Still smarting from Ryan Braun’s problems?
Meet Naomi Kutin and Jason Goldstein.
Kutin, the Jewish Standard reports, packs more muscle than you could imagine inside a 92-pound body:
The Yeshivat Noam fifth-grader recently broke the world record for raw squatting by lifting 215 pounds — more than twice her own weight. The previous record for her weight division was 209 pounds, which was set by a 44-year-old European woman last summer. “It was quite an accomplishment,” said her mother, Neshama Kutin, in a modest understatement.
Kutin said she enjoys every moment. “I like the whole feel of getting up there and being strong.” …
For Kutin, her victory meant more than fame or gold medals. She was making a social statement on behalf of children everywhere. “Sometimes adults think kids can’t do things because we’re kids. I showed that we really can do it.”
Because the Kutin family is Shabbat-observant, special accommodations were made for Naomi so she did not have to compete on Saturday.
Goldstein is a high school baseball phenom who the Chicago Jewish News says has a real shot to play in the Big Leagues:
He’s got an older brother in college, parents who are proud of him, a high GPA and an ambition to go into engineering. He takes a lot of pride in being Jewish. He’s a big Cubs fan.
He’s also one of the top high school baseball players in the country, so good that scouts for Major League teams come to watch him practice during the off season. He has been named the top high school catcher in Illinois by several sources.
What 17-year-old Jason does after he graduates could go one of two ways. He could be drafted by a Major League team, or he could play for (and study engineering at) the University of Illinois and wait for the next MLB draft window to open, after his junior year. Either way, baseball fans can expect to hear the name Jason Goldstein a lot in future years.
