv Bazini. Bazini, a senior from Ness Ziona in central Israel, joined UVM in 2022 and became an anchor of Vermont’s offense. This season, Bazini led the team with 14 goals — including six scored in postseason games — which is the second-most in a single season in program history. His 30 points were third-best in the UVM record books. Beyond his offensive prowess, Bazini was also known for his proud embrace of his Israeli and Jewish identity. Last October, Bazini draped himself in an Israeli flag after scoring his first goal following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. He brought the flag back out to celebrate the national title. Bazini told JTA he cherishes the opportunity to represent Jews on the pitch — which he hopes to do professionally, either in the MLS or abroad. “It means everything,” he said. “I got so many messages in the past couple days of kids that are impacted, and not only my soccer, but how I show that I’m Jewish and not afraid of it. By doing ‘Shema Yisrael’ at every beginning of the game or halftime, or every time I score, every time to thank God.” Honorable mentions Here are a few other Jewish sports stories from the past year that are worth noting: Assaf Lowengart made history as the first Israeli-born position player to sign a professional baseball contract in the U.S. when he joined the Frontier League’s New York Boulders in February. Hapoel Jerusalem honored slain hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whom they called “our friend in the stands.” Orthodox MLB prospect Jacob Steinmetz continued his ascent through the minor leagues, joining the Hillsboro Hops, the Arizona Diamondbacks’ High-A affiliate. MLB veteran Kevin Pillar enjoyed a late-career resurgence with the Los Angeles Angels — and embraced his role as a Jewish ballplayer. Team Israel launched an American organization to strengthen its national team pipeline and support baseball’s growth in Israel. Náutico Hacoaj became the first Jewish soccer club to compete in Argentina’s Amateur Promotional Tournament since 1967. Israeli fencer Yuval Freilich won a gold medal at the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix on Jan. 31, while wearing a uniform with an Israeli flag and the message “Am Israel Chai,” Hebrew for “the people of Israel lives,” written on his shoulder. Qatar, which does not have diplomatic ties with Israel, has played home to Hamas’ leadership. And last but not least, Jewish wrestling promoter Paul Heyman and boxing publicist Fred Sternburg were each inducted into their sport’s respective halls of fame. And the Jewish world mourned the deaths of Ken Holtzman , the winningest Jewish pitcher in MLB history, and Hall of Fame jockey Walter Blum , who rode to victory in the Belmont Stakes. For more content, go to jta.org.
South Sudan's President Salva Kiir held an urgent meeting of top security brass on Friday after a shootout at the home of powerful former spy chief Akol Koor, who was sacked almost two months ago amid rumours of a coup plot. Gunfire erupted on Thursday evening in the capital Juba, sparking concerns about the stability of the world's youngest country that is already plagued by power struggles, ethnic infighting and a deep economic malaise. The shooting around the home of Koor, who was fired by Kiir in early October and placed under house arrest, caused panic among local residents before it was contained after about an hour. Following the meeting, South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF) spokesman Lul Ruai Koang said the incident took place after a "misunderstanding" between security forces attempting to relocate the ex-head of the National Security Services. Koang said Koor had now agreed to the relocation "with his dear wife, one bodyguard, and a cook" elsewhere in the city. He would be provided with additional army protection at his new residence, but Koang emphasised he was not under "their (army) detention." He said four people, two civilians and two soldiers, had been killed during the confrontation. The meeting convened by Kiir included the heads of defence, police, national security and military intelligence. A source in the presidency press unit said Koor was also present. The Sudans Post newspaper quoted a security official as saying the meeting had "resolved all outstanding tensions" and that the spy chief and his family "have been assured of their safety". In an alert to its staff on the ground on Thursday, the United Nations in South Sudan had said the shooting was linked to the arrest of the former spymaster and advised people to take cover. Koang told AFP that Koor "remains at his house", and denied claims circulating on social media that he had fled to the UN compound in Juba. There was a heavy deployment of military forces around his home in the Thongpiny district, an AFP correspondent said, but traffic has resumed and people were going about their daily business. Police