By Yaffa Klugerman

Knowing she is being watched by tens of millions of viewers, Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman raises her right hand to her left shoulder, and waits for the music to begin. As the first notes sound, she twists, raises her arms, and starts her first tumbling run. By the time she reaches the other side of the mat six seconds later, her body has turned over in the air an astonishing seven times, and has landed solidly with remarkable grace. The crowd goes wild—and Aly has only begun to perform.

Aly didn't just earn a gold medal with her extraordinary floor exercise routine at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. When she saluted her heritage by tumbling to the tune of Hava Nagila, she also won a place in the hearts of Jewish people everywhere. Her choice of music was particularly poignant because the 2012 Olympics marked the 40th anniversary of the 1972 games in Munich, Germany, when Palestinian terrorists murdered 11 Israeli athletes and coaches. To commemorate the tragedy, supporters and relatives of the Munich victims had pushed for a moment of silence to be observed at the 2012 Olympic opening ceremonies in London, but the International Olympic Committee refused.

After becoming the first American to ever win the gold medal for the women's floor exercise, 18-year-old Aly courageously paid tribute to the Munich victims. "If there had been a moment's silence," she told reporters, "I would have supported it and respected it."

Aly said she did not intentionally choose her floor routine music in memory of the Munich athletes. Nevertheless, her gold medal-winning Hava Nagila routine came to be seen as a strong expression of Jewish perseverance and pride.  Soon after, Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Yuli Edelstein extended an invitation to Aly and her family to visit Israel for the first time. And in April 2013, Aly will be inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in New York.

Aly, who lives in Massachusetts, was captain of the gold-medal winning US Olympic women's gymnastics team, and also earned a bronze medal for her performance on the balance beam. Aly was participating in the Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastic Champions when we jumped at the chance to speak to her.

BABA: Hi, Aly. Why did you choose Hava Nagila as the music for your floor exercise routine?

ALY: I used Hava Nagila as my floor music because it has a great beat and also connects with my Jewish heritage. I wanted music that everyone could clap to and get into the competition, and it fit with my religious background as well. I love to perform to it.

BABA: What do you find meaningful about being Jewish?

ALY: Ever since I was little, I always loved the Jewish holidays, because it was a way for me to spend a lot of time with my family and friends. I was always very busy and that was kind of the only time that we could all get together. So those holidays really meant a lot to me.

BABA: Why did you choose to pay tribute to the Israeli athletes killed during the 1962 Munich Olympics?

ALY: Since it was the 40th anniversary, there was a lot of talk. I wished that there had been a moment of silence, of course, and there wasn't. As soon as I won my gold medal, I was asked if I would have supported that in memory of those who lost their lives. It certainly meant a lot that I was the first American to ever win the floor gold medal, and that I did it to Hava Nagila made it even more special at these Olympic games.

BABA: How do you find the courage to perform in front of people?

ALY: I've been doing it ever since I was 2 years old, so it's kind of like second nature to me. It's what I love to do, so it's a lot of fun. Of course, I get nervous performing in front of people, but it's still an amazing feeling, and it's very motivating to keep getting better and better.

BABA: What advice would you give to kids who are afraid to make mistakes in public?

ALY: You can't really think about being afraid to make mistakes, because if you're afraid to make a mistake, then it's more likely to happen. You just have to go out there and believe in yourself, and whatever happens, happens. At times, it can be frustrating; in fact, for me, training for the Olympics was the hardest thing I've ever had to go through, mentally and physically. But I would tell kids to never give up, have fun with it, and believe in yourself.

BABA: Israel's Diaspora Affairs Minister recently invited you and your family to visit Israel for the first time. Do you plan to go?

ALY: It's a huge honor that they asked me and my family, and I definitely do want to go sometime in the future, but right now I'm so busy that I don't have time. I would love to go when things cool down a bit.

BABA: Do you plan to compete in the next Olympics?

ALY: Yes, even though it's going to be a lot of hard work to make it. Most gymnasts are lucky to even go to one Olympics. Gymnastics is harder than other sports, because you're better when you're younger. But I definitely would love to try for 2016.

BABA: Thanks, Aly, and mazal tov on your victories!

Photo credit: Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com