Israel's Historic Bobsled Team at the 2026 Winter Olympics

Adam “AJ” Edelman, a 34-year-old athlete from Brookline, Massachusetts, has made history as the first Orthodox Jewish athlete to compete at the Winter Olympics and the first Israeli to qualify for the Games in two sports. After placing 28th in skeleton at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, Edelman has now led Israel's inaugural bobsled team, which he affectionately calls “Shul Runnings,” a nod to the 1993 film about Jamaica’s bobsled team. Edelman’s journey began in 2013 when he was recruited to play for Israel’s national hockey team, leading him to realize the lack of investment in sports within the Jewish community. He aims to change this perception through his Olympic participation.

The Jerusalem PostTimes of Israel

Edelman transitioned to bobsledding after training in skeleton and faced numerous obstacles, including skepticism from Israel's athletic authorities and a lack of funding. The team narrowly missed Olympic qualification for the 2022 Games by just 0.1 seconds. The situation worsened following the outbreak of the Gaza war on October 7, 2023, which saw five team members called into combat and several sponsors withdraw support. Despite these challenges, Edelman remained focused on the 2026 Games.

The Jerusalem Post

Using social media, Edelman recruited a new bobsled team comprised of athletes from various sports backgrounds, including Israel’s first Druze Olympian, Ward Farwasy. The team qualified for the Olympics in late January at an event in Lake Placid, New York. Training has taken place in various locations, including Park City, Utah, and British Columbia, although logistical issues, such as limited training time in Cortina and a robbery of their training apartment, have posed additional challenges.

The Jerusalem Post

Edelman has received significant support from the Jewish community, particularly from American Jews, which he describes as “pleasantly surprising.” This support has manifested through donations and merchandise sales aimed at funding the team's Olympic costs. Despite the historic nature of the bobsled team's participation, some in Israel feel that the story has not received adequate media coverage compared to more popular sports like soccer and basketball.

The Jerusalem Post

While the bobsled team’s journey has been celebrated, some critics argue that the media focus on more mainstream sports overshadows their achievements. Edelman and his supporters, however, leverage the narrative of Israel's underdog bobsled story to advocate for increased investment in sports within the Jewish community. Edelman hopes that his journey will inspire future athletes to pursue sports as a viable career path.

The Jerusalem Post

Israel's bobsled team is set to compete in the two-man races on February 16 and 17, followed by the four-man races on February 21 and 22. Regardless of the outcomes, Edelman emphasizes that his ultimate goal is to inspire others and change the perception of sports within the Israeli and Jewish communities.

The Jerusalem Post

• “The Olympics were the tool, or the stepping stone, to get to the goal, which was to fundamentally redefine, or change, how our community, both the Israeli and the Jewish one, views investment into and the role of sport.” — Adam “AJ” Edelman

The Jerusalem Post

• “So if the change doesn’t come and it doesn’t make an impact, then all of it is irrelevant…” — Adam “AJ” Edelman

The Jerusalem Post

• “I think it means so much to Israelis and to the Jewish community at large to see, with a little investment, how much can be accomplished,” — Jared Firestone, Israeli skeleton athlete

The Jerusalem Post

This narrative encapsulates the historic significance of Israel's bobsled team and the broader implications for sports within the Jewish community, highlighting both the challenges faced and the aspirations for future generations.

The Jerusalem Post