Documentary Film Maker Seeks Help

The poster Maxies Gal runs a website dedicated to Baer, she may be able to help?

 

I'm think I'm right in saying that Gary Jacobs was the only Jewish professional boxer in the UK at the time he was active. Jacobs was British, Commonwealth, European Welterweight champion and lost in a world title shot to Pernell Whittaker

http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=1952&cat=boxer

 

There's some great stuff on the web about Joe Choynski. The guy was an animal, fought all the best, beat Jack Johnson, tied Jefferies, etc...


I'm not trying to create waves here but I read a couple months ago on ESB that Max Baer was not Jewish but wore the star on his trunks to promote himself to Jewish fans. Is this true or false. I would like to hear some elaboration on this story.

 

From what I've read, he was one quarter Jewish, but in the midst of the heat up leading to WWII and his fight with Schmelling, he plastered the Star of David onto his trunks and vowed to never go into the ring without it.

 

From what I have heard he had a grandparent on his father's side. Acording to strict Jewish law to be Jewish your mother also needs to be jewish. (I don't agree with this rule but this is not what the thred is about.) There is a somewhat well known story about his trainer seeing him in the shower that adds dobut to how Jewish he was. I don't know about his daily practices or if he consered himself Jewish outside of boxing or if he brought his family up as Jewish. If he lived his life as a Jew and raised his family Jewish I personaly would conseder him to be Jewish despite his mother not being Jewish her self and despite the fact he was not circimised.

 

Let me clarify what I read here is that he was not a practicing Jew. If memory serves me he may have practiced a Christian denomination.

 

Funnily enough I've just started reading Barney Ross' autobiography, its shaping up like a great read.

 

That is a great book, very moving story.

With regards to Jewishness (is that a word???) Jack Dempsey could be argued as being more Jewish than Baer, his grandmother on his mothers side was Jewish, and as has been said already, it comes from the mothers side

 

NYSouthpaw,

What is your email address?

Some beleive that Harry Greb was Jewish, and his real name was Berg. Not sure if this is fact or ficton, but Tunney though Greb was Jewish, as did some of the papers of the time.

 

I'll see if I can dig out where I'd read about his grandmother:good