Today we are joined by David A. Goldstein, author of the book Alley-Oop To Aliyah: African American Hoopsters in The Holy Land (Skyhorse Publishing, 2017.) Goldstein explores the story of the African-American professional basketball players who practice their craft in the Israeli Basketball Premier League, and what that means as far as religion, race, nationalism, power in international arenas, and identity. What are the tensions of African-Americans in Israeli basketball, while why has Israel been a popular destination for African-American players? Why has Maccabi Tel Aviv so dominated the league, while showing itself as a player in the Euro League, yet is widely disliked within Israel? What are the opinions of African-American players who end up moving to Israel on the issues of the country, especially around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Goldstein’s work shines a light on a little known phenomenon, and his interview shouldn’t be missed. James Robinson is a PhD Candidate in the History Department at Northeastern University. He studies international sports history, and US in the world, with an emphasis on urban history and social movement history. He is working on his dissertation about American radicals in the interwar period who used sports as organizing tools. He can reached at [email protected]. For more information, visit jameswjrobinson.net. Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sociology

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