Celebrating Jewish Baseball Heritage with the Big Train

Sixty Big Train fans enjoyed a fabulous night Tuesday at the Pooks Hill Marriott with key personnel from Israel Baseball and documentary filmmaker Aviva Kempner.


Adam Gladstone introduced the new Israel Baseball Americas organization (www.israelbaseball.org), a nonprofit established to empower youth development, foster a global community of fans, and build a pipeline of talent for Team Israel. Two of the members of Israel’s 2021 Olympic team that played an exhibition game with the Big Train at Povich Field — Shlomo Lipetz and Assaf Lowengart — spoke with passion about their experiences playing for Team Israel. Legendary MLB trainer Barry Weinberg spoke about his time as Team Israel’s head trainer and shared some of the stories from his really fun book Eating My Way Through Baseball. Baltimore Orioles pitcher Dean Kremer joined in Tuesday night’s festivities in support of Israel Baseball. 


Documentary filmmaker Aviva Kempner showed trailers from her Hank Greenberg and Moe Berg documentaries and spoke about her career documenting the untold stories of Jewish heroes. Big Train founder Bruce Adams announced that we will be presenting Aviva with an individual Big Train Community Hero Award at Wednesday night’s Jewish Baseball Heritage Night at Povich Field. Bruce explained that Aviva’s The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg documentary led Big Train to retire Greenberg’s #5 in 2016 to honor one of baseball’s three great Barrier Breakers — Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, and Greenberg.


Gladstone, Weinberg, and Alex Jacobs spoke with the Big Train campers on Tuesday afternoon and will be joined by Lipetz and Lowengart at camp on Wednesday.


All will be present Wednesday night at Povich Field for the Big Train’s annual Jewish Baseball Heritage Night. Standing room tickets are still available. Char Bar will be selling kosher food, and 7 Locks Brewing will be selling beer. Wednesday is National Hot Dog Day and Roseda Beef and Catalyst Hot Dogs will be sponsoring our annual fundraiser to support the Manna Food Center. Sponsor oySongs will be providing music through the night.