Class of 2003
Sam was the Chairman of the Jewish Community Centers of Greater Philadelphia from 1994-1997. His enthusiastic support helped establish the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Fall of Fame.
Sam Rabinowitz
Posts By: Keith Miller
Lewis Katz
Class of 2012
Lewis has provided leadership and funding for a broad range of philanthropic activities, with particular focus on children, education and health care. He was a principal owner of the NJ Nets and NJ Devils. A native of Camden, New Jersey, he helped build two Boys & Girls Clubs there that serve nearly 3,000 young people each year, as well as Jewish Community Centers in Cherry Hill and Margate, New Jersey with another under construction in Princeton, all named for his parents.
Jed Margolis
Class of 2013
Jed has been dedicated to using sports to strengthen Jewish identity and pride and a love for Israel during his 40 years working at JCCs and Maccabi USA. Since 2002 when his tenure as Maccabi USA Executive Director began, record numbers of Americans have participated in Maccabi competitions around the world. Tributes include the JCCA’s Arthur Brodkin Award and the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame’s Dick Steinberg “Good Guy” Award.
Irv Kosloff and Ike Richman
Class of 2007
After the Philadelphia Warriors were sold and moved to San Francisco in 1962, Ike and Irv became partners to return professional basketball to Philadelphia. They purchased the NBA franchise Syracuse Nationals in 1963 and renamed it the Philadelphia 76ers. Richman (left) and Kosloff (right) pictured with Dolph Schayes (PJSHOF inductee) (center).
Harvey Brodsky & William Steerman
Class of 2004/2005
Bill (right) and Harvey (left) believed that the rich Jewish sports tradition in Philadelphia deserved recognition. They took this idea and co-founded the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1997.
Lew Tendler
Like most Jewish fighters in the early part of the 20th century, Lew Tendler was tough as nails but he was scared of his mother. “My mom was against boxing,” Tendler once recalled. “One night I fought at a small club and got a shiner. I tried everything to get the swelling down before I… Read more »
Harry Blitman
Harry Blitman never won the world title, but he was one of many outstanding Jewish fighters in the 1920s and 1930s. Blitman was a smooth-boxing lightweight. His family was from North-Central Philadelphia but he trained out of Jimmy Coster’s gym in South Philadelphia. He was a teenage sensation and my dad knew him from their… Read more »
Sam Cozen
Sam Cozen became the varsity basketball coach at Overbrook High School in the fall of 1948. Overbrook had won the Public League basketball championship the previous year, but there was only one starter remaining from that team. Luckily it was Jackie Moore, the 6″5″ center, who later went on to become the first African-American to… Read more »
Benny Bass
Benny Bass, one of the greatest fighters ever to come out of Philadelphia, was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in June, 2002, in Canastota, NY. Fellow inductees: Victor Galindez, Ingemar Johansson, Pipino Cuevas as well as promoters Aileen Eaton-the first woman inductee-and “Suitcase” Sam Silverman-whose office was his suitcase-as well as writers… Read more »
