“Rabbi Gordon’s book celebrates the capacity of sports to teach young players important values such as respect for fellow participants, optimism, and a strong work ethic . . . I gained so much from my experiences playing sports in middle school, high school and college and was glad to have a chance to read a book that frames the value of sports in a moral and Jewish context.”

2014 NCAA leader (women & men) in rebounds per game; featured in Faces In The Crowd (Sports Illustrated); Academic All-America at Yeshiva University Stern College for Women

“Rabbi Gordon takes sports stories and creates analogies to real life situations. The stories themselves are very accessible . . . as he highlights the importance of sportsmanship for those inside the game and outside the game . . . To Rabbi Gordon’s credit, he has presented us with a wonderful tool to teach values . . . which are essential not only for young people, but for all people of whatever age. I recommend his work . . . to teach our youth through these sports stories . . . how to model lives of Torah values and proper living.”

Senior Rabbi, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El (Highland Park, IL); Past President: Rabbinical Assembly, American Zionist Movement and Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago

“In teaching and leading students who are maturing, one learns that what counts and what scores is not just what you teach, but your integrity . . . And particularly the teacher has impact by his/her deeds on the sports field, in the gym, and on the court. Rabbi Gordon has written a book . . . which hits home where people live, and particularly, where our growing children live. Rabbi Gordon is an experienced teacher who lives the integrity and the integration of values that the book brings to life.”

Professional Development Consultant, Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago; Founding Head of School, Kohelet Yeshiva High School (Merion, PA); beloved teacher at Maimonides School (Brookline, MA)

“. . . Since I’ve known Rabbi Jamie Gordon I have always been impressed with his unique talent for blending his passion for everything sports with his deep commitment and passion for Torah. Readers of his new book PRAY BALL 2!! Spiritual Insights Into Sportsmanship will be treated to a fascinating adventure in sports history intertwined with valuable life lessons rooted in relevant and inspiring Jewish values.”

Principal, Hillel Torah North Suburban Day School (Skokie, IL)

“A wonderfully rich and invaluable resource for both teaching and learning about character development through sports. Gordon brings engaging examples and insightful observations to support his growth mindset approach to learning about character and identity. This is a must read for Jewish high school athletes, their parents and coaches.”

Head of School, Jewish Community High School of the Bay (JCHS)

“From the earliest age, American children are exposed to sports. Its influence on the American psyche is beyond a question of a doubt. Knowing this all too well, Rabbi James Gordon . . . has published his newest book, PRAY BALL 2!! Spiritual Insights Into Sportsmanship, using sports as a metaphor for life’s lessons. In this work he teaches, without preaching, how important sportsmanship is in our daily relationships. I have no doubt that this book will influence scores of young adults for years to come.”

Senior Rabbi, Young Israel of Century City, Los Angeles; President, Rabbinical Council of America

PRAY BALL 2!! Spiritual Insights into Sportsmanship is an extraordinary work, masterfully blending Torah and Jewish knowledge with American culture in an accessible manner for students of all ages.”

Associate Professor of Jewish History, Touro College and University System; Chief Academic Officer, Hebrew Theological College

“Rabbi Gordon . . . has the unique ability to see vital lessons in what may seem like ordinary stories . . . He makes the almost seamless connection to Jewish sources, and Jewish values. In a unique twist, Rabbi Gordon has brought sport to the day school/yeshiva, and has brought the day school/yeshiva to sport. . . . The book is an eye-opener.”

Rabbi, writer, broadcaster and activist in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; former co-president of the Canadian Jewish Congress

“Youth very readily identify with sports heroes but often fail to see how their significant acts reflect ancient truths. . . . There is no question that Rabbi Gordon has identified an important educational opportunity heretofore  unrecognized, and has effectively provided the tools with which to take advantage of this opportunity.”

Former National Director of the Ramah Camps and Israel Programs; Associate Professor Emeritus and former Chair, Department of Education, Jewish Theological Seminary of America

“Extensively researched and well written, PRAY BALL 2!! Spiritual Insights Into Sportsmanship is not only a book to be read by youth, it will serve as an excellent resource for coaches, counselors, teachers and all who are in a position to influence and develop the character of young people.”

Senior counsel, DLA Piper LLP; former President of the National Ramah Commission

“This . . . book is uniquely insightful and . . . will inspire an extensive and diverse market of Jewish children, teens, and adults. Personally, as a child with an insatiable appetite for sports and professionally, thirty-five years later, as an executive director for organizations serving Jewish youth through camping and sports programs, I only wish this book had previously existed to both enjoy and use as an essential program resource . . . In an era when so many youth (and adults . . .) are in dire need to simply learn to act like a mensch, PRAY BALL 2!! should be viewed as a highly positive contribution toward those efforts.”

