He’s a religious Jew from Brooklyn and the only thing unorthodox about him is a mean left jab.
Now boxer Dmitriy “Star of David” Salita, 27, hopes to punch his way to the world junior-welterweight title against reigning champ Amir Khan — a Muslim.
The symbolism will not be lost on fight fans when Salita steps into the ring to face Khan, 22, a Brit of Pakistani descent, in a bout likely to take place in December in London, according to World Boxing Association sources who say the combatants are in advanced negotiations.
It’s the first time a Jew and a Muslim have fought for a title, said Brooklyn boxing-gym owner Tommy Gallagher.
“Hollywood couldn’t have scripted this better,” television personality Rabbi Shmuley Boteach said with a chuckle. “But I hope not too much hype is made of it. It’s really cool that two people true to their faith rise to the top of their profession.”
Salita, who lives in Flatbush, immigrated here from Ukraine when he was 9. He has since become a member of the Orthodox Jewish sect Chabad — but that hasn’t stopped him from going pro in 2001 and notching a 30-0 record.
Local members of the Chabad community show up en masse at his matches.
“You would think you were in a yeshiva,” Boteach said. “All these men in Coke-bottle glasses who are the most gentle people in the world are screaming ‘Hit him!’ as loud as they can.”
Although Salita’s family was not observant, he found religion when he met a Chabad member in the hospital where his mother was dying of breast cancer.
Salita doesn’t wear a yarmulke when he steps into the ring, but he does sport one in public. He refuses to fight on the Jewish Sabbath, which means no Friday night fights.
He travels with a spiritual guide who cooks kosher food for him in their hotel room.
On the Sabbath, he puts tape over the room-door latch to keep it from locking so he doesn’t have to use the electronic key card to get in.
He sees no contradiction between his religion and his profession.
“Judaism teaches you to use your talent for the positive,” he said. “A lot of people told me I’d never make it to the top because I don’t fight on Friday nights. But I did it, on my terms,” Salita said.
Salita boasted that he’ll be the first Jewish pugilist going for the junior-welterweight title since the 1930s, when Barney Ross wore the crown.
Khan was a teenage boxing sensation who took a silver medal for Great Britain at the 2004 Athens Olympics and became a world champ in July when he took the WBA belt from Andreas Kotelnik.
He is a devout Muslim who studies the Koran, attends a mosque on Fridays when possible and prays in his corner before the bell. He wears Union Jack trunks when he enters the ring but dedicates his fights to Brits and Muslims.
But Salita shrugged off the holy-war hype. “I have tremendous respect for Khan,” he said. “The only reason I am going to kick his butt is because he has my belt.”