Rare memorabilia of Jewish Olympic athletes on display. At Levis JCC’s Sandler Center in Boca Raton through Feb. 28

By Dale King
 
The Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community Center’s Sandler Center  has announced its upcoming exhibition, “Triumph of the Spirit: Jewish Athletes Before, During and After the Holocaust.” 

The display, featuring rare and extensive memorabilia of famous Jewish Olympic athletes, opened Jan. 5 at the Judi & Allan Schuman Museum Gallery located at the Levis JCC Sandler Center and will run through Feb. 28, 2023. This exhibition is free and open to the public. 
 
Local collector Neil Keller has amassed more than 22,000 sports collectables overa 35-year span by leading a worldwide pursuit of prominent Jewish figures throughout history.  What started out as a purchase of a 1961 Topps Sandy Koufax baseball card in 1987 turned into three-and-a-half-decade passion for collecting rare and personal items of prominent Jewish sports, political and entertainment figures throughout history.  
 
“I have spent the better part of my life tracking down family members and other individuals that would lead me to discover the stories behind these remarkable athletes,” said Keller. “This has been a fulfilling quest and I am honored to share it.”

The exhibit includes one-of-a-kind items such as autographed family photos that belonged to World Champion Jewish boxer Victor “Young” Perez and well-known boxer Kid Francis, both of whom were ordered to fight other Jewish prisoners to the death. Perez and Francis were internationally known before the war and their items, much to the surprise of Sotheby’s, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. and Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, Israel, have remained in Keller’s private collection for years. These photos, among so many other rare magazines, trophies, trading cards and never-before seen items, will be on display during this exhibit. Also featured are track and field athlete Marty Glickman; Fort Lauderdale Swimming Hall of Famer Eva Szekely and Helene Mayer, named by Sports

Illustrated as one of the top 100 female athletes of the 20th Century, are all featured in the exhibition, among many others.
 
“We are so proud and honored to be able to share this truly unique collection of photographs and memorabilia of Jewish athletes with the community here in Boca Raton,” said Karen Lazar, Arts, Culture & Learning Chair of the Levis JCC Sandler Center.

“We are so fortunate to have unique access to Neil Keller’s remarkable collection. It’s likely the only one of its kind in the world, and the depth and breadth of artifacts and information he has collected about Jewish athletes before, during and after the Holocaust is astounding. The stories of these athletes are inspiring, heartbreaking and truly unforgettable.”
 
To view the complete Arts, Culture and Learning brochure, visit https://levisjcc.org/culture/. All events take place in-person at the Levis JCC Sandler Center located at 21050 95 th  Avenue S. in Boca Raton unless otherwise specified. For more information, call 561-558-2520.