Women Of Sports & The Bibleনমুনা

“Golfer Laetitia Beck Sits Out Tournament Over Torah-Inspired Holiday”

When Laetitia Beck was 6 years old, she and her family moved from Belgium to Israel in order to draw closer to their Jewish roots. As a 14-year-old golf prodigy, however, she moved to Bradenton, Florida, to train at the prestigious IMG Sports Academy. As a young, Jewish girl aspiring to abide by Jewish Law, she managed to keep a Kosher diet according to the specifications outlined in passages like Leviticus 11:1-47. 

“I just ate the vegetarian option like pasta or pizza and fish,” she explained. “But some of the tournaments don't have any vegetarian options like pasta or rice, so it can be kind of a challenge, but I'm pretty used to it by now.”

Then, while a 19-year-old sophomore at Duke University, Beck’s adherence to Jewish customs came into sharper focus. Vying for a position in NCAA’s Top 30 rankings, she declined the opportunity to play at the UNC Tar Heels Invitational because one of the days of competition conflicted with Yom Kippur—a significant religious holiday commonly recognized as the holiest day for Jewish people. 

On the “Day of Atonement” that lasts nearly 26 hours, Jews are to abstain from work, food, and drink, as well as other common daily practices. Yom Kippur also includes five prayer services and concludes with a festive, evening meal. The holiday finds its roots in the Torah in Leviticus 16:29-31. 

Her decision to not play on Yom Kippur mirrored other Jewish athletes such as Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax who skipped his starting assignment in Game One of the 1965 World Series, and Clara Spitz who gave up a chance to win the 1926 Virginia State Golf Association amateur championship.

Beck’s adherence to the Torah hasn’t otherwise kept her from reaching significant milestones. At Duke, she was a two-time All-American and helped her team win the 2014 NCAA women’s golf championship. Then, in July of 2014, Beck became the first Israeli woman to play golf professionally with her appearance at the Women’s British Open. At the end of that year, she became the Israeli golfer to qualify as fully-fledged PGA or LPGA Tour player. In 2016, Beck was honored to represent her home nation at the Rio Olympic Games.

“My Judaism is very important to me, and I keep all the other holidays,” Beck said. “On Yom Kippur, no matter what, I have to fast.”