Observant Orthodox Jews very rarely compete in the major college sports due in large part to religious restrictions preventing them from playing on Friday night or Saturdays. But Chaim Galbut intends to be one of the first to play four years of Division I college basketball while still observing his faith.
On Wednesday, Galbut formally committed to Duquesne University. He made his commitment with the team understanding that his religious observance will prevent him from playing in potentially dozens of games over the next four years.
NEWS: Chaim Galbut has committed to Duquesne, where he'll aim to become the first observant Orthodox Jew to play four years of DI college basketball.
The 6'7 forward observes the Sabbath and was discovered on social media by Duquesne, throwing down dunks in a yarmulke. pic.twitter.com/6RZqpSP9IR
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 22, 2026
Nevertheless, sports fans – especially Jewish sports fans – were thrilled to hear that Galbut will be getting a chance to live his college basketball dream without having to sacrifice his religious observance to do so.
"Love this. Mazal tov to Chaim!" one user wrote on X.
"My little Jewish heart is jumping for joy," wrote another.
"Dude Israeli good at basketball," a third joked.
"Dawg I saw him play this summer he’s actually legit."
"In the past 3 years we have had an Orthodox Jew in each of the big 3 sports at the Division 1 level. Let that sink in."
"D1 is in for a lot of learning the next few years. New words, new religious customs, new foods, lots of new friends named Ari. In D3 we’re 5-6 years into this…and in a pretty great spot."
Duquesne Basketball
While they may not be a college basketball superpower, the Dukes have enjoyed a fair amount of success on the court. Just two years ago, during their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1977, 11-seeded Duquesne made national waves by upsetting 6-seeded BYU amid March Madness.
Duquesne enjoyed the height of its power in the middle of the 20th century, winning the NIT in 1955 and developing many NBA players including future Hall of Famer Chuck Cooper.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Apr 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Basketball section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.