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Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of
Fame Announces 2022 Inductees
T JARRAD SAFFREN | STAFF WRITER
he Philadelphia Jewish Sports
Hall of Fame still doesn’t have a
home after being flooded out of
the Jewish Community Services building
last summer. But for the second year in
a row, that peripatetic existence will not
stop the hall from holding its annual
induction ceremony.

On Sept. 21 at Congregation Rodeph
Shalom on North Broad Street, the
PJSHF will induct six members into local
Jewish sports lore. They are:
Brent Novoselsky: a University of
Pennsylvania football player who went
on to an NFL career with the Chicago
Bears and Minnesota Vikings.

Jimmy Kieserman: the Abington High
School basketball standout who also
played at the University of Miami and in
the Maccabiah Games four times.

Brandi Millis: the Cheltenham High
School basketball standout who grad-
uated to play for the University of
Richmond and then professionally in
Israel. Sarah Friedman: a four-year soccer
player at Penn.

Jeff Asch: a local sports journalist and
broadcaster for KYW and other stations.

The late Harry Lewis: a welter-
weight boxing champion who lived in
Philadelphia. Those six were chosen from a group
of more than 80 nominees, according to
Steve Rosenberg, the hall’s chairman.

“This year’s class is exceptional,”
Rosenberg said. “We have a person that
played in the NFL. We have a woman
who played professionally in Israel. We
have Harry Lewis, one of the great names
in boxing history.”
We all know the old, often-used joke
about Jews and sports. And in competi-
tion for a Jewish hall of fame, athletes are
going against fewer opponents. But for
the five living inductees, the accomplish-
ment is still a highlight.

After learning of their selections, all
five took a minute to reflect on what it
meant. Brent Novoselsky
“To be inducted to the Philadelphia
Jewish Sports Hall of Fame is really spe-
cial to me because my time in Philly at
Penn really was some of the best times
of my life, some of the greatest football
days of my life. I still have many great
memories and the program we built at
Penn and just the tremendous team-
mates that I had really have just allowed
me to excel and be all I could be.”
“I’m really excited to get back there
and celebrate. I got some teammates
coming and some family, and it’s going
to be a great time.”
Jimmy Kieserman
“It’s a culmination of everything I’ve
done in my career. As long as that
hall exists, my name is going to mean
something — not just for athletics but
Jewish athletics. That to me is really
cool and special.”
“If it wasn’t for the Jewish hall of
fame, I’d just be another athlete. People
in our religion look up to that. Little
Jewish kids at camps. People that are
going to get involved in Maccabi.”
Brandi Millis
“It really justifies the background
work that was put into my career. The
behind-the-scenes stuff that people
never really know or appreciate. It’s the
hours I spent in the backyard as a kid,
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8 SEPTEMBER 1, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM



Brandi Millis
in the rain, in the snow, in the summer
when my friends were at camp.”
“It’s a culmination of all that hard
work.” Sarah Friedman
“One thing I was saying to my husband
last night, we had a baby 10 months
ago. I was saying to him last night that
my life for the last two years has basi-
cally been all about baby. Getting this
reward has reminded me of something
prior to baby. Something that was so
important to my life.”
“I got recruited. It helped me to get
into college.”
Jeff Asch
“When they called and told me I was
being inducted into the Philadelphia
Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, I didn’t know
what to say and I started to cry. It means
so much to be recognized for something
you did for such a long period of time.”
Sarah Friedman
“Th is is feedback that what I did for
so many years, people really did hear
me tell stories. I worked holidays, week-
ends, nights, overnights and mornings. I
worked seven days a week for much of my
career. But I never felt that it was a job. I
didn’t know what the day would hold.”
*** At last year’s ceremony, the hall
required people to show COVID vaccina-
tion cards at the door and to wear masks
while inside. Th is year, there will be no
such restrictions, though Rosenberg did
say to stay home if you’re sick.

He also mentioned that the hall is
looking into making the Kaiserman JCC
in Wynnewood its new home. Rosenberg
believes that it’s important for the hall to
have a permanent location again.

“People are going to be able to take
their friends and family and say,
‘Th ere’s my name,’” he said. JE
jsaff ren@midatlanticmedia.com
Jeff Asch
Photos Courtesy of the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
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