3 minute read
Maccabee of the month: Julian Rainwater
TUESDAYS TOGETHER
By Faye Hedrick,Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida
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This year has been transformative. We have engaged, led, and connected like never before. Last month, after virtual meet and greets, fi fteen individuals—many new, a few who moved back, and some older (self proclaimed) to the community—met to connect in person. We loved hearing stories about what brought individuals to Northeast Florida, how many of our stories intertwine and will continue to do so while living in this collaborative community on the First Coast.
Whether it is through Hebrew school, book club, volunteering, knitting, or shopping, we see many relationships and friendships brewing. Please reach out to me at fayeh@jewishjacksonville.org if there’s anything we can do to help you with your transition to the Northeast Florida Jewish community. We’re so glad you’re here!
Join our next Tuesdays Together on October 5 at 10 a.m. Location to be determined.
JUMBO SHRIMP PITCHER PLAYS FOR TEAM ISRAEL
By Mitzi Saul, Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida
Twenty-sixyear-old Jake Fishman, relief pitcher for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, is excited about going to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan— and to represent Israel. Jake will join Team Israel in late July and have a chance to compete against Team U.S.A. and fellow Jumbo Shrimp teammate Eddy Alvarez.
Jake became eligible to play for Israel in 2019 when he made Aliyah and became a dual citizen. Just before Thanksgiving that year, he spent 10 days in Israel at an unpolished baseball fi eld teaching children how to play the game.
He is one of many Jewish-American players handpicked by Team Israel President Peter Kurz, who has worked to put together a competitive baseball roster on the international stage. The players will be part of the fi rst team sport for Israel at the Olympics since the soccer team qualifi ed in 1976 in Montreal. Because the odds of playing baseball in the Olympics are so small, Jake said, “Going to the Olympics is a dream that I never knew I had.”
In 2017, Team Israel fi nished in a surprising sixth place in a 16-team fi eld at the World Baseball Classic. Some called Israel the “Jamaican Bobsled Team” of the WBC, but by the end of the tournament, they had proven they belonged.
Jake grew up in Sharon, Massachusetts, a small, quiet town south of Boston. He attended Hebrew school and became a Bar Mitzvah at Temple Kol Tikvah (formerly Klal Yisrael).
He played baseball for Union College in Schenectady, New York. In 2015, he was named a Jewish Sports Review College Baseball All-American. In his junior year, and fi nal season with the Dutchmen, in 2016 he led all of college baseball with a 0.41 ERA and had a 7–0 record with 85 strikeouts in 66 innings pitched. He was named the Liberty League's Pitcher of the Year, Player of the Year, All-Liberty League First Team both as a pitcher and as a utility player, and a D3baseball.com AllAmerican.
Jake was drafted in the 30th round of the 2016 draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. In 2020, the Miami Marlins selected him in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. He was later assigned to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp for the 2021 season.
Jake enjoys playing for the Jumbo Shrimp and is friends with just about everyone on the team.
On the little time he has off , Jake enjoys playing video games, exploring new technologies, and runs a side business selling the AVTouchBar app he created during COVID quarantine. It displays an audio visualizer on the touch bar of a keyboard. Go to avtouchbar.com to learn more.
Editor’s note: The interview with Jake Fishman occurred in July just prior to the Summer Olympics.
Photo Credit: Joey Mims
