Episode Details

This year’s Winter Olympic Games are filled with Jewish athletes.

They can be found in hockey goals, cross country slopes, bobsleds, and skating competitions.

But, despite a robust representation in Milan and an even more significant representation in the Paris games of 2024, the stereotype that Jews are bad at sports has not fully vanished.

The stereotype is a very old one, but it was probably made most popular by none other than Hitler himself. It has become such a popular delusion that even many Jewish writers and entertainers have adopted it.

In order to understand how this stereotype began, and why it is so egregiously incorrect, I sat down with Writer and Radiologist Michael Meyerson.

Michael was a tennis player in his younger years and began researching and writing about Jewish Athletes in his spare time as a way to debunk the stereotype

Michael’s 300-page book, “Tragedy & Triumph” details the stories of countless jewish athletes who competed in the Olympic Games.

Michael explores the constant struggle that Jews have had throughout history to be respected in athletic circles—and it turns out to be much bigger than just the infamous Hitler games.

Notably, Michael’s book covers several athletes whose stories have made it into major films such as Chariots of Fire and The Boys In The Boat. He even touches on Martin Reisman, the hustling table-tennis player whose life inspired last year’s critically acclaimed Marty Supreme.

Michael and I talked about his purpose in writing the book, the strange moment when gliding was considered an Olympic Sport, the reason many Jews are so good at fencing, and much more.

Tragedy and Triumph: https://www.amazon.com/Tragedy-Triumph-Second-Olympics-Perspective/dp/0645343250