Bruce Pearl Receives Champion of Israel Award for Advocacy After Oct. 7 Attacks
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 4
Bruce Pearl Receives Champion of Israel Award for Advocacy After Oct. 7 Attacks
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 4
Summary
Bruce Pearl received Manhattan Jewish Experience's Champion of Israel Award at its 27th annual dinner, honoring his outspoken advocacy against antisemitism and support for Israel.
Pearl said his stance is about Jewish survival rather than politics, tying it to his family's history of fleeing pogroms and the Holocaust and to his own identity as a Jewish American.
Since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, Pearl has become one of the sports world's most prominent pro-Israel voices, arguing coaches should use their platforms as teachers and mentors.
Rabbi Mark Wildes said MJE's mission is to build educated, proud Jewish identity, adding that anti-Israel protests near synagogues in New York are meant to intimidate Jewish communities.
Pearl said sports can still unify across religion and race, and framed his activism around preserving for his grandchildren the same sense of belonging he found in America.