American Jewish Olympian Aly Raisman. Photo: YouTube/Screenshot.

Jewish American gymnast Aly Raisman was recently listed by the Boston Globe newspaper as one of their Bostonians of the Year. Raisman, 18, is from Needham, a nearby suburb of Boston. Her inclusion on the list did not come without controversy, as Raisman, as well as the other winner of the “Bostonian of the year” award do not actually live in Boston. Local blogs such as UniversalHub have criticized the Globe for not focusing on the city in its choices.

Raisman captured three medals with her team at the Olympics, including the first gold for Team USA for a floor routine. She was one of three Jewish gold medalists in the 2012 summer games.

Perhaps what is most remarkable about Raisman’s personal routine and her win, was that it was set to the traditional Jewish folk song Hava Nagila. An unusual choice for a gymnastic performance, reflective of her heritage, and a remarkable contrast when compared to others performances, like the US men’s team’s over-the-top routine set to “Sexy and I Know It” by LMFAO.

In America’s long history at the Olympics, the Summer 2012 games signaled another important change: there were more female competitors than men on Team USA.