Intermountain Jewish news., 1926-09-09
The Jewish Athlete
During the Past Year
Ry Harry Camel Is. A

during the PaSt year
By Harry Camel Is. A..
Harry Conscl. foremost American author
lily on Jews In sports herewith gives u
branches ] Of "r athie,ies '' dS,ns Tie past t" ycSr ar
Though y Is necessarily Sestchyi Il gives
In the professional aud amateur athletic
field The Editor
SOCCER
Jewish sport in America had its
banner year during 5GS6. This was
due in large measure to the visit of
the world-famous All-Jcwish soccer
football team from Vienna. the
Hakoah. No sport authority or lay
man could have predicted the astound-
ing success which the Hakoah
achieved in this country. When one
considers the far-reaching effect Of
the Hakoah visit, it is hard to realize
that the team was here for only six
weeks. During this time it played
ten games against strong American
teams, out of which it lost only two.
That is a splendid record, indeed.
American sport experts credit the
Hakoah with having done more to
popularize soccer in this country than
any other home or visiting soccer or
ganization. These experts frankly
admit that the reason for it is the
Jcwishness of the Vienna club. That
the Hakoah aroused extraordinary
enthusiasm in Jewish circles, that it
lifted Jewish prestige among Ameri-
can sport fans, and that it left n
marvellous impression of brilliant skill
and craftsmanship wherever it
played-all this is sport history today
The outstanding thing to remember
about the Hakoah invasion is that the
team attracted almost n quarter of n
million new Jewish sport fans to the
soccer fields, and that they, more than
any other single athlete or sport or
ganization, stimulated desire for
physical development among Jews.
While on the subject of soccer, we
must mention the return visit of the
four Hakoah stars, Neufeld, Eisen-
hofcr, Schoenfeld and Drucker, who
have Joined the American Soccer
League team, the Brooklyn Wand
erers. The coming to this country of
Kalman konrad, of Hungary, the
most brilliant forward player of Cen
tral Europe, who, as a member of the
same Wanderers team has already
convinced soccer fans that he is one
of the most colorful Jewish athletes
of all times, must also be recorded as
a great gain for Jewish athletics in
America.
The enthusiasm which the visit of
these Jewish players has aroused
among Jews in this country definitely
establishes the fact that no other
sport has captured the Imagination of
the Jews as much as the game of
soccer. That is why Mr. Nathan Agar,
owner and manager of the Wanderers,
a Jew himself, is making all arrange
ments to transform his club into an
ALL-JEWISH aggregation. The
coming year will probably see the
Wanderers the strongest ALL-JEW-
ISH soccer team in the world
1t is gratifying to note that the
Vienna Hakoah team is continuing its
winning record despite the departure
of its foremost stars. The Hakoah
has just concluded triumphant tour
through Lithuania, and is preparing
to invade France, where it will un-
doubtedly also celebrate great vic
tories. That the gaps left by the
Hakoah stars have so quickly been
filled by new men proves that the
Vienna Hakoah has tradition which
makes it Independent of any one or
several individuals.
BOXING
! America has come to look upon the
Jewish race as particularly fitted to
produce good boxers. The last fifteen
L ~ IL