Happy Hanukkah: The Top 25 Jewish Sports Figures of All Time

Happy Hanukkah, everybody! The Jewish Festival of Lights starts today, and in honor of the eight-day-long holiday, we're taking a look at the Hebrew community's impact on the sports world.

For being such a small percentage of the population, Jews have played an integral role in sports in the U.S. and abroad since sports became professionalized in the 1880s.

From baseball players to coaches and even fictional movie roles, Jews have been some of the most prominent figures in sports.

We're breaking down the 25 greatest Jewish sports figures of all time: athletes, coaches and broadcasters.

Honorable Mention: Goldberg the Goalie

The Mighty Ducks' reluctantly talented goalkeeper was most certainly a purveyor of the Torah. How do we know?

Goldberg: My mother is not gonna approve of this, Coach! She wants me to live to be bar mitzvah'd!
Gordon Bombay: This is your bar mitzvah, Goldberg. Today, you become a man.
Goldberg: No. I think you've got the ceremonies mixed up. This is more like a CIRCUMCISION.

The greatest, most clutch Jewish goalie in hockey history definitely deserves a spot on this list.

25. Ryan Braun

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ATLANTA - JULY 15: Ryan Braun #8 of the Milwaukee Brewers against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field on July 15, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Braun is easily the top modern Jewish baseball player.

The 27-year-old left fielder has amassed quite an impressive résumé in just three years in the majors, hitting .304 for his career with 128 home runs and 420 RBI. He's stolen 63 bases, and while his defense isn't great, his offense more than makes up for that.

While Braun is still young, he's sure to become the best-hitting Jewish baseball player of all time.

24. Lenny Krayzelburg

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21 Sep 2000: Lenny Krazelburg of the USA celebrates his Gold Medal win in the Mens 200m Backstroke Final at the Sydney International Aquatic Centre on Day Six of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. \ Mandatory Credit: Al Bello /Allsport

Krayzelburg dominated the backstroke during the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. He won three golds in those games and a fourth in 2004. In 2001, he bypassed the World Championships in Japan to compete in the Maccabiah Games in Israel.

Krayzelburg was arguably the most dominant backstroke swimmer in American history and was beloved for most of his career for his humble, friendly attitude. 

23. Lou Carnesecca

Lou Carnesecca was one of the greatest coaches in men's college basketball history. He coached at St. John's University from 1965 through 1992.

He used the local talent pool (New York City, one of the deepest talent wells in the world) to turn St. John's into a powerhouse.

During his tenure, the school never had a losing record, and Carnesecca compiled a career record of 526-200. His winning percentage was one of the best ever, and while he never won a national title, he took St. John's to a Final Four in 1985.

22. Chris Berman

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LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 14: ESPN personality Chris Berman speaks onstage during the 2010 ESPY Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on July 14, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Berman was a pioneer in modern sports news broadcasting. He's been a staple at ESPN almost since its creation and is now an icon of broadcasting.

Berman brought a flair and drama to sports news that hadn't been there previously. His passion and clever sayings became the stuff of legend.

Berman's still chugging merrily along on ESPN, hosting the network's NFL Live program.

21. Dick Savitt

Savitt was one of the best American tennis players of all time, and from 1945 through his retirement, he was also one of the top players in the world.

Savitt taught himself to play tennis, yet he managed to win the US and British Open tournaments in the same calendar year, a feat only one American had accomplished prior to him.

During his prime, he was seen as one of the best backcourt players in the world.

20. Barney Ross

Ross was a world champion boxer in three different weight classes during his time in the ring. He held the lightweight, junior welterweight and welterweight titles at different points in his career and amassed a 72-4-3 record.

Ross was known as a smart fighter and was renowned for his stamina in the ring. He retired in 1938 as one of boxing's greatest fighters and lives on as a legend in the sport.

19. Red Holzman

Holzman was the head coach of some of the most famous teams in New York Knicks history. He coached the team from 1967 through 1982 and helped them win the only NBA titles in the franchise's history. He totalled 616 wins in his coaching career with the Knicks and 696 overall.

