In Partnership with Chabad Lubavitch of Indiana and JCC Indianapolis
On September 12, 2024, the Indianapolis Indians hosted a Jewish Community Night at Victory Field, recognizing central Indiana's Jewish community. Jewish baseball facts appeared on video boards, while Klezmer, Israeli pop, and other Jewish music played during inning breaks. Representatives from Chabad Lubavitch of Indiana and JCC Indianapolis participated, with comedian Jared Freid throwing the first pitch and later joining broadcasters Howard Kellman and Jack McMullen for a TV/radio interview.
Before the game, two representatives from the Indianapolis Jewish community threw first pitches: Ethan Cohen, Assistant Director of Youth Engagement at the JCC and BBYO City Director, and Rabbi Dovid Grossbaum, Rabbi at Chabad Lubavitch of Indiana and leader of the local Young Jewish Professionals networking group. Comedian Jared Freid, whose Netflix special "37 and Single" is streaming and whose "JTrain Podcast" has over 450,000 monthly listeners, also threw a celebrity pitch.
Throughout the game, fans could visit tables in the center field plaza to learn about Jewish culture. Representatives from CANDLES Holocaust Museum, JCC Indianapolis, and Team Israel Baseball shared information. During inning breaks, Jewish baseball facts were displayed on the video board, such as "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" being written by Jewish songwriter Albert Von Tilzer, who was born in Indianapolis. The song, ranked 8th on the list of Songs of the Century, is much longer than the chorus sung at games.