Wednesday, September 16, 2026

this time a jew who left mitzvos

 "At the age of 74, Joe DiMaggio was sitting with the American League President and ex-teammate Dr. Bobby Brown at Candlestick Park when the 1989 San Francisco earthquake hit.

Joe DiMaggio was next spotted seeking aid at a Red Cross shelter, holding garbage bags in his hands. "My home has been pretty badly damaged,” DiMaggio said. "And right now they won`t let me back in. They won't allow it." Richard Cramer wrote in his book, "Joe DiMaggio: The Hero's Life", that the garbage bags DiMaggio was holding were full of about $600,000 in cash from memorabilia signings. The "Yankee Clipper" was known for trusting people less and less as he got older, and it seemed to be another sign he was looking out for himself. Joe DiMaggio was held captive for five months by his lawyer, Morris Engelberg, while he died in the hospital. Engelberg had the legendary ball player's 1936 World Series ring pried from his finger moments after he passed away. Engelberg built a trust with DiMaggio by making him more money than all of his previous business partners. However, the deceptive lawyer was hoping to take much more without DiMaggio ever knowing. Engelberg stashed hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of DiMaggio's memorabilia, like lithographs, balls, and canceled checks, without DiMaggio's knowledge, hoping to sell them and pocket the profits.

Yes, Morris Engelberg was Jewish.

Evidence

  • Grew up Orthodox: According to Chabad Lubavitch, Engelberg "grew up in an Orthodox home" in Borough Park, Brooklyn (a heavily Orthodox Jewish neighborhood)
  • Grandson's circumcision: Engelberg told the Los Angeles Times that Joe DiMaggio held his grandson Harrison during the baby's ritual circumcision — an honor typically reserved for a religious, righteous man. When the rabbi asked if DiMaggio was Jewish, Engelberg replied, "No, but he is righteous"

Background

Engelberg became less observant later in life ("synagogue attendance was almost null" by retirement), but remained culturally connected to his Jewish identity. 

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