Jews and Baseball
The movie “Jews and Baseball – An American Love Story” will open the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival and it will for sure, and for so many reasons, put smiles on the faces of the audience.
The Festival itself has grown into an extremely important cultural portion of the Atlanta arts calendar, bringing together thousands of Jewish and non-Jewish movie lovers. It is, as often noted, the largest film event each year in Atlanta; however, the fact that it effectively attracts patrons from throughout the community, enhancing the American Jewish Committee’s embracing message, is exceedingly meaningful for the community at large.
Equally important is that the Festival gives its patrons a wide variety of choices. Serious films, documentaries, sports films (remember, this event had Holy Land Hardball a few years ago), romantic films and historical pieces all have their audiences. The Festival’s leaders clearly understand each movie has to be well made; however, and unlike most film events, the movies do not have to be slow and serious and dark.
It is a sign of the Festival’s maturity that Jews and Baseball would lead off the event. This wonderful project has inescapable Atlanta roots under the guidance of Linda Selig and Lynda Walker who were able to birth this film after wonderful fund raising events in Atlanta, in Los Angeles, at the Major League Baseball winter meeting, as well as other events too numerous to mention. Without their energy, it is unlikely that this movie would have been made.
Their energy was critical to the film; however, the subject itself tapped into wonderful memories, particularly for those first generation Americans and their children. It seems like all of us grew up with baseball memories – memories that unified our families, memories that make us smile.
First generation Americans had little money and a great sense of wonderment. They wanted to be part of the American experience, and baseball offered just that. Jewish Americans could go to the ballpark and cheer shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the community. We could listen to those elegant announcers, Harwell and Allen and Barber, all Southerners, and we knew that they were talking to us. You did not have to be big or particularly strong to play baseball. We loved Koufax for his ability, but didn’t we also love him for his art, his intellect and for his discipline?
There were wonderful players like Moe Berg who swore that he was a spy, and made a career out of being an intellectual third string catcher. The entire Jewish community rooted for Hank Greenberg and cheered each home run. He was us and we were him.
Baseball was simply part of our culture. Joe Haas, whose family represented Leo Frank, once told me about his stickball exploits. Rabbi Arnold Goodman listened to the ball games on the porch with his father. Cecil Alexander explained to me how he’d jump the train to watch the almost mythic Atlanta Crackers.
My friend, Michael Meyer, explained to me how fondly he remembered going to Cubs games in the 1950s with his father and grandfather. He could express his opinion and debate the intricacies of the game. His grandfather and father loved this most American of sports and Mike’s stories mirror memories most of us have. Baseball was multi-generational and its nuances appealed to this new audience. It was “the” American sport and was embraced warmly by the Jewish community.
“Jews and Baseball,” in addition to leaving the audience smiling, will be the catalyst for many conversations that may start with “I remember when …” If art is meant, in part, to cause a reaction, to evoke a passion, then this movie will fulfill its mission.
By Abe Schear
