The Experience and Perception of Sport among Jewish Boys and Girls in Interwar Poland

Abstract:The development of sport in interwar Poland manifested itself through an increase in sporting organizations, improved facilities, and the interest of society. It had a strong impact on the lives of young people, including young Jews. Gender influenced how young people experienced sport, and this chapter explores this aspect based on the magazine Mały Przegląd, which consisted almost entirely of letters from young people. This reveals the perceptions of sport of Jewish girls and boys and provides a rare opportunity to document it from their perspective rather than that of educators, experts, or other adults. The chapter also addresses the constraints on sporting activities that young Jews of both sexes encountered, and reflects on the modernizing, secularizing, politicizing, and integrating impact sport had on them.