NEW YORK (Reuters) — Yuri Foreman has been working towards becoming a rabbi and a boxing champion and is closing in on both targets.
The 28-year-old, a native Belarussian and Brooklynite by way of Israel, is a year and a half from earning a degree in rabbinical studies and one fight away from his childhood dream of winning a world title.
Yuri Foreman Aiming to be Rabbi and World Champ
NEW YORK (Reuters) — Yuri Foreman has been working towards becoming a rabbi and a boxing champion and is closing in on both targets.
The 28-year-old, a native Belarussian and Brooklynite by way of Israel, is a year and a half from earning a degree in rabbinical studies and one fight away from his childhood dream of winning a world title.
On Saturday, Foreman (27-0) meets American Cornelius Bundrage (29-4) in an International Boxing Federation light middleweight eliminator in Atlantic City with the winner getting a title shot against Cory Spinks.
“I started as a kid back in Belarus in the former Soviet Union,” Foreman told Reuters in an interview near Battery Park in Lower Manhattan. “I took it up to learn self defence because I had been bullied a couple of times.”
He was 11 when his parents emigrated to Israel looking for a better life and four years later he resumed boxing.
“I have wanted to be world champion since 15. Now I’m coming very close and the next one is one step from my dream,” said Foreman.
The desire to delve into Judaism came much later.
Foreman said he was not raised to be religious and his family’s move to Israel was for economic reasons.
“My parents are completely secular, to the bone. They moved to Israel for no Jewish reason,” he said.
“I started to get interested in Judaism when I got here,” he said about leaving Haifa for New York after he had won three national titles and exhausted his boxing opportunities.
“Trying for the first time to make a living, turning professional and seeing how you can be screwed, I needed some kind of spiritual support in order to stand and get more bravery.”
Foreman and his wife, filmmaker, model and former boxer Leyla Leidecker, began to explore Judaism.
HOLY DAY
“For the first time I started experiencing Judaism. Even though I lived in Israel for eight years, I didn’t know what Yom Kippur meant,” he said about the Jewish holy day.
“Two and a half years ago my rabbi offered me to sign up for rabbinical programme and this is how I started.
”The yeshiva (school) is two blocks from Gleason’s Gym where I train. So in the morning I would go there for about two hours and study.
“I trained my body right after that. The whole day I felt like I covered two areas, spiritual and physical.”
Foreman now has rabbinical dreams following completion of his studies at Iyyun yeshiva of the Chabad (Hebrew acronym for wisdom, knowledge and understanding) Hasidic sect.
“Perhaps I can have my own congregation and bring Russian Jews closer to Judaism,” said Foreman.
“In Israel it might be interesting. Israel to me is like a holy land and I definitely like to have my base there.”
Foreman said he had been embraced by synagogue members.
“My congegation supports me all the way. When I went there I was already a boxer,” he said. “Rabbi would not advise anybody to do boxing.”
He said, though, that he encountered some negativity in the community.
“They are always saying, ‘you cannot hurt your fellow man’. But when you actually do it for a living and your fellow man signed a contract, he’s aware he’s going to get hit.”
Foreman, a slick boxer who relies on technique rather than punching power, can hardly believe his own journey.
“When I saw recently I was the World Boxing Association number one contender, I looked at it and said, ‘Wow, that’s crazy’.
”But after so much work and so much sweat and blood I deserve it.”
anonymous
is he related to george foreman?
to anonymous
he IS george foreman, yuri is just his stagename
ChabadSemicha-sGoingWayBelowTheBelt
Can a current serial bank-robber also preside as a judge? The disparity in the boxing-rabbi case is all the greater: Gladiators and G-d don’t sit on the same bench.
To chabad semicha-sgoing way below...
Unfortunately you are an ignorant individual, G-D blessed him with a talent and he is fulfilling it to the fullest while simultaneously pursuing torah and mitzvos. Your outlandish remark has no validity and is completely absurd, who are you to dictate on what bench G-D sits ? It is appalling that such feeble shettle-mindedness is prevalent in today’s day and age. Quite sad I think.
Joe
He should fight Salita!
Chaim
Let look at the facts: He is a boxer who is Jewish, he has become religious and now wants to study Smicha, under what basis would the Shliach turn him down?
Alte Miriam
Is he engaged?
Chabad of the Boxing District
…How do you spell Smicha?
As a Shliach, the simple response from myself would be that if Hashem has guided him to be a boxer, then he clearly is not destined to be a rabbi. Not, at least, until he gives up boxing. Before I convince him to be Chossid who listens to the Rebbe’s bakosho to get Smicha, he will be strongly encouraged to find a parnasa more befitting a Lubavitcher. If he’s not sheiach to understand that, then he is not sheiach to get Smicha.
Sounds offensive and insensitive? Nu!! That’s a result of confused Shluchim confusing their mekurovim, not a result of Chassidishe Yidden expressing their shock to this absurd story.
The comments suggest that the way to bring Yiddishkeit into boxing is by learning Smicha! Wrong, wrong and wrong again. This is a confusion sown by a total misunderstanding of the Rebbe’s wish that every Bochur in Yeshiva should get Smicha prior to Chasunah. This confusion has been caused by the new-age Smicha programs who need to bring Bochurim to their community, but realise that if they donโt provide an intense learning program, the Bochurim will sit around driving everyone Meshuge.
Despite this ridiculous story of a shirtless Chabad ordained rabbi, we will continue to sleep through this desperate wake-up call.
To Chabad of the Boxing District
He is getting a Lubavitch Smichah which we all know is just learning some Halochos in a organized curriculum, he will not take the certificate and start pask’ining.
If you disagree with that type of Smichah you should take it up with programs like the RAP and CRC and really most Simich Programs for that matter.
yossi
I cant believe the sickness apparent in the comments going on here. i shouldn’t be so shocked though, its been sneakily creeping up on us recently and is only now starting to surface.. at least it hasnt burrowed into the oustide communities… oh wait, it has.
i wont go into it here, but ill just give u an example as a story.
i was in Montreal for work, and was davenning mincha in the shul downstairs. An apparently non-frum guy came in and starting wrapping tefillin. He looked like a very recent baal teshuvah, and i felt proud to be a lubavitcher at that moment. Here is the ultimate classical example of what the rebbeh worked heart and soul for. As these blissful feelings were settling over me, i saw something that shocked and outraged me so completely, and i think it perfectly emphasizes my point.
He said “ you cant come in here so late and put on tefillin now! dont u know how close to shkiah it is? it doesn’t look right!”
Enough said.
Yossi
michael williams
yuri is a pleasure to watch. his style iw a throwback to the great boxers of the 50s. big differencefrom a fighter..he moves beautiful…he will be a champion..michael
Boxing rabbi = no conflict
To: chabad of the boxing district,
Not everyone can be a Shliach who fleeces his congregants for parnossah. Some of us have chosen to go out there and be professionals, and NOT sell religion. Dont be so quick to write off a man who came from nothing and has turned himself into a world recognized boxing champion…did I mention that i know him personally; and he is every bit the religious, nice, decent, hardworking human being your slandering.
to #2
He isn’t George Foreman, George Foreman is black and created the George Foreman Grill
Manuel Blanco
Congratulations to Yuri Foreman. He has made us all proud as does Dmitry Salita. They do not compromise their faith even under much pressure. Both represent Judaism & their trade in a magnificent manner. Good luck to them both in all their endeavors. We can all learn from their example. I believe Dmitry will too soon have a world title.
Sincerely & Respectfully,
Manny Blanco
masontruth@aol.com