Rabbi Kaltmann’s enthusiasm for Blue Jackets stands out

It’s very clear that Rabbi Areyah Kaltmann is a passionate man.  

He’s passionate about the Jewish community as the head of the Lori Schottenstein Chabad Center in New Albany. He’s passionate about the Columbus community and the good that can be done to make Central Ohio a better place. 

And if anyone was at the game Monday night against the Dallas Stars, you know Rabbi Kaltmann is passionate about the Columbus Blue Jackets.  

For the past decade, Rabbi Kaltmann has brought the energy to Nationwide Arena when speaking during the team’s annual Jewish Heritage Night. The annual lighting of the menorah during Hanukkah has become Rabbi Kaltmann’s time to shine, as he delivers short but impassioned remarks that can’t help but gain notice in Nationwide Arena. 

“HAPPY HANUKKAH,” Rabbi Kaltmann bellowed into the microphone Monday night before finishing with a hearty “LET’S GO JACKETS.” 

It might seem like an act for the cameras, but for Rabbi Kaltmann, there is a genuine enthusiasm for his faith and the Blue Jackets.  

“The Blue Jackets are the soul of Columbus, Ohio,” he said in an interview after the lighting of the menorah. “The Blue Jackets give us national pride. The story of Hanukkah is, don’t be intimidated, fight on to the end. The Blue Jackets are resilient. We, the Blue Jackets, the Fifth Line, we are family.” 

While the annual Jewish Heritage Night is Rabbi Kaltmann’s opportunity to bring his faith and zeal to a packed arena — all while wearing a white Blue Jackets jersey with the No. 1 on the back and a nameplate that simply says “RABBI” — he’s no fair-weather fan.  

“As soon as they came, I told (founder) John McConnell, God bless him, I said, ‘Thank you for bringing the Blue Jackets to Columbus, Ohio,'” he said. “From the beginning, I’m a loyal fan.” 

In fact, one could argue the Blue Jackets would have done well to invite Rabbi Kaltmann into the locker room for an intermission speech given his excitement for the squad. For someone whose life is defined by faith and leadership, he has a natural ability to see the parallels between Judaism and hockey.  

“We have to inspire our team not to give up hope,” he said. “The Jewish people thousands of years ago, they could have given up hope. They could have forgotten about victory, but we have to give it our best, and when we give it our best, we overcome all difficulties. Hockey is a metaphor for life. We will not give in. We will fight like Blue Jackets to the very end. We are modern-day Maccabees.” 

That gusto for life comes from his experiences, both those as a rabbi as well as in life. Rabbi Kaltmann is often present for the most joyous moments in lives but also those with the most sorrow, and as the son of a Holocaust survivor, he has a perspective not many can share.  

“I like to live life to the fullest,” he said. “Unfortunately, I do a lot of funerals. The most important part of the tombstone is the hyphen. When you were born and when you died, that hyphen, how you fill each day, we have to fill each day with life, with the gusto for being who we are. 

“My dad was a Holocaust survivor. He survived seven concentration camps. He was a happy man, but he never slept one night. Every night he woke up, he had a nightmare, but when he was awake, he was happy, so I want to celebrate life and I want to squeeze as much out of it as possible.” 

There was a sizable contingent of fans Monday on the Scott’s Turf Terrace to celebrate Jewish Heritage Night, and while many only had the chance to see Rabbi Kaltmann during his 15 seconds of fame on the video board, there was much more to the night that makes it one that is circled on his calendar each year. 

“This night is so special,” Rabbi Kaltmann said. “If you have a child, a Jewish kid who goes to public school and he can come here and he can see that he is validated, that Hanukkah is taken on a platform where everyone comes together and it makes you feel good, that’s what the Blue Jackets are all about. We are family.”