Israel Swings for Gold

Overview

In 2021, Israel’s baseball team made its Olympic debut. Barred from media access in Tokyo’s Olympic Village, the players filmed their own journey. Many were recent Israeli citizens, and they faced unexpected hostility—antisemitism and anti-Zionism—along the way. Though they didn’t reach the podium, their triumph came on the field. Israel Swings for Gold continues the story begun in the 2018 film Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel, which chronicled Israel’s underdog run at the 2017 World Baseball Classic.