Not Just Numbers

Case 10 Conclusion: Sammy Luftspring

Fifteen Minutes

Did you find anything surprising about this person’s life?

Did you make any assumptions that were later challenged?

Is there anything specific about this person that you would like to know?

Details

Sammy Luftspring (1916-2000) was born to Polish Jewish immigrant parents in Toronto’s St. John’s Ward. His parents named him “Yisrael,” but others called him “Sammy.” He was one of nine children in his family.

The Luftspring family made a living selling bootlegged liquor. When Sammy was about six years old, his family had earned enough to move west from the Ward to Kensington Market.

In 1932, Sammy began his career as an amateur boxer. He ended his amateur career with a record of 100-5 before turning pro. A proud Jew, Sammy wore a Star of David on his boxing shorts, and took part in Toronto’s infamous 1933 Christie Pits Riot.

Sammy and fellow Jewish Toronto boxer Norman “Baby” Yack boycotted the 1936 Berlin Olympics in protest of Nazi Germany’s persecution of Jews, choosing to attend the People’s Olympics in Barcelona instead. When their train arrived in Barcelona, people were screaming and frantically trying to board the train due to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. They immediately took the train back and spent time sightseeing in Paris and London before returning to Toronto.

Sammy went on to become the Canadian welterweight champion and the third-ranked welterweight boxer in the world. In 1940, during a warm-up match before his scheduled fight with the world champion, his opponent’s thumbnail made contact with his eye. Sammy’s decision to finish the fight cost him greatly, as the additional damage to his retina caused him to lose vision in one eye, ending his boxing career soon after.

Sammy eventually re-entered the ring, working several decades as a boxing referee, along with his work as a taxi driver and a nightclub manager and performer. He also found work as a whiskey salesman, colour commentator, and operated the ticketing window at Woodbine Racetrack.

For more information:

“Sammy Luftspring.” n.d. Ontario Jewish Archives. https://ontariojewisharchives.org/Explore/Themed-Topics/Sammy-Luftspring.

“Stop 3 – Sammy Luftspring – OJA Scrolling Spadina.” 2021. Scrolling Spadina. 2021. https://ojascrollingspadina.org/project/stop-3-sammy-luftspring/.