Deaf Jews in Sports
by Barry Strassler
Athletic Prowess Is A Best Kept Secret
Lee Brody
Lee Brody is best known for his pioneering efforts in the world of TTYs and telecommunications. His non-profit company, Phone-TTY, Inc. located in New Jersey, first came up with the world's lowest cost TTY modem for Model 15, 28 and 32 machines. Then his company came up with an extensive line of assistive devices -- doorbell and phone ringing lights., wake up devices, baby cry lights, etc. And now, while he sells portable TTY's and telecaption decoders, he is pushing hard for computer literacy among deaf TTY users. Actually his list of accomplishments is too long to be concised in this column.
Brody is a well known figure, manning the Phone-TTY Inc. booths at national conventions and at big events. And he will gladly talk about high technology devices and issues for hours at a time.
But ask anyone if they were aware of Brody's involvement in sports - the answer would be a blank. He has never been involved in AAAD or the World Games of the Deaf or anything remotely connected to deaf athletics, and it is hard to conjure an image of him as an athlete. Nor does he talk about college and professional sports even though he lives practically in the backyard of New York Giants, New Jersey Devils, New Jersey Nets, New York Jets and Rutgers University athletic teams.
Yet a much-younger Brody was heavily involved in athletics even though he doesn't talk much, if any, about it.
As a student in high school during the World War II years Brody was everyone's typical jock; he was husky and rugged enough as a 185 lb youngster - a first team starter on the football team, a basketball player and a fencer for his high school team. He was also a Golden Gloves boxer and fought at the legendary and long demolished 50th Street Madison Square Garden. And that was not all - he was also a serious body builder. Many years later his muscles would stand him in good stead while lifting and transporting these bulky mechanical TTY machines around, and taking TTY engines out of the chassis.
Though busy with high school athletics, sports was just a phase of Brody's frenetic pace at the ripe young age of 17 - tinkering with chemicals in his basement lab, serving as an officer with the Civil Air Patrol, teaching morse code and military psychology, and sitting in as a Sunday mornings spotter looking for enemy aircraft in a New Jersey tower.
After the war ended and entering college, Brody curtailed his athletic activities. And that was it for him - but it was only a beginning of his diverse endeavors - hearing aid a salesman, real estate management, tool and die maker before founding the world reknown Phone-TTY Inc.
Looking back on his days in sports, Brody said "It is not all business. It is the desire to take big steps in life and to enjoy yourself."
Many people say that participation in sports best prepares individuals for many years of real life. Sports, indeed, has prepared Lee very well as he has plunged into life's activities with enthusiasm and vigor. In other words sports has been very good to Lee even if he doesn't talk much about it.
Amen, Lee!