If you’re venturing to M&T Bank Stadium for a Ravens game, you come across many tailgates big and small. Some are no more than a single pickup truck with a portable grill and some beers. Some folks bring prepared foods in plastic containers and have a TV screen mounted on the trunk of their car so attendees can watch pregame shows.
In Lot H last Sunday, Dec. 7, there was even an EMT ambulance that had its lights flashing, with folks seated in the back enjoying non-emergency food and company.
For the entirety of the 2025 NFL season, these have been joined by the Chabad of South Baltimore’s “Jewish Tailgate.” They serve kosher wings and hot dogs, jam out to Hebrew hits, wrap tefillin and give out Chanukah and Shabbat candles to those who want them.
They stand at the corner of Lot G every Sunday, proudly showcasing their Judaism in the shadow of the stadium.
“I had played around with doing something at the stadium, because we’re so close to it,” Rabbi Yaakov Kaplan of the Chabad of South Baltimore said. “A fellow reached out to me who does this stuff at the stadium in Miami with Dolphins games, and he said, ‘Do you think something like this will work for you?’”
Kaplan decided quickly that it was a great idea, and started planning last year. On Sunday, Sept. 14, the Ravens Jewish Tailgate premiered.
“We had no idea what was going to happen. We didn’t know if it would succeed — I had never even been to a tailgate,” Kaplan said. “The first game was actually amazing. We had so many people come, and we had great feedback.”
Mendel Marrus is from Miami, but attends a Jewish school in Pennsylvania. He came down to Baltimore to help work the tailgate on Dec. 7, and said that he warmed up to it quickly even though it was a new experience.
“It was a little weird in the beginning, but then you realize that, listen, the majority of the world isn’t Jewish, so why should this be any different?” he said. “But a lot of these non-Jews, we were vibing with them. We’ve been chilling with other tailgates, just playing music and vibing.”
Mendy Cohen is another young Jew who teamed up with the Chabad to work at the tailgate. He likened the Jewish spirit to a candle.
“We’re here to spread the light,” Cohen said. “We need to be a light, like a menorah.”
Alex Levy is a Baltimorean Jew who stopped by the tailgate to see what it was all about. While he’s not actively observant, he said he was happily surprised to see folks wrapping tefillin outside of an NFL game. Decked out in black and purple, Levy had a smile on his face.
“I think it’s great,” he said.
Some might wonder if being so visibly and proudly Jewish puts the members of the tailgate at risk. Kaplan said that, from what he has seen, the tailgate has shown that most people are accepting of their fellow Jewish Ravens fans.
“Maybe, in my own cynicism, I was surprised, but it has been so overwhelmingly positive. We have people that come over and they’re just so happy we’re there. [They say] ‘I’m so happy to see you guys here, and we support you.’ And this is every single game — it’s really amazing. It shows us what I think a lot of us know to be true,” he said.
Unfortunately, that dynamic doesn’t always hold true, and there are some people who like to make jokes at the expense of Jews. One young man approached the table and took part in wrapping tefillin, received congratulations and pats on the back for it, and claimed that, even as a practicing Jew, it was his first time doing so. He said he attends Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School.
However, Beth Tfiloh has no record of a student by his name, and the man later admitted in a message exchange with Baltimore Jewish Times that he is not Jewish.
That’s just one example of the Jewish Tailgate encountering less than a warm welcome, even when it may seem otherwise.
There were people yelling “Free Palestine” at them, and there were both Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers fans who noticed the tailgate, started laughing and then snuck pictures of the group of proud Jews.
One look at the comments on a viral Instagram reel the tailgaters posted earlier this year shows that not everyone thinks that being outwardly Jewish and enjoying something as benign as a tailgate is a good thing.
The Jewish Tailgate captains are undeterred, though. Marrus said that it’s just another day as a Jewish person.
“Say whatever you want, it doesn’t affect us. You can believe what you want to believe. We’re not against that, we’re just trying to help our own culture, we’re not trying to restrict what you have the freedom to say,” he said. “If you want to believe in Palestine, go ahead. We’re not trying to shove you down and destroy you. We’re just here for our own people and other people as well.”
So, why a tailgate? How does that fit with Jewish ideals? Kaplan said that it actually makes all the sense in the world.
“Judaism is not based on the synagogue. Actually, more of the commandments that we have than not are based around the person in a home,” Kaplan said. “And if there are a lot of Jewish people — and there are — who are supportive of the Ravens, then why not? Let’s bring Jewish pride to the stadium. Let’s do it — let’s do it the Jewish way.”
