A Team of American Jews, a Nation's Pride
- peter0738
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Peter Kurz's Where Traditions Meet chronicles how a roster of Jewish ballplayers turned an improbable dream into a source of pride for Israel — and for Jews around the world.
They came from Los Angeles and Miami, from college fields and Major League clubhouses — and many had never set foot in Israel. Under World Baseball Classic rules, a player can represent a country whose citizenship he is eligible for, and Israel's Law of Return opened the door to Jewish ballplayers from across the diaspora. Together, they formed a team that would carry a nation's hopes onto the world stage.
In Where Traditions Meet, Peter Kurz — the American-born, Aliyah-making architect of Israeli baseball — tells the first-hand story of how that team came together and what it came to mean. This was never only about wins and losses. Before facing Cuba in Tokyo, the players gathered in the dugout on Purim to read the Book of Esther. The book's very title captures the collision at its heart: where America's pastime meets Jewish identity and history.
A quarter-century mission
Kurz devoted more than 25 years to building baseball in a country where it was barely played — serving as President, General Manager, and CEO of the Israel Association of Baseball, and earning Israel's Bonei Zion Prize along the way. MLB Network's Jon Paul Morosi captures the deeper theme in his endorsement, writing that the story shows how "pride in one's identity transcends the greatest trophies in sport."
Bringing a people together
From the shock of the 2017 World Baseball Classic to becoming one of just six nations to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, Team Israel gave Jewish communities everywhere a reason to cheer. As former MLB Commissioner Bud Selig writes, it is "an outstanding book" about how baseball helped bring the people of Israel together. It is, above all, a story about heritage, belonging, and pride.
About the Author
Peter Kurz has been a driving force in Israeli baseball for more than 25 years. American-born and an immigrant to Israel, he served as President, General Manager, and CEO of the Israel Association of Baseball. He was General Manager of Team Israel throughout its historic World Baseball Classic and Olympic runs. A recipient of Israel's prestigious Bonei Zion Prize, he lives in Israel with his family. Where Traditions Meet is his first-hand account of that improbable journey.
Get the Book
Where Traditions Meet: The Personal Inside Story of the Israel Baseball Quest for Olympic Gold is available now in print and eBook. Order your copy today — and follow a dream from the sandlots to the Olympic stage.
Learn more: https://www.wheretraditionsmeet.com/
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