When Boxing Was a Jewish Sport

A vivid portrayal of the important role of Jews in American boxing history, and vice versa.

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Boxing was an integral part of American culture during the first half of the twentieth century, second only to baseball in popularity. It was also a heavily Jewish sport—from 1910 to 1940, there were twenty-six Jewish world-champions, and during the 1920s and 1930s, almost one-third of all boxers were Jewish. Drawing on numerous interviews and first-person accounts of the boxers themselves, Allen Bodner offers a vivid portrayal of the important role of Jews in American boxing history, and vice versa. When Boxing Was a Jewish Sport is a must-read for fans of the sweet science, as well as anyone interested in the Jewish American and immigrant experience more generally.