Holzman is one of a select group of people to have won an NBA title as both a player and a coach and is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in NBA history by many basketball historians.

18. Ken Holtzman

Holtzman, a lefty pitcher with the Oakland A's and Chicago Cubs, is one of the best left-handed pitchers of his generation.

Holtzman anchored a fantastic rotation in Oakland during his time with the club and was an integral part of the team taking home three consecutive World Series titles between 1972 and 1974.

He finished his career with 174 wins, most of any Jewish pitcher in baseball history.

17. Al Rosen

Rosen might be the best-hitting Jewish player in Major League Baseball history. He played for the Cleveland Indians for 10 years, and the sweet-swinging third baseman developed a reputation as one of the game's most feared hitters.

From 1950 through 1954, Rosen did not finish with fewer than 100 RBI in any season. He was a perennial All-Star and drew praise from Hall of Fame manager Casey Stengel.

He finished his career at the age of 32 with 192 home runs, 717 RBI and a .285 career average. He was extremely proud of his Jewish heritage once he reached the majors and often challenged players who insulted it. He refused to play on the High Holy Days, like many of the Jewish athletes on this list.

16. Ron Mix

Mix was a stellar offensive lineman with the San Diego Chargers from 1960-1969 in the early stages of the team's existence in the AFL.

Mix made the all-star team every year the league was in existence and was an early proponent of weightlifting to help players develop muscle tone.

How good was he? Good enough to be the second AFL player ever elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, after teammate Lance Alworth.

15. Bob Nystrom

Nystrom was a winger for the New York Islanders from 1972 till 1986. He was a key cog in the Isles' run of success in the 1980s and was a clutch playoff performer.

Nystrom was by far the most successful Jewish player in NHL history, tallying 235 goals, 278 assists and 1,248 penalty minutes. In the playoffs, Nystrom racked up 39 goals and 44 assists in 157 career games.

14. Benny Friedman

Friedman was one of the pioneers of football and is still considered one of the greatest players of all time.

A standout quarterback and kicker at Michigan, Friedman helped make the forward pass an established part of football. He was so good that Giants owner Wellington Mara purchased the entire team Friedman was on (the Detroit Wolverines) just to get a hold of him.

He led the NFL in passing touchdowns, rushing touchdowns and points scored with frequency throughout his career. While his career was ended by a nagging knee injury in 1934, Friedman is undoubtedly one of the greatest Jewish football players ever.

13. Ernie Grunfeld

Grunfeld enjoyed a nine-year NBA career with the Milwaukee Bucks, Kansas City Kings and New York Knicks and was a renowned outside shooter.

But it's Grunfeld's career off the court that puts him on the list. As GM of the Knicks from 1989 through 1999, he helped the Knicks build a team that contended for multiple NBA titles and was a force to be reckoned with throughout the '90s.

From 1999 through 2003, Grunfeld held the same position with the Bucks and helped build the team that won more postseason games in those four years than they had in the 12 seasons before he got there.

In 2003, Grunfeld jumped to Washington, and while the results haven't been as good on the court, his reputation is still one of the NBA's best.

12. Dolph Schayes

Schayes was one of the NBA's top players during the early stages of the league's development. He played from 1948 until 1964 and was one of the league's best shooters and rebounders for much of that period of time.

Schayes also was a model of endurance, setting the record for consecutive games played with 706. His set shot was deadly, but he also possessed a punishing driving layup that helped him stay relevant as the league transitioned to a more athletic style of play.

11. Dara Torres

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BEIJING - AUGUST 17: Silver medalist Dara Torres of the United States celebrates on the podium before receiving her medal in the Women's 50m Freestyle final held at the National Aquatics Centre during Day 9 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 17,

Torres is the most successful female swimmer in American history. She won her first medal at the 1984 Olympics and took home her most recent medal at the 2008 games.

Torres has taken home 12 medals overall, tying her with fellow American Jenny Thompson for the most by any female swimmer ever.

Despite being 45 by the time the 2012 Olympics in London take place, Torres has expressed a desire to compete again there, a goal she could easily reach.

