There are many types of Orthodox Jews. And these two men definitely have unique journeys being committed to baseball and religion.
Orthodox Jews and Baseball…and Shabbat
It is definitely not common to have Orthodox Jews playing baseball in the major leagues! The MLB (Major League Baseball) has seen many Jews walk in and out of the field and league. But it has not been the norm for them to be Orthodox. All the past and current Jewish players may even be proud Jews, but now we are talking about practicing, Orthodox Jews. That is unique for the MLB!
Jacob Steinmetz and Elie Kligman both define themselves as Orthodox Jews. And both have been drafted to play in the Major Leagues. Will they be able to stay true to their religion as well as their game? They promise to. They both think it is possible, albeit in different ways.
It is definitely unique though how committed they are to who they are. Especially in today’s world, it can be hard to stay true to who you are with all the external pressures. Religion is sometimes frowned upon, and seeing young individuals put their religion on a pedestal for the world to see is beautiful. They are publicly telling the world that their roots and their religion matter.
Hopefully, people will look to these two young men for inspiration on how to stay strong and stay true to who you are and where you come from. Jews and non-Jews alike can learn a lot from Steinmetz and Kligman!