Jewish athletes condemn anti-Semitism after temple shooting
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UNITED STATES—Memphis Grizzlies forward Omri Casspi, who was born in Israel, was early in his NBA career when he saw a picture of himself defaced with a swastika. Arizona Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen grew up with kids who made fun of the size of his nose.
New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman has heard anti-Semitic taunts during games, but he had been willing to write them off as opposing fans "just trying to get underneath your skin."
"You've been called stuff here and here," Edelman said. "But nothing to the extent where it's got me feeling the way a lot of Jews are feeling right now."
In the month since a massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh killed 11 and injured six others, Jewish athletes said they were shocked by the shooting yet not concerned for their own safety as they travel, train and compete.
"There's crazy people out there, and it is what it is," Casspi said. "The notion is that anti-Semitism is dead -- it's always going to be (around). Some people are just like that. There's going to be racist people, there's going to be anti-Semites."
