JERUSALEM -- When Gershon Luxemburg started his boxing club 30 years ago, he was looking to build champions, not bridges.
But thanks to a loyal cadre of Jewish and Arab fighters who flock to his stuffy gym inside a converted underground bomb shelter, Luxemburg's club has become a rare melting pot that brings the warring sides closer together -- one punch at a time.
Luxemburg and his brother Eli run Jerusalem's only official boxing club. The cramped, smelly gym has pictures of Muhammad Ali and other boxing greats gracing the walls and an assortment of heavy bags hanging from the ceiling. Located in a neighborhood in Jewish west Jerusalem, it draws boxers from all parts of the city and has become a second home for both aspiring professionals and amateurs looking to learn the sweet science.
