Lee & Bernard Jaffe Jewish Book Festival, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater & Simon Family JCC
By the Grace of the Game: The Holocaust, a Basketball Legacy, and an Unprecedented American Dream
FREE & Open to the Community
Sandler Family Campus of the Tidewater Jewish Community
40 years after the game of basketball was first played at the Olympics in Nazi Germany, a young Hungarian-Jewish refugee, the child of Holocaust survivors, became a gold medalist in basketball, playing for the United States in the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games.
Dan Grunfeld, himself a former stand-out player at Stanford, will share the incredible story of his famous father, Ernie Grunfeld, and his family’s journey from Auschwitz to the NBA.
The family’s story traverses the spectrum of the human experience – how perseverance, love, and legacy can survive through generations, carried on the shoulders of the simple and beautiful game of basketball.
“Once I started to read this book, I couldn’t put it down. It’s a true story that showcases the best of America and the human spirit. I highly recommend this book.”
— Wolf Blitzer, CNN anchor and host of The Situation Room
“This story is the embodiment of the American Dream. It shows why we should never stop fighting and never give up.”
— Ray Allen, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer & former US Holocaust Memorial Museum Board Member
Event Quick Links:
Jewish Children's Regional Service (JCRS) Jewish Roots of Sports Gala (New Orleans, LA) @ 6 pm CT
Gala will be held in person. Dan’s remarks will be virtual. Buy tickets to the Gala here.
CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center (Terre Haute, IN) @ 7:30 pm ET
Virtual event. Details forthcoming.
NJY Camps and The Jewish Federation of Greater Metrowest New Jersey @ 7 pm ET
Virtual event. Register here.
*Please note the new date!*
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, in conversation with Wolf Blitzer, special appearances by Lily and Ernie Grunfeld @ 8 pm ET
Virtual event. Register here or click the image below:
