Judging a Book by its Cover

Earlier, while waiting for my plane at the Memphis Airport, I walked around the airport bookstore looking for some light reading for my plane ride home from a business trip. While browsing the different sections, I picked up a few books that caught my eye: Unholy Night by Seth Graham-Smith, the autobiography of a woman who escaped Germany in the late 1930s, and a short book about Abe Lincoln (I am a sucker for anything Lincoln). I was always told not to judge a book by its cover, but that's really the only way to browse for a book when you're in a hurry. I wound up giving up on my book hunt and working on this blog post instead. My failed search for a book made me reflect on my business trip, where I spent the last 3 days celebrating Judaism and sports and recruiting Jewish athletes for the Maccabiah Games.

You've heard the joke: "Do you have some light reading? Here's a pamphlet of great Jewish athletes."

Putting aside the fact that that is a terrible joke, that "pamphlet" is due for a serious upgrade to book status and deserves an eye-catching cover. This week, I met some amazing kids and athletes, commemorated the Munich Eleven, and watched with fellow Jews from around the country as Aly Raisman won the gold in the Floor Exercise to the tune of "Hava Nagila." So judge a book by its cover if you have to, but don't judge an athlete by his/her religion.

Memphis JCC Maccabi Games Opening Ceremony