The following list of Jewish Olympic medalists was compiled by Dr. George Eisen, Executive Director and Associate Vice-President at Nazareth College of Rochester, New York.
Dr. Eisen is the author of many books, studies and articles, including the award-winning Children and Play in the Holocaust, Games Among the Shadows (University of Massachusetts Press, 1988), which has been translated into a multitude of languages; and Sport and Physical Education in Jewish History (Wingate Institute, Israel).
Dr. Eisen compiled the Bibliography of Sport and Leisure in Jewish History and Culture, and was primary consultant to the National Holocaust Museum (Washington, D.C.) special exhibition, The Nazi Olympics/Berlin 1936.
1896 Athens
Gold
Alfred Flatow, Germany
gymnastics, parallel bars
gymnastics, team parallel bars
gymnastics, team horizontal bar
Gustav Felix Flatow, Germany
gymnastics, team parallel bars
gymnastics, team horizontal bar
Alfred Hajos-Guttman, Hungary
swimming, 100-meter freestyle
swimming, 1,500-meter freestyle
Paul Neumann, Austria
swimming, 500-meter freestyle
Silver
Alfred Flatow, Germany
gymnastics, horizontal bar
Otto Herschmann, Austria
swimming, 100-meter freestyle
1900 Paris
Gold
Meyer Prinstein, USA
athletics, triple jump
Silver
Jean Bloch, France
soccer
Henri Cohen, Belgium
water polo
Meyer Prinstein, USA
athletics, long jump
*Otto Wahle, Austria
swimming, 1000-meter freestyle
swimming, 200-meter obstacle race
Bronze
*Siegfried Flesch, Austria
fencing, individual saber
1904 St. Louis
Gold
Samuel Berger, USA
boxing, heavyweight
Meyer Prinstein, USA
athletics, long jump
athletics, triple jump
Silver
Daniel Frank, USA
athletics, long jump
Philip Hess, USA
lacrosse
Albert Lehman, USA
lacrosse
Bronze
*Otto Wahle, Austria
swimming, 400-meter freestyle
1906 Athens (unofficial)
Gold
Henrik Hajos-Guttman, Hungary
swimming, 800-meter freestyle relay
Meyer Prinstein, USA
athletics, long jump
*Otto Scheff, Austria
swimming, 400-meter freestyle
Silver
Edgar Seligman, Great Britain
fencing, team epee
Bronze
Hugo Friend, USA
athletics, long jump
*Otto Scheff, Austria
swimming, 1500-meter freestyle
1908 London
Gold
Dezsö Földes, Hungary
fencing, team saber
Dr.Jenö Fuchs, Hungary
fencing, individual saber
fencing, team saber
Dr. Oszkár Gerde, Hungary
fencing, team saber
Alexandre Lippmann, France
fencing, team epee
Jean Stern, France
fencing, team epee
Richard Weisz, Hungary
Greco-Roman wrestling, heavyweight
Lajos Werkner, Hungary
fencing, team saber
Silver
Harald Bohr, Denmark
soccer
Alexandre Lippmann, France
fencing, individual epee
József Munk, Hungary
swimming, 4×200-meter freestyle relay
Edgar Seligman, Great Britain
fencing, team epee
Harry Simon, USA
shooting , free rifle
Edwin “Barney” Solomon, UK (Ireland)
rugby
Bethel “Bert” Solomon, UK (Ireland)
rugby
Imre Zachar, Hungary
swimming, 4×200-meter freestyle relay
Bronze
Odon Bodor, Hungary
athletics, 1,600-meter relay
Charles “Clair” Jacobs, USA
athletics, pole vault
*Otto Scheff, Austria
swimming, 400-meter freestyle
1912 Stockholm
Gold
Dezsö Földes, Hungary
fencing, team saber
Dr. Jenö Fuchs, Hungary
fencing, individual saber
fencing, team saber
Dr.Oszkár Gerde, Hungary
fencing, team saber
Jacques Ochs, Belgium
fencing, team epee
Gaston Salmon, Belgium
fencing, team epee
Lajor Werkner, Hungary
fencing, team saber
Silver
*Albert Bogen, Austria
fencing, team saber
Samu Foti, Hungary
gymnastics, team combined exercises
Imre Gellert, Hungary
gymnastics, team combined exercises
Abel Kiviat, USA
athletics, 1,500-meter run
Alvah T. Meyer, USA
athletics, 100-meter dash
Ivan Osiier, Denmark
fencing, individual epee
*Felix Pipes, Austria
tennis, doubles
Edgar Seligman, Great Britain
fencing, team epee
Bronze
*Margarete Adler, Austria
swimming, 4×100-meter freestyle relay
Dr. Otto Herschmann, Austria
fencing, team saber
*Klara Milch, Austria
swimming, 4×100-meter freestyle relay
Josephine Stricker, Austria
swimming, 4×100-meter freestyle relay
1920 Antwerp
Gold
Samuel Mosberg, USA
boxing, lightweight
Silver
Gerard Blitz, Belgium
water polo
Maurice Blitz, Belgium
water polo
Samuel Gerson, USA
freestyle wrestling, featherweight
Ben Wildman-Tobriner, USA
swimming, 4×100 freestyle relay
Silver
Vasyl Fedoryshyn, Ukraine
wrestling, 60 kg
Sada Jacobson, USA
fencing, individual sabre
Merrill Moses, USA
Water Polo
Dara Torres, USA
swimming, 50m freestyle
swimming, 4x100m freestyle
swimming, 4x100m medley relay
Josh West, Great Britain
rowing, eights
Bronze
Sada Jacobson, USA
fencing, team sabre
Gisele Kanevsky, Argentina
field hockey
Jason Lezak, USA
swimming, 100m freestyle
Sharar Zubari, Israel
windsurfing
2010 Vancouver (winter)
Gold
Steve Mesler, USA
4-man bob sled
Silver
Charlie White, USA
ice dancing
2012 London (summer)
Gold
Alexandra “Aly” Raisman, USA
gymnastics, individual floor exercise
Alexandra “Aly” Raisman, USA
gymnastics, team
Jo Alah, New Zealand
sailing, 470 class
Nathan Cohen, New Zealand
rowing, double sculls
Silver
Jessica Fox, Australia
canoeing, K-1
Jason Lezak, USA
swimming, 4×100 relay
Bronze
Alexandra “Aly” Raisman, USA
gymnastics, balance beam
*There are some questions about the Jewishness of these Austrian athletes. †Though serving an alternate, she is listed in the official 1928 Dutch Olympic Report.
A note of the author:
A decision of including or excluding athletes from this list, and who is Jewish or assigned by society as Jewish, is not a simple task. This issue of identification is not characteristic only to the Jewish people, but other ethnic or religious groups. What is unique about Jewishness is that it can be either a religious or ethnic marker for an individual or social group.
For the purpose of compiling this list, there were two selection criteria. One was an obviously religious—i.e. “halachich”–consideration, which stipulates that the mother of the individual should be Jewish. The second criterion was the self-identification of an individual with the Jewish community.
***On the final account, however, like every list, this roster of Jewish Olympic Medalists may contain mistakes; it may include athletes who might not be Jewish or omit Jewish athletes who should be listed. Any reader knowledgeable of incorrect listings or missing listings is invited to contact Dr. George Eisen at: geisen1@naz.edu.
2012 International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
Senator Joe Lieberman on His Love and Support of Israel
