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| medal_templates =
| medal_templates =
{{MedalSport|Men's [[basketball]]}}
{{MedalSport|Men's [[basketball]]}}
{{MedalCountry|the {{Canada}}}}
{{MedalCountry|{{CAN}}}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Basketball at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Basketball at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalSilver| [[1936 Summer Olympics|1936 Berlin]] | [[1936 United States men's Olympic basketball team|Team competition]]}}
{{MedalSilver| [[1936 Summer Olympics|1936 Berlin]] | [[Basketball at the 1936 Summer Olympics|Team competition]]}}
}}
}}
⚫
'''Irving "Toots" Meretsky''' (May 17, 1912 &ndash; May 18, 2006) was a Canadian [[basketball]] player who won the first and to this date only silver medal for Canada in the first Olympic basketball competition, playing forward as a part of the [[1936 Summer Olympics]] in Berlin.<ref name="Windsor Sports Hall of Fame">{{cite web|url=http://wecshof.org/inductees/irving-toots-meretsky/|title=Irving "Toots" Meretsky |publisher=Windsor Sports Hall of Fame|date= |accessdate=July 16, 2022}}</ref>


⚫
'''Irving "Toots" Meretsky''' (May 17, 1912 &ndash; May 18, 2006) was a Canadian [[basketball]] player who won the first and to this date only Silver medal for Canada in the first Olympic basketball competition, playing forward as a part of the [[1936 Summer Olympics]] in Berlin.<ref name="Windsor Sports Hall of Fame">{{cite web|url=http://wecshof.org/inductees/irving-toots-meretsky/|title=Irving "Toots" Meretsky |publisher=Windsor Sports Hall of Fame|date= |accessdate=July 16, 2022}}</ref>


==Biography==
==Biography==
Born in [[Windsor, Ontario]] on May 17, 1912, his pinnacle of athletic success was winning the silver medal for Canada in the 1936 Olympics, playing in two games. He was one of only around nine Jewish Olympians from six countries who won medals at the Berlin games conducted by the Nazis while [[Adolf Hitler]] was Chancellor. Many athletes had boycotted the games protesting Nazi rule, and the games were particularly noteworthy as Germany had instigated the anti-Semitic [[Nuremberg Laws]] one year earlier in September, stripping German Jews of their citizenship, rights to a public education, their access to many professions including law, medicine, and theatre, and their ability to marry German citizens. The following month the same laws were applied to [[Black people|Blacks]] and [[Romani]] living in Germany. Jewish businesses had been boycotted, forcing many to close, and Jews could not vote, hold office, or be treated in municipal hospitals.<ref name="SportsRef">{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/me/toots-meretsky-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418003853/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/me/toots-meretsky-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |title=Irving Meretsky Olympic Results |accessdate=9 June 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ushmm.org/exhibition/olympics/?content=jewish_athletes_medals&lang=en |title=The Nazi Olympics (Berlin 1936)—Jewish Athletes; Olympic Medalists |publisher=[[United States Holocaust Memorial Museum]] |date= |accessdate=July 16, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Anti-Jewish Legislation">{{cite web|url=https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/anti-jewish-legislation-in-prewar-germany |title=Anti-Jewish Legislation in Pre-War Germany|publisher=[[United States Holocaust Memorial Museum]] |date= |accessdate=July 16, 2022}}</ref>
Born in [[Windsor, Ontario]] on May 17, 1912, his pinnacle of athletic success was winning the silver medal for Canada in the 1936 Olympics, playing in two games. He was one of only around nine Jewish Olympians from six countries who won medals at the Berlin games conducted by the Nazis while [[Adolf Hitler]] was Chancellor. Many athletes had boycotted the games protesting Nazi rule, and the games were particularly noteworthy as Germany had instigated the anti-Semitic [[Nuremberg Laws]] one year earlier in September, stripping German Jews of their citizenship, rights to a public education, their access to many professions including law, medicine, and theatre, and their ability to marry German citizens. The following month the same laws were applied to [[Black people|Blacks]] and [[Romani people|Romani]] living in Germany. Jewish businesses had been boycotted, forcing many to close, and Jews could not vote, hold office, or be treated in municipal hospitals.<ref name="SportsRef">{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/me/toots-meretsky-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418003853/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/me/toots-meretsky-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |title=Irving Meretsky Olympic Results |accessdate=9 June 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ushmm.org/exhibition/olympics/?content=jewish_athletes_medals&lang=en |title=The Nazi Olympics (Berlin 1936)—Jewish Athletes; Olympic Medalists |publisher=[[United States Holocaust Memorial Museum]] |date= |accessdate=July 16, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Anti-Jewish Legislation">{{cite web|url=https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/anti-jewish-legislation-in-prewar-germany |title=Anti-Jewish Legislation in Pre-War Germany|publisher=[[United States Holocaust Memorial Museum]] |date= |accessdate=July 16, 2022}}</ref>


