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You Be The Judge

Will the High Court ever see a Jewish chief justice?

ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Q: I'm sick and tired of every- condones fighting, even in the
body labeling Jewish men as ba- ring.
Which leads us to the curi-
bies who can't do anything ous case of hockey. Until we
physical. For crying out loud, I'm figure out whether grown men
a he-man myself and I read about banging each other on the
Jewish sports stars in this fabulous heads with hockey sticks is
column all the time! Why, I bet part of the game or just an
aside, I guess the jury will be
even rabbis in ancient days knew out on what Judaism has to
a thing or two about throwing a ball say about this sport.
and running, isn't that true?
Q: Was there really a Jewish pall-
A: Actually, you can start
with the Torah, where we learn bearer at the funeral of Irish gang-
that David and Jonathan en- ster Dion O'Banion?
joyed sport and were anything
A Indeed there was, and what
but wimps. Some also consid- a sight he must have seen.
er Jeremiah's "contending with
O'Banion, who was killed in
horses" a reference to some 1924, was the most notorious,
kind of physical challenge.
and most powerful, mobster of
There are clear records of his time. His casket was spe-
ball games being played cially made of bronze and silver,
among Jewish men in talmu- heading a mile-long procession
dic times, and in 19th-centu- that attracted 40,000 mourners
ry Eastern Europe there were and 26 truckloads of flowers.
a number of famed Jewish
"Presidents are buried with
horseback riders, including less to-do," one newspaper ob-
some leading Chasidim.
served of the funeral. Judge
In fact, because Judaism John Lyle summed it up this
teaches that we should main- way: "It was one of the most nau-
tain healthy bodies, you could seating things I've ever seen."
argue that our religion actu-
Guests at the funeral includ-
ally advocates sport — so long ed Johnny Tornio and Al Capone
as it's not a destructive activ- (though the latter reportedly
ity, such as boxing (though was responsible for O'Banion's
this field certainly has had its murder). Among the pallbear-
Jewish stars). The problem ers were Bugs Moran, trigger-
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader with boxing is that the goal of
man Two-Gun Alterie, and
Ginsberg: Will she be the first Jewish
the game is to clobber one's op- Maxie Eisen, president of the
chief justice?
ponent (as opposed to baseball, Kosher Meat Peddlers' Associa-
for example, where one might tion.
11: I recently heard a report about accidently hurt another, but
Sirhan Sirhan, Robert Kennedy's as- this is not the main purpose of Send questions to Tell Me Why,
sassin. After Kennedy's death, I playing). Since Judaism does The Jewish News, 27676
seem to remember Sirhan was some- not permit one to hurt anoth- Franklin Road, Southfield, MI
er for entertainment or plea-
thing of a hero among the Arabs. But sure (this law is so profound it 48034, or fax to (248) 354-6069.
why? What did Robert Kennedy have extends even to animals, All letters must be signed and in-
the writer's address. Ques-
whom Jews are not permitted clude
to do with the Middle East?
tions answered in the column will
A: Robert Kennedy was an to hunt for sport or torture), it feature only the writer's initials
outspoken supporter of the State would be difficult to see how and city of residence.
of Israel, which reportedly is one anyone could say Halachah
of the reasons Sirhan decided to
kill him. When he did, Sirhan,
a Palestinian, was indeed a hero
to many in the Middle East.
Sirhan was 24 when he shot
Kennedy in June 1968 at the
Ambassador Hotel in Los An-
geles. After his arrest, Sirhan
joked with police and readily
confessed to his act, even saying
he was proud of it. Although sen-
tenced to death, he escaped the
electric chair after the Supreme
Court in 1972 voted to abolish
capital punishment.
Throughout Arab countries,
there were signs lauding Sirhan
for his decision to kill a sup-
porter of Israel. Often, they read,
"Sirhan Bishara Sirhan: A com-
What might Judaism have to say about this sport?
mando not an assassin."

RNS PHOTO/REUTERS

Q: I know that many Jews have
served on the Supreme Court, but
have any ever served as chief jus-
tice?
A: No. The most prominent
religious denomination among
chief justices is Episcopalian,
whose adherents have included
Harlan Stone (1941-1946), Mor-
rison Waite (1874-1888), John
Marshall (1801-1835) and John
Jay (1789-1795). You'll also find
members of the Church of Eng-
land, Catholics, Baptists, Uni-
tarians, Methodists, Protestants
and Presbyterians. But no Jews
— yet.

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