spokesman John Kassara said the situation was now calm but that Thongpiny remained sealed off and residents "should remain vigilant". Koor became head of the feared National Security Services (NSS) after South Sudan's independence in 2011 but was sacked in October leading to widespread speculation he had been planning to overthrow Kiir. After his dismissal from the NSS, Koor was appointed governor of Warrap State, Kiir's home state, but this was abruptly revoked by the president before he took the oath of office. Koang said there had been a "misunderstanding" between two security services forces present at Koor's residence when a third unit arrived for the relocation. "That was the start of the armed confrontation that you heard," he said. Four people, two servicemen and two civilians, were killed in the incident, he said, and two civilians were wounded. Koor's sacking came just two weeks after Kiir again postponed by two years, to December 2026, the first elections in the nation's history. The delay has exasperated the international community, which has been pressing the country's leaders to complete a transitional process, including unifying rival armed forces and drawing up a constitution. The NSS was at the centre of controversy in July when parliament approved amendments to legislation allowing the agency to continue to arrest -- without a warrant -- anyone accused of offences against the state, raising alarm among rights groups and South Sudan's international partners. The country has struggled to recover from a brutal civil war between forces loyal to Kiir and his now deputy Riek Machar from 2013 to 2018 that killed about 400,000 people and drove millions from their homes. It remains one of the poorest and most corrupt countries on the planet and continues to be plagued by chronic instability and climate disasters.Indiana high school girls basketball scores | Saturday, Nov. 23
Growing up in North Dallas, my childhood holidays were a delightful fusion of faiths and traditions. My stepdad Michael, who’s been in my life since I was seven, brought his Jewish heritage into our Christmas-decked home with grace and humor. Each December, his "Hanukkah corner" stood proudly in our house, surrounded by twinkling Christmas lights, stockings, and a big Christmas tree with tons of ornaments. One year, when Christmas and Hanukkah overlapped, we crafted him a custom “Christmukkah” yarmulke. We took a real yarmulke and covered it with red felt and a fluffy white pom-pom topper. He just laughed heartily and wore it with a twinkle in his eye that rivaled the menorah candles. Thanks to him, I learned to spin the dreidel and even memorized snippets of the Hebrew blessings sung while lighting the menorah. Michael, with his steady and supportive presence, took on the role of our Christmas Eve chauffeur, delivering us right to the church door and waiting to bring us home. One of my most cherished memories with Michael is visiting the Museum of Biblical Art in Dallas a decade ago. Seeing it through his Jewish perspective revealed layers of meaning I’d never considered. It deepened my appreciation for how our beliefs are woven together in ways that transcend labels. Through our discussions about faith, I’ve come to appreciate grace, understanding, and the shared journey of exploring spiritual truths. Michael is approaching 90 now, and I know our Christmukkahs together are limited. Yet, the lessons he’s given me about faith, family, and the beauty of blending traditions will always shine brightly in my heart.None
Indiana, Illinois senators win final approval of plan to improve air travel for disabled veterans
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Michigan Wolverines are bowl-eligible after blowing out the Northwestern Wildcats 50-6 on Senior Day. Northwestern opened the battle for the George Jewett Trophy by getting former Wolverines wide receiver A.J. Henning involved with a five-yard catch, but an Aamir Hall interception stalled it. Recommended Videos Quarterback Davis Warren led the men in maize down the field for a 10-play 53-yard touchdown by running back Kalel Mullings . It was his ninth touchdown of the season. #MichiganWolverines running back #KalelMullings caps of a 10-play 53-yard drive with his 9th touchdown of the season. 