The Israeli Soccer Star Who Turned Down $500,000 to Keep Shabbat

Once one of the standout players in Israel’s top soccer league, Chen Ezra saw his career take an unexpected turn when a serious ligament injury brought his time as a professional athlete to an end. Rather than remain in the world of sports, Ezra stepped away from the spotlight and began devoting much of his time to Torah study.

In a candid conversation with Nitzan Peled in Israel Hayom, Ezra opened up about becoming more observant, the financial sacrifices he made along the way, and what he discovered after leaving behind a world of stadiums, crowds, and professional success.

“I Simply Can’t Sell Shabbat”

Even at the height of his soccer career, Ezra made an effort to remain connected to Jewish tradition and observe Shabbat. At times, that meant taking long walks between hotels and apartments located near the stadiums where he was playing.

One of the biggest tests came when he received a lucrative offer to play for a club in Russia.

“I had an offer of half a million dollars in Russia,” Ezra recalls. “I spoke with the rabbi, but I couldn’t do something like that for money. It’s something deep in the soul. I simply can’t sell Shabbat.”

Turning down such a significant sum was not an easy financial decision, but for Ezra, Shabbat was something money could not replace.

Later, while playing in Nicosia, he says he experienced remarkable siyata d’Shmaya. His unusual contract included provisions that allowed him to observe Shabbat, avoid travel on days of rest, and have access to kosher food and suitable housing.

From Stadiums to the Beit Midrash

Today, Ezra looks back at the end of his soccer career from an entirely different perspective. The crowds, attention, and excitement that once filled his life disappeared almost overnight, but he says Torah study gave him something even greater in their place.

“To come from a world of crowds and honor and suddenly have it end in an instant, the Torah didn’t just fill the void; it surpassed it by several levels.”

His daily routine now looks nothing like the schedule of a professional athlete. His mornings begin with an early Shacharit prayer service, followed by hours of studying Gemara and halacha in a kollel until the afternoon.

It is a dramatic change for someone who once spent his days training, competing, and performing in front of thousands of fans.

“Two Lifetimes in One World”

Looking back, Ezra sometimes finds it difficult to reconcile the two very different chapters of his life.

“Sometimes I feel like I am two people in one person, two lifetimes in one world,” he says.

Yet when he sits down to learn, the distance between his old life and his new one quickly becomes clear.

“By the first Rashi, you already forget everything.”

For Ezra, leaving professional soccer did not simply mean losing the career that had defined him for years. It opened the door to a completely different life, one centered not on the roar of the crowd, but on Torah, Shabbat, and the values he decided were worth more than even the biggest contract.