===Olympic final===
===Olympic final===
The Berlin Olympic final concluded the first official Olympic Basketball competition, with Canada losing the final to the United States, 19-8. Interestingly, Maretsky and his team were given temporary bronze participation medals, but did not receive an official replica of the silver medal from the Olympic Committee until 60 years later in 1996. At the games, the medals were awarded by James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. The game was low scoring, as it was played outdoors in a converted tennis stadium with clay courts that had become somewhat muddy after a heavy rain, making dribbling and ball handling difficult. Maretsky noted that the American's height advantage was difficult to overcome, as at the time rules required each score to be followed by a jump at center court.<ref>"Olympian to Receive Medal 60 Years Late", ''Evansville Courier'', Evansville, Indiana, 27 October 1996</ref>
The Berlin Olympic final concluded the first official Olympic Basketball competition, with Canada losing the final to the United States, 19-8. Interestingly, Meretsky and his team were given temporary bronze participation medals, but did not receive an official replica of the silver medal from the Olympic Committee until 60 years later in 1996. At the games, the medals were awarded by James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. The game was low scoring, as it was played outdoors in a converted tennis stadium with clay courts that had become somewhat muddy after a heavy rain, making dribbling and ball handling difficult. Meretsky noted that the American's height advantage was difficult to overcome, as at the time rules required each score to be followed by a jump at center court.<ref>"Olympian to Receive Medal 60 Years Late", ''Evansville Courier'', Evansville, Indiana, 27 October 1996</ref>


Maretsky graduated from Windsor's Patterson Collegiate where he played basketball and was a football quarterback and then attended Assumption College. Maretsky's memorable team at Assumption won the Michigan-Ontario League and Ontario Senior Men’s titles on the way to losing in the Eastern Canadian Finals to Montreal. Merestky was the team’s second leading scorer<ref name="U of W"/><ref name="Windsor Sports Hall of Fame"/>
Meretsky graduated from Windsor's Patterson Collegiate where he played basketball and was a football quarterback and then attended Assumption College. Meretsky's memorable team at Assumption won the Michigan-Ontario League and Ontario Senior Men’s titles on the way to losing in the Eastern Canadian Finals to Montreal. Merestky was the team’s second leading scorer<ref name="U of W"/><ref name="Windsor Sports Hall of Fame"/>


Prior to the Olympics, in 1935-36, he played for Windsor Ford V-8's, the Canadian Senior Men's Champions, defeating Victoria Dominoes in the finals, 3-0 in a best of five series played in Windsor. Maretsky was the overall leading scorer. This team was selected to play in the Olympics.<ref name="U of W"/>
Prior to the Olympics, in 1935-36, he played for Windsor Ford V-8's, the Canadian Senior Men's Champions, defeating Victoria Dominoes in the finals, 3-0 in a best of five series played in Windsor. Meretsky was the overall leading scorer. This team was selected to play in the Olympics.<ref name="U of W"/>


He concluded his playing career in British Columbia, as player/coach for Port Alberni, the British Columbia Finalist for the 1939-40 and 1940-41 seasons.<ref name="U of W">{{cite web|url=http://web4.uwindsor.ca/units/alumni/sportsHall.nsf/982f0e5f06b5c9a285256d6e006cff78/aeea72f03c80204f85256dfa00681480%21OpenDocument|url-status=dead|title=University of Windsor Alumni Sports|accessdate=9 March 2023|archive-date=July 19, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719120322/http://web4.uwindsor.ca/units/alumni/sportsHall.nsf/982f0e5f06b5c9a285256d6e006cff78/aeea72f03c80204f85256dfa00681480%21OpenDocument}}</ref>
He concluded his playing career in British Columbia, as player/coach for Port Alberni, the British Columbia Finalist for the 1939–40 and 1940-41 seasons.<ref name="U of W">{{cite web|url=http://web4.uwindsor.ca/units/alumni/sportsHall.nsf/982f0e5f06b5c9a285256d6e006cff78/aeea72f03c80204f85256dfa00681480%21OpenDocument|url-status=dead|title=University of Windsor Alumni Sports|accessdate=9 March 2023|archive-date=July 19, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719120322/http://web4.uwindsor.ca/units/alumni/sportsHall.nsf/982f0e5f06b5c9a285256d6e006cff78/aeea72f03c80204f85256dfa00681480%21OpenDocument}}</ref>


