INTRODUCTION:

There has long been a relationship between Jews and the NFL, going back to the earliest days of professional football. While enjoying watching a game, participants will learn about these connections while also using their creativity to create more.

MATERIALS:  

• TV 
• Resource sheet (below) and pen for each person 
• Prize for the winner 
• Snacks (not strictly necessary for the program, but who watches football without snacks?) 

PROGRAM OUTLINE (90+ minutes): 

• Welcome/icebreaker/framing (10 minutes) 
• The game, and the game within the game (however long the football game lasts) 
• Scoring and announcing the winner (5 minutes) 

Welcome and Framing (10 minutes)

• Welcome everyone, ask icebreaker question – what’s your favorite football memory? 
• Pass out the resource sheet and score sheet, explain basic rules: 
  • The resource sheet has a list of Jewish connections to football. While watching the game, players will write down as many Jewish connections as they see on the broadcast on the back of the sheet – either ones suggested from the sheet or ones they come up with themselves. Whoever has the most at the end of the game wins the prize. 
  • Each fact or connection can only be used once.
    • For example: If you see a Patriots highlight, the fact they are owned by Robert Kraft, who is Jewish, would get you one point, but seeing another Patriots highlight later in the game would not get you another point, unless you found another, separate Jewish connection. 
  • Coming up with your own Jewish connections that aren’t listed on the resource sheet is encouraged! The more creative connections, the better.
    • For example: Colts WR Adonai Mitchell is not Jewish, but “Adonai” is a Hebrew name for God, so that could count. 
  • The person who comes up with the most connections by the final whistle wins the prize. In the event of a dispute over whether something counts as a legitimate connection, the MH residents are the referees. 

Watching the Game (however long the game lasts)

• Hang out, have fun, etc. 

Scoring and Announcing the Winner (5 minutes)

• Once the game is over, everyone counts the number of connections they’ve made and says the number out loud. Whoever’s number is highest reads their list. If all of their connections are considered legitimate, they win the prize.  
• If enough of their connections are challenged that crossing out those incorrect connections bring their total number down to second place or lower, then the new first-place person reads their list, etc., until a winner is established. 
• The winner gets the prize! 

Jewish Football Connections

Current Jewish Players:

Jewish Team Owners

Jewish Hall of Famers:

Fun Facts:

• The Israel Football League was founded in 2005. The championship game is called the IsraBowl. Last year, the Tel Aviv Pioneers defeated the Ramat HaSharon Hammers 42-36 in IsraBowl XVI. 
• Despite being called a pigskin, footballs are now made out of cowhide. Even if it was made out of pig, it would still be kosher to play with a football, just not to eat one. 
• The ancient rabbis argued in the Talmud over whether it was appropriate to watch sports in stadiums (specifically gladiator fights). Some said no, because people in the stadiums are “bad company.” Others said it was permitted in order to save someone’s life (by giving the “thumbs up” to the losing fighter).