Lightweight: On Barney Ross, a Jewish Boxer in Chicago
Introduction
Beryl Rasofsky, aka Barney Ross (1909-1967), led an extraordinary American life. Growing up in Chicago’s Jewish neighborhood of Maxwell Street, Barney worked briefly for Al Capone before becoming a Golden Gloves champ and then a professional fighter, eventually becoming one of the few triple-champions (in the lightweight, light welterweight, and welterweight divisions) of the sport.
After his boxing career ended he enlisted in the Marines during World War II, earning a Silver Star for heroism when he helped fight off a platoon of Japanese soldiers on Guadalcanal. Wounded, he became addicted to morphine and then heroin, finally kicking the habit and becoming an anti-drug advocate. Two films, including the 1947 noir classic Body and Soul, were inspired by his life, and he was also lifelong friends with Jacob Rubinstein, aka the Jack Ruby who shot Lee Harvey Oswald.
A mash-up of biography, poetry, and memoir—Ross was also the author's third cousin on his father's side—“Lightweight” is a digital essay reflecting on violence, masculinity, and the complex lineage of the Jewish male body.
