By Daniel Halickman

On November 3, Chaim Galbut is set to make history when the 6-foot-7 forward takes the court for Duquesne University, potentially becoming the first Shabbat-observant Orthodox Jew to play Division I basketball.

Galbut attended Miami Country Day School, a private school in Miami, Florida, where he averaged 16.5 points and 10 rebounds per game during his senior season with the Spartans.

His breakthrough came in the summer of 2025, when he played for JDS Elite, an all-Jewish basketball team that travels across the country to compete. Galbut made a name for himself at tournaments in Atlantic City and Las Vegas, showcasing his athleticism and dominating fellow prospects hoping to play college basketball.

His performances attracted interest from several colleges looking to recruit him. However, when Galbut informed prospective schools that he would not play on Shabbat, many lost interest, presenting a significant obstacle in his pursuit of a Division I opportunity.

His powerful dunks and impressive performances eventually caught the attention of the Duquesne Dukes, who saw an opportunity to bring the talented forward into their program while accommodating his religious observance.

Duquesne head coach Dru Joyce addressed the challenge of accommodating Galbut’s commitment to Shabbat and other Jewish holidays in an interview with *The New York Post*.

“We knew accommodating Chaim would not be easy, but we saw an opportunity for both the player and the program to grow,” Joyce said.

Duquesne, a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has a notable basketball tradition and counts Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell among its alumni.

Galbut will also have an Israeli teammate on the roster in junior forward Yoav Berman. The 6-foot-6 Berman was born in Tel Aviv and grew up in Ganei Tikva before transferring to Duquesne from Queens College, where he averaged 12.3 points per game last season.

Galbut officially committed to the Dukes on April 22, following a year spent studying at a yeshiva in Israel.

For Galbut, the opportunity represents more than simply reaching the highest level of college basketball. He has made it clear that his identity as a basketball player does not come at the expense of his Jewish faith.

By pursuing his Division I dream while remaining committed to observing Shabbat, Galbut hopes to prove wrong those who believed that playing at that level and maintaining his religious principles could not go hand in hand. His anticipated debut would mark a significant milestone, demonstrating that a commitment to faith and the pursuit of athletic excellence do not have to be mutually exclusive.