"Hammerin' Hank" Greenberg in 1946, his first full season back after returning from World War II. The Tigers' star led the American League that year with 44 home runs and 127 RBIs, proving he hadn't lost his edge.

As Hank Greenberg walked to the plate during the 1935 World Series, a chorus of taunts could be heard from the opposing dugout and the crowd. The jeering grew louder and hate filled words rained down on him as he stepped in to take the first pitch.

This was not something new for the Detriot Tigers' star player who endured anti-semitic slurs at almost every ballpark he played in. Finally the umpire stepped in and stopped the game until the taunting subsided.

Such scenes resonate throughout Avivia Kemper's award winning documentary "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg," which tells the story of the first prominent Jewish baseball player. The film was screened on Nov. 8 at the Kraft Family Center for Jewish Life and featured an introduction by the late Hank Greenbeg's son, Steven, and Provost Jonathan Cole.

"This film was a hit on so many levels, a great portrait of the excitement and remarkable talent in America's favorite sport," said Rabbi Charles Sheer, Columbia's Jewish Chaplain. "The film was a great antidote to our emotional state since Sept. 11—we all came out uplifted by it."

Cole, a former Columbia baseball player, called Greenberg a "legendary player." "I am a great baseball fan. As a child I memorized every baseball statistic, and for many reasons really admired Jackie Robinson," Cole said, "Greenberg really helped to set the stage for (Robinson's) breaking the color barrier. His legacy goes beyond baseball."

With every homerun he hit and every championship the Detriot Tigers won, Greenberg deflated stereotypes that Jews could not compete at the sport's highest level. Despite the intensity of the discrimination, he refused to change his name in an attempt to pass as Christian, like so many Jewish athletes at the time had done. His heroism began to break down barriers of discrimination on the baseball field, paving the way for future fights against prejudice.

"My father was an important symbol for Jewish people during a very tough time in our history," said son Stephen, "and I think an analogy to Jackie Robinson is appropriate."

Part of the reason for Greenberg's cultural significance was his success as a player. He led Detroit to numerous American League Pennants and to a World Series Championship in 1935. He was the first player to be named Most Valuable Player at two positions, and he narrowly missed breaking Lou Gehrig's RBI record and Babe Ruth's homerun record.

Greenberg's career ended as Robinson's began, but retirement did not end his fight against discrimination in baseball. As General Manager of the Cleveland Indians he helped to integrate the American League.

Even though Greenberg was recruited to play for Princeton, his family does have a Columbia connection. His son Stephen hit a game-winning three-run homerun against Columbia when he played for Yale. Hank's granddaughter, Melanie, is currently a first-year student in the School of General Studies.

For Melanie, sharing her grandfather's legacy with the Columbia community was a special experience, "I spent a lot of time with him when I was younger, and I'm really proud of what he accomplished," she said.

The screening was part of a series of outreach programs sponsored by the friends of the Columbia-Barnard Hillel and open to students, alumni, faculty, parents and the Morningside Heights community. Click here for more information on the film.