7-0 〽️. pic.twitter.com/yYIIfOYPU9 In what many pundits believe could be his last home game as a Michigan man, superstar tight end Colston set a record for most catches by a tight end (54) in a season on an 11-yard grab in the first quarter. The previous record was held by tight end Bennie Joppru (53) back in 2002 . Colston now sits alone atop the Michigan record books for most receptions in a season by a TE! pic.twitter.com/6u2lKlvwSd Defensive lineman Kenneth Grant got his first sack of the game on the Wildcats' second drive for minus three yards, leading to the first punt for either side. Warren led the Wolverines to a six-play, 10-yard drive as Wildcats defensive lineman Aidan Hubbard got a nine-yard sack, setting up kicker Dominic Zvada’s 56-yard field goal to take a 10-0 lead. Zvada (6-6) has joined some good company as he became the third kicker to make four field goals of at least 50 yards without a miss this season in between the National Football League and FBS, joining Florida State’s Ryan Fitzgerald (5-5) and Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates (4-4). Josaiah Stewart got his first sack of the game for minus eight yards leading to another punt by Northwestern which placed the Wolverines down at their three-yardline. Warren reverted to his old self as he tossed his first interception after being pulled from the starting lineup in week four. The errand throw was to Loveland, but it was about 10 feet over his head, placing the ball in the Wolverine’s territory. The Wolverines' defense bowed up and gave up a field goal. Michigan’s fourth possession of the game started with running back Donovan Edwards losing two yards on a first down run and a negative two yard pass for Michigan’s first punt. Bryce Kirtz caught a massive 38-yard catch down the right sideline to keep the momentum rolling as they entered the red zone. After hitting the long pass, Wildcats quarterback Jack Lausch threw an incomplete pass, which hit defensive back Zeke Berry in the nameplate in the endzone, leading to a field goal. With the Wolverines offense stalling in the second quarter, Northwestern kicked the ball out of bounds with 1:57 remaining before the half. With the clock ticking, Warren hit Edwards for an eight-yard pass. He then connected with wide receiver Fredrick Moore for six yards, and then he hit wide receiver Peyton O’Leary for another six-yard gain as the clock ticked under one minute. Edwards snagged a 10-yard catch and run before their sideline called a time-out with 47 seconds remaining. On third down and 10, Warren hit Moore once again on a scramble drill for 26 yards with 26 seconds remaining. Warren hit Loveland on an eight-yard dime, third down and two yards away from the endzone, with 12 seconds remaining on the game clock. Warren completed his first touchdown of the game to his favorite target, Loveland, to take a 17-6 lead. The drive covered 65 yards on 11 plays in 1:09. With the score, Loveland moved one step closer to breaking two more records for a tight end, as he needs 41 more yards to achieve the most yards in a season for a tight end wearing maize & blue. With one touchdown already in the books today, if he snags another touchdown, he’ll set that record as well for most by a tight end in a single season. After the touchdown grab, Loveland, who leads the team with 56 catches for 582 yards and three touchdowns did not return to the game after suffering an injury. Mullings opened the second half with three big runs, capping off a five-play 75-yard drive to take a 24-6 lead. He started the third quarter with a run-up of the gut for 13 yards. He then followed that up with a 47-yard run down the right sideline before getting pushed out of bounds. Mullings' third big run went for 10 yards and his second touchdown of the day. That touchdown was the first time all season that the Wolverines scored back-to-back times since their game against Arkansas. Stewart got his second sack of the day, this time for a minus 10 yards, forcing another punt for the Wildcats. The Wolverines' next possession all but put the game away as Mullings rushed for yet another touchdown to take a 31-6 lead. With that touchdown, it was the first time all season that the Wolverines scored 21 straight points. Reaching the 31-point mark was the first time the men in maize also achieved such success. Edge rusher TJ Guy got his first sack of the game in the third quarter for a four-yard loss. Defensive back Mason Curtis picked off Lausch on fourth down and 13 in the third quarter, which was the game’s second turnover. Edwards, who is the still the cover athlete of NCAA 25 got tackled from behind after a 24-yard run up the gut. He followed that up with another 20-yard run to the house to cap off a five-play, 58-yard drive to take a 38-6 lead. Zvada tacked on a 28-yard field goal to push the lead to 41-6. That was followed by a safety and a Tavierre Dunlap 20-yard touchdown run to hit the 50-point mark. It was the 77th meeting between the rival schools, and the men in maize improved to 60-15-2 all-time. They have now won eight consecutive and 35 of the last 39 games in the matchup. The Wolverines hold a 59-15-2 advantage in the all-time series and have won 34 of the last 38 games played between the two schools. Michigan is 37-6-2 against the Wildcats in games played in Ann Arbor and is 24-7 in games played in Evanston Northwestern. With a 6-5 record, the Wolverines will travel to Columbus in the matchup of The Game vs. the 11-1 Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, Nov. 30, inside the Horseshoe.