Matt Turner

Matt Turner is an American professional soccer goalkeeper and United States international who discovered and embraced his Jewish family history as an adult.

Influence and contribution

Undrafted after college, Turner advanced through Major League Soccer to the English Premier League and the United States national team. Family documents revealing his great-grandmother's escape from Lithuania during the Holocaust prompted a deeper engagement with his Jewish roots.

Legacy and significance

His story belongs in Moreshet because identity can be recovered as well as inherited. Turner's perseverance in sport and rediscovery of family memory give younger readers two complementary forms of belonging.

Sources and further reading

• Source profile — The Jerusalem Post

Information reviewed and edited in September 2026.