Beneath the lights of the CN Tower, the Blue Jays welcomed 97-year-old Holocaust survivor Irene Kurtz to the Rogers Centre field to throw the first pitch of the game earlier this week.
On Monday night, Kurtz put her best effort into throwing the ceremonial first pitch to 26-year-old Jewish Jays player Spencer Horowitz.
After her throw, the two shared a special moment in front of the crowd as the first-baseman offered to sign the ball for Kurtz to keep.
Kurtz, who was born in Warsaw, Poland, immigrated to Canada in 1953 and now resides in Toronto with her three children, six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
She is also a public speaker and published author. Her memoir, titled “The Sound of the Whistle,” retells her emotional life events of surviving the Holocaust and ultimately moving to Canada.
Horowitz, who wears #48 for the Blue Jays, was called up to play for the team in 2023 and has represented Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic.
One baseball fan posted on X her admiration for seeing Kurtz on screen: “Love this. Bless her heart for surviving such an awful atrocity and living a full life with lots of family. She’s amazing.”
One user reacted to the pitch, “What a beautiful moment!” while another praised Kurtz, “Dang Looking good Irene!!”
