RABBINIC PERSPECTIVES: CONVERSATIONS FOR OUR TIMES
Presented by Rabbi Donald Berlin
The relationship between Judaism and sports is often met with puzzlement. What could these two domains have in common? In fact, they share more than one might expect, each playing a meaningful role in human development and reflecting complementary values. This program explores those connections while highlighting notable Jewish figures in sports.
Historically, Jewish attitudes toward athletics were often cautious or discouraging. Jews who did participate frequently faced resistance—both within their own communities and from non-Jewish peers who excluded them. Although overt hostility diminished over time, some of these attitudes lingered.
Today, the landscape has shifted. Jewish families often take pride in athletic achievement, and Jewish representation in sports continues to grow—sometimes in surprising places.
Presented through the perspective of a rabbi who once played semi-professional ice hockey, this program reflects on a personal journey from the rink to the rabbinate, and the lasting ways in which Judaism and sports have informed and enriched one another.
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Rabbi Donald Berlin was born in Montreal, Quebec and lived most of his youth in Toronto, Ontario. He majored in Philosophy at the University of Toronto and graduated from the University of Cincinnati. In 1965, he was ordained at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion acquiring a Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters degree. He was awarded a Doctor of Divinity degree in 1990. In 1976, he became a US citizen and became Senior Rabbi of Temple Oheb Shalom through June of 1999 before becoming Rabbi Emeritus of the congregation now called Har Sinai Oheb Shalom Congregation. He is completing 50 years of service there this June.
Rabbi Berlin has held rabbinical leadership positions both regionally and nationally as well as communal leadership in Baltimore. From 1976 through 1999, he taught at Goucher College under the sponsorship of the Jewish Chautauqua Society. Throughout, he has had a special interest in Judaism and Health. In his spare time, he is an avid fan of all sports.
We extend a special thank you to Andrew R. Ammerman for sponsoring our 2026 program lineup. He dedicates the semester’s learning in loving memory of Josephine and H. Max Ammerman and Stephen C.