Manischewitz announced the top nominees for the Manischewitz Jewish Honor Society, a national competition recognizing Jewish athletes in the NCAA. Two winners will be featured on a limited-edition matzah box.
“America will vote to determine the men’s and women’s winners,” Manischewitz said.
Winners will each receive a cash prize of $10,000, recognition at the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and, the company said, “their image featured on a limited-edition Manischewitz matzah box.”
“I don’t know if there’s anything cooler if you’re a Jewish athlete than getting on a Manischewitz box,” said Eitan Levine, also known as “Eitan the Goalie,” whose Tribe NIL initiative supporting Jewish athletes is partnering with the kosher-food brand.
The women’s finalists are Zoe Martin, an Israeli-American who plays both lacrosse and field hockey at the University of Michigan; Elyssa Biederman, who plays hockey for Colgate University; Riley Weiss, a two-time Ivy League Champion basketball player at Columbia University; and Stephanie Yakoff, captain of the women’s tennis team at Harvard University.
The men’s finalists are Blake Hoegler, who plays football for Mercyhurst University; Alex Kranzler, a baseball player at Vanderbilt University; Benny Gealer, basketball team captain at Stanford University; and Lev BenAvram, a sabre fencing Junior World Champion and Team USA athlete majoring in business and Hebrew at Brandeis University.
Talia Sabag, marketing manager for Manischewitz, said the program is “about visibility, pride and celebrating the incredible range of Jewish excellence happening on campuses across the country.”
“The search for the L’Cheisman continues,” the company said.
Voting is open until Feb. 3. Winners will be announced in March, and the boxes are scheduled to be launched in May.
