Lifestyles

Religion of Sports Discussed by Rabbi in Tarrytown

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Rabbi David Holtz of Temple Beth Abraham in Tarrytown discussed the topic “The Religion of Sports” during a meeting of the Men’s Club at the JCC on the Hudson in Tarrytown.

January 5, 2017

by Neal Rentz

Millions of Americans gather every weekend nationwide to take part in community activities, whether in houses of worship or sports stadiums and arenas.

Rabbi David Holtz of Temple Beth Abraham in Tarrytown said last month he sees many similarities between congregants and sports fans.

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Holtz discussed “The Religion of Sports” during a meeting of the Men’s Club at the JCC on the Hudson in Tarrytown.

The word “fan” comes from fanatic and there are sports fans and religious fanatics, he explained.

Holtz said many of his ideas on the connections between sports and religion came from Michael Novak, an American Catholic philosopher.

Holtz said pro football is “almost like Shabbat,” as both are scheduled on regular weekend days. There is a portion of the year during which the High Holy Days are scheduled, just as playoff games are. “The sports calendar has a similar feel,” he stated.

Though fans are not part of the games, they feel they are part of the action in a stadium or arena, Holtz maintained. They feel they are “…being a participant as a spectator,” he said.

Being at a sporting event or attending a religious service is important to the participants because they are part of a large group with a sense of togetherness, Holtz explained.

Religious services and games have regular rituals that are followed, Holtz noted. For example, in the Jewish faith there are prayers, candle lighting and readings from the Torah. A popular ritual at Jewish weddings is the breaking of a glass. There are several rituals at sporting events, including having fans of a college team wear their school’s colors or a uniform of the team they are supporting during the event.

Sporting events and religious services provide opportunities to have socialization at a particular location with both friends and strangers, Holtz added. At a sporting event, fans will celebrate with people whom they did not know previously.

Sports and religion have their own rules and have “a sense of discipline,” Holtz said. The rules of such sports as baseball and football have their own bibles. Many people do not like changes to religious services, while some sports fans were upset when the three-point field goal was introduced to basketball and the two-point conversion option came to football.

A key thing that both sports and religion have in common is the need “for something bigger than ourselves,” Holtz stressed.

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