Sam Rabinowitz


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Class of 2003

The Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame (PJSHOF) and Adolph and Rose Levis Museum is proud to honor Sam Rabinowitz, a partner in the law firm of Blank Rome, LLP, communal leader, three-term Chairman of the Jewish Community Centers of Greater Philadelphia’s Board of Directors, and founding member of the PJSHOF, with our Lifetime Achievement Award.

During his trips to Israel , Sam always visited the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Chair, Alan Sherman, who introduced Sam to the necessity of acknowledging Jewish athletes’ achievements. Sam began discussing the possibility of establishing a Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in Philadelphia. Many Jewish leaders in the world of sports, as well as world-class Jewish athletes, past and present, call Philadelphia home. They deserved recognition. They would also serve as an inspiration for the future generations of Jewish athletes and leaders. Sam also believed that the Gershman Y was the historical main center of Jewish sports participation and would be an ideal location to house the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. In addition, the Y’s downtown location would provide tourists to Center City with another exciting destination when they visited downtown sites of interest on the Avenue of Arts.

With Sam’s foresight and support, and during his tenure as Chairman of the JCCs of Greater Philadelphia Board of Directors, the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame was founded in 1997. The PJSHOF has grown since Sam’s initial vision from a Hall of Fame to now include the Adolph and Rose Levis Museum with its own “locker room,” memorabilia, an interactive computer display, a tribute to the Munich 11, and the development of several educational programs.

A celebrated communal leader, Sam contributes his support, time and expertise to a number of community organizations and Boards of Directos. His communal contributions are too numerous to mention. He has been an active member and General Counsel to Maccabi USA Sports for Israel for 15 years; a member of the B’nai Brith Sports Lodge; a member of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s Board of Trustees; a Chairman of the Philadelphia Chapter of Boys Town Jerusalem; a board member of the Albert Einstein Medical Center; an Honorary Chair of the JCCs of Greater Philadelphia; and an active Vice Chair of the Philadelphia Friends of Ben Gurion University.

Sam Rabinowitz is truly a Community Champion in Action.