Jewish racing fans were thrilled to see rookie Robert Shwartzman win what's called "pole position"—the starting spot, ahead of all other racers—at this week's forthcoming Indy 500 competition. The surprise victory vaults Shwartzman into rare company as one of the only rookies to earn the feat, and sets him up to possibly become the first Jewish winner of the famous race since the 1940s. It's major international news—and podcast host Gabe Pulver knows the sport well enough to explain it all to you on this week's Menschwarmers.

Also in this episode, we've got two other big stories out of Indiana. First, the hosts recap the legacy of former Indianapolis Colts owner and general manager Jim Irsay, whose father was Jewish and who passed away just hours before our recording. Later on, they discuss the competitor team to the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals: the New York Knicks, the most Jewish-seeming team remaining in the NBA playoffs, and certainly the one with the loudest Jewish fanbase. (We're looking at you, Timothée Chalamet.)

Credits

• Hosts: James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver
• Producer: Michael Fraiman
• Music: Coby Lipovitch (intro), chēēZ π (main theme, "Organ Grinder Swing")

Support The CJN

• Follow the podcast on Twitter @menschwarmers
• Subscribe to The CJN newsletter
• Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt)
• Subscribe to Menschwarmers (Not sure how? Click here)

Yeshiva University's men's basketball team rose to prominence during a Cinderella run in the 2021-22 season, earning the league's longest winning streak under star Ryan Turell and snatching the number-one seed in Division III basketball. Now, the team is back in the national spotlight for a different reason: a new documentary that follows the boys as they navigate their 2023-24 season in a post-Oct. 7 world.

Rebound: A Year of Triumph and Tragedy at Yeshiva University Basketball premiered in April 2025 on FOX Nation. The team, which had six Israeli players on the roster, deliberated whether to cancel their season outright or play on. They ended up taking a mid-season trip to Israel, where they visited family and bore witness to the recent tragedy, ultimately deciding to use their platform to support Israel publicly.

Director Pat Dimon joins Menschwarmers to discuss why he felt compelled to tell this story and what it was like following the team all the way to the Skyline Conference championships.

Credits

• Hosts: James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver
• Producer: Michael Fraiman
• Music: Coby Lipovitch (intro), chēēZ π (main theme, "Organ Grinder Swing")

Support The CJN

• Follow the podcast on Twitter @menschwarmers
• Subscribe to The CJN newsletter
• Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt)
• Subscribe to Menschwarmers (Not sure how? Click here)

If you're the type of sports fan who wants to root for the most Jewish team in any given postseason, the Edmonton Oilers deserve consideration for your pick this NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. The Oilers may not be looking great against the Los Angeles Kings so far, having been blown out 6-2 on Wednesday night to fall 0-2 in the series, but they're still sporting not just one, but two Torontonian Jewish players in Zach Hyman and Jake Walman.

For a stronger Canadian showing, though, you might look to the Winnipeg Jets. Not a lot of Jewish on-ice representation there, but it's the hometown team of former sports radio host and new Jewish podcaster Matthew Leibl. Leibl is one of the three new voices of Not in Heaven, The CJN's podcast discussing the future of Jewish communal life, which launched this week.

He joins the Menschwarmers to chat about working as a sports journalist in Winnipeg during the Jets' return, what the team meant to his community, why he left the life of sports radio, and why he once embarked on a 77-day roadtrip across North America to visit every major league ballpark in a single season.

Hear Leibl's stories and what else is new in the world of Jewish sports on this latest episode of Menschwarmers, The CJN's Jewish sports podcast.

Credits

• Hosts: James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver
• Producer: Michael Fraiman
• Music: Coby Lipovitch (intro), chēēZ π (main theme, "Organ Grinder Swing")

Support The CJN

• Follow the podcast on Twitter @menschwarmers
• Subscribe to The CJN newsletter
• Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt)
• Subscribe to Menschwarmers (Not sure how? Click here)