Strong, resilient and muscular… that’s us Jews, right?

When we hear of athletic achievements, strong physiques and someone who you wouldn’t push around, do we think of Jews? Well, why don’t we? That’s a question that arose over 125 years ago and a question we are asking again today:

“Refuse to be pushover” - How Muscle Judaism was born

Before there was "Jewish Swag," there was Muskeljudentum — muscle Judaism.

The term was coined by Zionist thinker, physician and philosopher Max Nordau. He attend the Second Zionist Congress in 1898, speaking about Muskeljudentum (German for "muscle Judaism”), a radical call to rebuild the Jewish body alongside the Jewish soul. Nordau believed that centuries of exile, persecution, and ghetto life had reduced European Jews to a physically weakened and spiritually demoralized people. He proposed the image of a "New Jew" — Judea renata, the reborn Jew — strong, healthy, proud, and free.

This vision was not abstract. It fuelled the formation of Zionist youth movements, agricultural training centers, and sports leagues like Maccabi and Hapoel. Jewish men and women began training in self-defence, farming, and athletics. Nordau’s muscular ideal stood in stark contrast to the frail, intellectual stereotype imposed on diaspora Jews. Where antisemitic caricatures had depicted weakness, Muskeljudentum promoted dignity, hakoach (הכוח - "strength") and national pride. It marked a collective enthusiasm for uplifting a people like a rising phoenix.

The Wrestling Rabbi

This ethos culminated in the early pioneers of the Yishuv and later in figures like Rafael Halperin, the observant Jewish wrestler who opened Israel’s first gym — the Samson Institute — in 1949. Boxer, karate competitor, weightlifter, bodybuilder and later a studious rabbi - is life embodied the idea that Jewish tradition and physical fitness were not contradictory, but complementary. Halperin reportedly was once a "137-pound weakling" (62kg) who was "not at all" athletic in his youth. Through motivation and hard work the developed an impressive physique, wrestled as Mr. Israel, rested on Shabbat and delivered sermons in synagogues near his hotel, to "bring honor to the Jewish people" (Steve Lipman)

A New New Jew

Today, with antisemitism on the rise since October 7, 2023, and too many of us losing friends, safety, and confidence, the time has come to reawaken this vision.

Instead of grieving what we've lost, we can build what we need. Instead of victimhood, we choose vitality and resilience. We choose a 21st-century return to Muscle Judaism — a bold, creative, unapologetic revival of strength, wisdom, health, and swag.

Yoel Levy, a personal trainer from London embodies this ethos today in the age of social media. On Instagram @thejewishfitnesscoach he advocates for a kosher, mental-health centred approach to fitness and diet (and yes, that does include challah). He regularly runs marathons dressed as Batman in support for the Bibas Family murdered by Hamas, thus turning suffering into a renewed emphasis for life.

Muscle Is Medicine

Many of us have struggled mentally in the last two years. But according to a 2023 systematic review in the BMJ, physical exercise is just as effective — and in some cases more effective — than antidepressants. Moving your body can transform your mind. Cultivating strength is a way of survival.

Declaring yourself to be a "Muscle Jew"

Jewish Swag Shop's Muscle Tov Collection is a fresh take on classic Jewish power, featuring bold designs and graphic storytelling inspired by historical icons and visionary strength.

• Esther the Heroine: Styled in manga-strip aesthetic with glowing strength and confidence, our Esther design tells the story of bravery through visual action. She flexes not just physical power, but moral clarity. In her words: "I know what I must do, be strong lest I shall perish!"
• Rafael Halperin: Our halftone-style throwback design showcases the Israeli wrestling legend with vintage gym typography and distressed print overlays. Halperin opened the Samson Institute — the original Israeli gym — and reminded the world that Torah and toughness are not mutually exclusive.
• Strength & Chokmah: Designed with graffiti-style Hebrew, layered graphic stamps, and 3D modeling, this piece symbolizes the synthesis of physical power and deep Jewish wisdom. It's not just strength for strength’s sake, but for building a resilient, meaningful Jewish life.
• Shtark Torah Lifter: A muscular comic-book-style rabbi lifts a Torah scroll with veined biceps and a beaming grin. Based on fictional Rabbinic Assembly rulings, the caption reads: "Be not infirm! Be always shtark!" It reminds us that Jewish leadership needs to be strong in body and spirit alike.

These designs aren’t just for the gym. They’re for the street, the Beit Midrash, and the soul.

This Is a Movement

Jewish strength can be part of our revolution - Whether you lift weights, raise kids, or hoist Torahs — now is the time to rise. Be brave. Be bold. Be beautiful. Be part of the return to something ancient, holy, and shtark. Let’s build bodies that house courageous souls.

Muscle Tov.