10. Benny Leonard

Leonard was known as "The Ghetto Wizard" due to his humble upbringing, but he was also one of the greatest lightweight boxers ever.

Leonard was renowned for his speed, technique and quick thinking, and he compiled a 70-19-11 record in an era when the lightweight division was stacked with talent. He was particularly noted for playing head games with opponents.

9. Howard Cosell

Cosell is a legend among broadcasters. His career spanned some 30 years and featured some of the greatest spectacles in sports. His relationship with Muhammad Ali is well known, as is his reputation as a jerk.

But it doesn't diminish what might be the greatest sports broadcasting career of all time.

8. Mark Spitz

The most decorated swimmer in history not named Michael Phelps, Spitz was the most dominant swimmer of his generation.

He won medals by the bushel and set records in multiple events. He won seven gold medals at the 1972 Olympics and took home another two in his career, along with a silver and a bronze. 

Spitz was dominant during a strong era in swimming as well and held records in seven different events.

7. Sid Luckman

Luckman quarterbacked the Chicago Bears between 1939 and 1950. He was the first true passer in NFL history and had incredible success, throwing for an unprecedented 14,685 yards and 137 touchdowns. He set records left and right, and the Bears haven't had a quarterback as good as he was since.

Luckman had success in an era when the forward pass was still seen as too risky to be used in a game; his play helped prove critics wrong.

6. Hakoah Vienna

Hakoah Vienna was an all-Jewish sporting club in Vienna, Austria before World War II. Following Max Nordau's philosophy of "Muscular Judaism," the club was founded to encourage Jews to show that they were just as strong as anyone else.

Hakoah became a power in the soccer world, as Jews from across the continent came to play for them. They became the first team to knock off an English team in England, beating West Ham in London 5-1.

Unfortunately, for Adolf Hitler's anti-Semitic propaganda to work, he couldn't have a bunch of Jews running around beating the pants off Aryans, so he disbanded the club and nullified their games.

5. Hank Greenberg

For 17 years, Hammerin' Hank was one of the most feared power hitters in all of baseball. He clubbed 331 home runs for the Detroit Tigers in his career and knocked in 1,276 runs.

His swing was one of the most picturesque in all of baseball, and his home runs are still the stuff of legend among older Tigers fans.

Greenberg attracted some unwelcome attention when he refused to play on Yom Kippur in 1934 despite the Tigers being in a pennant race. He was never ashamed of his heritage and is still one of the game's most renowned power hitters.

4. David Stern

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LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 26: Commissioner David Stern speaks to the crowd prior to presenting the 2009-2010 Championship Rings to the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on October 26, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly ackno

Would the NBA be where it is today without David Stern? The league has reached unprecedented heights of revenue and popularity in Stern's tenure and has undergone some serious changes.

Stern's run as commissioner of the NBA has been the longest period of sustained success in the league's history, and he's a big reason why. He is arguably the most successful commissioner of any major sport in history.

3. Sid Gillman

Gillman might be the most innovative head coach in NFL history. He bounced around the league and in and out of the college ranks, but most of his best work was with the San Diego Chargers.

Gillman was a believer in throwing deeper passes to receivers to stretch defenses, and he found great success with the strategy.

He had a record of 123-104-7 and won five AFL West titles with the Chargers, and his coaching tree is the deepest and broadest this side of Bill Walsh.

2. Sandy Koufax

Koufax might be the greatest Jewish athlete of all time. He was the most dominant pitcher of his time during his prime and is still considered one of the greatest pitchers ever.

He struck out 2,396 batters, had a 2.76 ERA and went 165-87 in his career. He only pitched until age 30, which helps explain his low win total, but make no mistake—Koufax was one of baseball's all-time greats.

1. Red Auerbach

There has never been a coach or executive who was as successful for as long as Red Auerbach was.

The longtime Celtics head coach is one of basketball's greatest coaches at any level; he guided the Boston club to 16 titles while he was either coaching or managing the team, and no other coach has come close to that type of success.

Red was a fantastic motivator and could easily be the greatest basketball coach of all time. At the very least, this cigar-smoking, cursing, Jewish head coach is one of the first names mentioned in the discussion.