Following his final season with Port Alberni, Meretsky returned to Windsor to manage a family business. He continued to remain involved in basketball, coaching Windsor’s Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue’s team to the Ontario Basketball Association Bantam title in 1952-53.<ref name="U of W"/>
Following his final season with Port Alberni, Meretsky returned to Windsor to manage a family business. He continued to remain involved in basketball, coaching Windsor’s Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue’s team to the Ontario Basketball Association Bantam title in 1952-53.<ref name="U of W"/>
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[[Category:Basketball players at the 1936 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Basketball players at the 1936 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Canadian men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Canadian men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Jewish men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Jewish basketball players]]
[[Category:Men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Jewish Canadian sportspeople]]
[[Category:Jewish Canadian sportspeople]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1936 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1936 Summer Olympics]]
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[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for Canada]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for Canada]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Windsor, Ontario]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Windsor, Ontario]]
[[Category:Canada men's national basketball team players]]

[[Category:20th-century Canadian sportsmen]]

{{Canada-Olympic-medalist-stub}}
{{Canada-basketball-bio-stub}}

Latest revision as of 22:31, 10 October 2024

Irving Maretsky
Canadian Team Photo, circa 1936
Personal information
Born(1912-05-17)May 17, 1912
Windsor, Ontario
DiedMay 18, 2006(2006-05-18) (aged 94)
NationalityCanadian
Career information
High schoolPatterson Collegiate, Windsor
CollegeAssumption College, Windsor
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Canada
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1936 Berlin Team competition

Irving "Toots" Meretsky (May 17, 1912 – May 18, 2006) was a Canadian basketball player who won the first and to this date only silver medal for Canada in the first Olympic basketball competition, playing forward as a part of the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.[1]

Biography

[edit]

Born in Windsor, Ontario on May 17, 1912, his pinnacle of athletic success was winning the silver medal for Canada in the 1936 Olympics, playing in two games. He was one of only around nine Jewish Olympians from six countries who won medals at the Berlin games conducted by the Nazis while Adolf Hitler was Chancellor. Many athletes had boycotted the games protesting Nazi rule, and the games were particularly noteworthy as Germany had instigated the anti-Semitic Nuremberg Laws one year earlier in September, stripping German Jews of their citizenship, rights to a public education, their access to many professions including law, medicine, and theatre, and their ability to marry German citizens. The following month the same laws were applied to Blacks and Romani living in Germany. Jewish businesses had been boycotted, forcing many to close, and Jews could not vote, hold office, or be treated in municipal hospitals.[2][3][4]

Olympic final

[edit]

The Berlin Olympic final concluded the first official Olympic Basketball competition, with Canada losing the final to the United States, 19-8. Interestingly, Meretsky and his team were given temporary bronze participation medals, but did not receive an official replica of the silver medal from the Olympic Committee until 60 years later in 1996. At the games, the medals were awarded by James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. The game was low scoring, as it was played outdoors in a converted tennis stadium with clay courts that had become somewhat muddy after a heavy rain, making dribbling and ball handling difficult. Meretsky noted that the American's height advantage was difficult to overcome, as at the time rules required each score to be followed by a jump at center court.[5]

Meretsky graduated from Windsor's Patterson Collegiate where he played basketball and was a football quarterback and then attended Assumption College. Meretsky's memorable team at Assumption won the Michigan-Ontario League and Ontario Senior Men’s titles on the way to losing in the Eastern Canadian Finals to Montreal. Merestky was the team’s second leading scorer[6][1]

Prior to the Olympics, in 1935-36, he played for Windsor Ford V-8's, the Canadian Senior Men's Champions, defeating Victoria Dominoes in the finals, 3-0 in a best of five series played in Windsor. Meretsky was the overall leading scorer. This team was selected to play in the Olympics.[6]

He concluded his playing career in British Columbia, as player/coach for Port Alberni, the British Columbia Finalist for the 1939–40 and 1940-41 seasons.[6]

Following his final season with Port Alberni, Meretsky returned to Windsor to manage a family business. He continued to remain involved in basketball, coaching Windsor’s Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue’s team to the Ontario Basketball Association Bantam title in 1952-53.[6]

Honors

[edit]

He was inducted into the Windsor/Essex Country Sports Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the 1936 Ford V-8's.[6]

He is the uncle of lawyer Harvey Thomas Strosberg. His grandson, Christopher Meretsky, was a first line hockey player for Auburn University.[7]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Irving "Toots" Meretsky". Windsor Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  2. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Irving Meretsky Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
  3. ^ "The Nazi Olympics (Berlin 1936)—Jewish Athletes; Olympic Medalists". United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  4. ^ "Anti-Jewish Legislation in Pre-War Germany". United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  5. ^ "Olympian to Receive Medal 60 Years Late", Evansville Courier, Evansville, Indiana, 27 October 1996
  6. ^ a b c d e "University of Windsor Alumni Sports". Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  7. ^ http://www.canada.com/story_print.html?id=e0620b51-c36e-443f-aa14-50c7bd7f9258&sponsor=[permanent dead link‍]
[edit]
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