New Jewish exhibition with Aussie connection opens at Lord’s
The exhibition, which features former Australian internationals Julien Wiener and Michael Klinger, was curated by Jewish MCC members Zaki Cooper and Daniel Lightman.
A new exhibition about the Jewish community’s relationship with cricket – with an Australian angle – has opened at Lord’s Cricket Ground, just in time for the second Ashes Test.
The exhibition, which features former Australian internationals Julien Wiener and Michael Klinger, was curated by Jewish Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) members Zaki Cooper and Daniel Lightman. The official opening last week was attended by MCC president Stephen Fry, Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis and former UK prime minister Theresa May.
Klinger, who has donated his Perth Scorchers and Gloucestershire playing shirts to the exhibition, told The AJN he’s happy to be “a small part of it”.
“There will be people flooding through the museum,” he said.
“Going back over a long period in time, and over a lot of sports, there have been some very good contributions from Jewish athletes and cricket is one of them. I was very lucky to play for 21 years all over the world, and at the same time to have such a big supporter base, on top of what you normally have, with the Jewish community, was certainly great for me.”
The exhibition features the stories of well-known international and first-class cricketers from Australia, England, Ireland, South Africa and the West Indies. It uses cricket clothing and equipment, artwork, books, video and other material to tell the story of how the Jewish community has contributed to the game of cricket, and considers the prevalence of antisemitism in cricket and its impact on Jewish cricketers.
Former Test player Wiener, who was Australia’s opening batsman against England in the 1979-80 Test series, and South African internationals Dennis Gamsy and Mandy Yachad attended the opening of the exhibition. Yachad’s tzitzit that he wore when batting for South Africa in the first ODI they played against India after readmission to international cricket in 1991, is exhibited.
Cooper and Lightman said the exhibition was “the fulfilment of a boyhood dream”.
“Short of opening the bowling or batting for England at Lord’s, this has been the next best thing,” they said.
“We hope this exhibition not only inspires the next generation of Jewish cricketers, but also encourages other communities to come forward and tell their stories of their relationship with the great game of cricket.”
Rabbi Mirvis said the exhibition is “thrilling and amazing”.
“If you wanted any proof of the fact that there is a connection between cricket and religion, just look at the name of this ground,” he said.
“This is the Lord’s Cricket Ground, in the same way that this is the Lord’s universe. With that in mind, I’d like to conclude with a brief prayer. May the Lord God bless England to win the Ashes!”
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