Orthodox Stance

When the documentary of "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg" was released almost a decade ago, it was the first time that I heard of a person of the Jewish faith being in professional sports. However, until now I never would have believed that an orthodox member of Judaism could not only succeed as a boxer, but also get the mainly non-Jewish led ruling bodies of the boxing world to agree to modifications to fit their sport to his religion.

Very early on in the film the 'kosher' boxer Dmitriy Salita cancels a bout in Turkey because the promoters need him to fight on the Sabbath. From that point on, Dmitriy realizes that TV's "Friday Night Fights" will not be part of his boxing calendar, but he does successfully argue for fighting on Saturday nights after sundown (the end of the Sabbath period). Not to mention all the holy days in between, some 70 days of the year that his religious preference interferes with his profession.

Luckily Dmitiy finds some sympathetic promoters and winds up boxing in Las Vegas. With each successive fight Dmitriy soon proves he's not only a contender but a big draw in his new hometown - Brooklyn. As a Russian émigré (from Odessa, Ukraine) and devout member of the Flatbush synogogue, the opportunity to fight in front of his Georgian religious brethren proves to be just the approval and recognition he needs to continue the grueling training schedule.

In between fights Dmitriy works as a cab driver, but always remembers to stay Kosher and observe the Orthodox rules at all times. The story hinges on Dmitriy's determination which never wavers and his ability to outperform his opponents in the ring. He's a real talent worth watching in future.

I won't spoil the ending but even the scriptwriters in Hollywood couldn't have come up with a better way to end this merging of sport and religious faith. If you're going to the festival, put this one at the top of your list! Courtesy of ReelReviewer.com

This film follows the career of Dimitri Salita, an immigrant from Russia who dreams of a career in the fight game. He began training as a boxer at the age of 13. The film is a genuine look at a very special young man who is sensitive and thoughtful when not in the ring. He made a decision to become an Orthodox Jew. This decision could have impeded his progress in the ring. Religious Jews have dietary laws, special laws forbidding work on the Sabbath....and many other requirements which can make competition in a sport very difficult. As an immigrant who believes that America stands for freedom of religion, he refused to give up his religious ideals in order to succeed. In some ways, it is his commitment to his faith which made people respect him even more. His boxing talents however were the ultimate test. He won bout after bout....on to a title. This young man is gentle and sincere out of the ring. In the ring a totally different individual is unleashed. In my mind, Dimitri Salita is far more inspirational than Rock Balboa....although in some ways they were spurred on by the same realities. Poverty is an enormous incentive...rather the desire to lift one's self from poverty has provided the impetus for the world's greatest fighters.