Former Executive, Jewish Community Centers

“Anyone who loves sports will enjoy this book. Anyone who loves Judaism will enjoy this book. And anyone who loves sports and Judaism will easily learn lessons about sportsmanship, teamwork, respect and honor that is vital to every aspect of our lives. I wish I could have read this book when I was in school!”

Chicago Sun-Times Sports Journalist

“. . . The media exposes our children to numerous negative role models in college and professional sports. PRAY BALL 2!! can counter these stories with its examples of Jewish male and female sports figures who exemplify derech eretz and kavod. . . .Thank you Rabbi Gordon for providing such an important tool to build passion in our students for the Jewish values associated with sportsmanship.”

Director of Lifelong Learning, Beth Emet The Free Synagogue (Evanston, IL); Former Head of School, Sager Solomon Schechter Day School (IL)

“Why do we love sports? For the action. For the competition. For the stories. For the joy of rooting as a community. And also for the lessons. Games build character, and that’s a lesson Rabbi James M. Gordon understands and illuminates so well in this terrific book.”

New York Times best-selling author of Luckiest Man, Opening Day, and Ali

“Rabbi James Gordon once again does a superior job of tying elements of sportsmanship to the Talmud and Jewish traditions. He uses a diversity of sports figures, ranging from Lou Gehrig to Jerry Reinsdorf, to cite vivid examples of how aspects of their lives and careers can relate to Judaism. The Rabbi’s book is highly entertaining, with keen analysis and perspective. And it teaches many important lessons that can be learned from the sports landscape.”

Author, Babe Ruth’s Called Shot: The Myth and Mystery of Baseball’s Greatest Home Run; former Chicago Tribune sportswriter

“Rabbi Gordon, a one-of-a-kind storyteller, recounts in PRAY BALL 2!! stories about the people he loves best: sports figures and rabbis. Interweaving those stories with memorable spiritual insights, he offers here a book that should inspire students of all ages. The more people who read and internalize the values taught in PRAY BALL 2!!, the better our world will be.”

Joseph H. and Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History, Brandeis University

“This new book by Rabbi James Gordon is a worthy successor to an earlier volume with the same name. Rabbi Gordon’s earlier PRAY BALL! had the subtitle The Spiritual Insights of a Jewish Sports Fan and showed how sacred precepts of Judaism can be reinforced in the proper play of major sports. By contrast, the recently published PRAY BALL 2!!, this time with the subtitle Spiritual Insights Into Sportsmanship, focuses specifically and more deeply on what eternal Judaic precepts can teach us about correct behavior on and off the athletic field. In this latest iteration of PRAY BALL!, as in the earlier volume, Rabbi Gordon proves to be a master teacher who shows that moral rectitude should never be subordinate to physical prowess.”

Professor Emeritus, Center for Comparative Education, Loyola University Chicago

“Rabbi Jamie Gordon has hit a home run! . . . The chapters are filled with wonderful true stories of some present day sports celebrities and many of my heroes from years gone by. As a community based pediatrician for thirty years and former medical director of a Jewish day school and overnight camp, I have seen the need for more
positive stories and mentoring. Rabbi Gordon’s current work will undoubtedly resonate with athletic minded youth of all ages and talent.”

President, Medical Staff, Lurie Children’s Hospital; Past President, Ida Crown Jewish Academy; Past Medical Director, Camp Ramah in Wisconsin; Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

“Would you like to know how the competition between Maris and Mantle was like that between Hillel and Shammai on their answer to the question of whether an unattractive bride can be told she is beautiful on her wedding day? Or how it’s a matter of good sportsmanship not to bring shame on a loaf of bread? You will find the answers in this delightful book about sportsmanship through the prism of Jewish teaching by Rabbi Jamie Gordon. Life lessons abound amid great sports tales.

Sports Journalist; Talk Radio Host

“I thoroughly enjoyed PRAY BALL 2!! I never had a warm, fuzzy feeling towards Jewish education . . . until this book! The comparisons that Rabbi Gordon draws from sports to the Torah are extremely relatable and incredibly entertaining. I found myself flipping through the book with great enjoyment . . . and I learned a lot! The teachings of our people have allowed me to thrive in college at the University of Pennsylvania and through 7 years in the NFL. This is a must read for any Jewish athlete or any athlete, for that matter.”

Former Chicago Bear & Minnesota Viking; ChFC, VP Wealth Management