Fighting for belonging: A Jewish boxer's extraordinary journey through poverty, faith, and tragedy

Yuri Foreman, Israel's first major professional boxing world champion, was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame on October 25, 2026. Born in Belarus in 1980, he immigrated to Israel at age 10, struggled with poverty and alienation, and moved to New York in 1999. He won the WBA super welterweight title in 2009 and defended it at Yankee Stadium in 2010 before a knee injury ended the fight.

Yuri Foreman, who became Israel's first major professional boxing world champion in November 2009, was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame on October 25, 2026. Born in Gomel, Belarus in 1980, Foreman immigrated to Israel at age 10, struggling with language barriers and poverty as his parents worked cleaning offices. He faced frequent fights at school due to his immigrant background. After his mother died in 1998, Foreman moved to New York in 1999 to pursue professional boxing. He won the WBA super welterweight title by defeating Daniel Santos in Las Vegas in 2009. His title defense against Miguel Cotto at Yankee Stadium in June 2010 ended due to a serious knee injury. Foreman, now 46, described feeling like a 'second-class citizen' in Israel from 1991 to 1999 but said hearing 'Hatikvah' at Yankee Stadium made him feel he 'represented the whole planet.' The article notes his childhood obsession with the Rocky films and his belief that the fictional underdog inspired more young boxers than real champions.