Smorgon puts religion ahead of footy
PRESIDENT of AFL club the Western Bulldogs David Smorgon will not be attending his side's preliminary final on Friday night because of Rosh Hashana.
ADAM KAMIEN
PRESIDENT of AFL club the Western Bulldogs, David Smorgon, raised eyebrows in the football world this week, when he told the media he would not be attending his side’s do-or-die preliminary final against St Kilda on Friday night because of Rosh Hashana.
The Bulldogs are one win away from a grand final berth and are rated a genuine chance to snap a 55-year premiership drought this year, but Smorgon told The AJN he’s had time to come to terms with the missing the crucial game.
“When I first looked at the draw, which was released last October I did a calculation and said ‘well if we’re god enough, we have to play in a preliminary final and that falls on either the Friday or Saturday, which is erev Rosh Hashana or first day’,” Smorgon said.
“We all have personal beliefs, but the minute I realised it [Rosh Hashana] was on preliminary final day, it really was a very quick and easy decision [not to attend]. My Judasim comes first.”
In 2000 then Melbourne Demons president Joseph Gutnick missed his side vying for a premiership against Essendon, with the grand final being played on a Saturday.
“[Gitnick’s] Judaism and my Judaism are a little bit different but I feel i need to do what’s right and I’m also conscious of responsibilities to the community because clearly after 13 years [as Bulldogs president] you do have a profile … I’m proud of what I’m doing,” Smorgon said.
“[The Bulldogs] has been a large part of my life but I’ve been Jewish from day one. It doesn’t for one second mean my commitment to the club is less, but my commitment to Judaism is obviously stronger for a whole lot of reasons.
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