Sandy Koufax

publicity still of Sandy Koufax c. 1965, N.Y. Public Library Picture Collection

Birth Name: Sanford Braun

Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.

Date of Birth: December 30, 1935

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish

Sandy Koufax is an American professional baseball player. A left-handed pitcher, he played twelve seasons for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). A Hall of Famer, he is widely considered one of the greatest pitchers in baseball. He is nicknamed “the Left Arm of God.”

Sandy is the son of Evelyn (Lichtenstein) and Jack Braun. He took on the surname of his stepfather Irving Koufax. He was partly raised in Rockville Centre, Long Island, before his family moved back to Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Sandy is married to Jane Purucker Clarke.

He famously did not play on the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur.

Sandy’s paternal grandfather was Alexander Braun (the son of Jacob Braun and Apolonia Josefa Elizabeth Iritz). Alexander was born in Makó, Hungary. Apolonia was the daughter of Moses Iritz and Amalia Malvina Theresia Plohn.

Sandy’s paternal grandmother was Regina Wohl (the daughter of Morris/Moritz Wohl and Fanny Adler). Regina was born in Budapest, Hungary. Morris was the son of Wilhelm Wolf Wohl and Rosalia Sara Adele Etel Deutsch. Fanny was born in Apagy, Nagy-Kallo, Szabolcs, the daughter of Harry Adler and Gertrude Lichter.

Sandy’s maternal grandfather was named Max Lichtenstein. Max was born in Grodno, Grodna District, Hrodna Region, Belarus.

Sandy’s maternal grandmother was named Dora Wrubel/Orlinsky. Dora was born in Poland.

Sources: https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org

Genealogy of Sandy Koufax – https://www.geni.com