Jon Stewart: For 16 Years, Host of the Satirical News Program ‘The Daily Show’
Jon Stewart (58) is a comedian, writer, producer, director, political commentator, actor, and television host.
The Black Jews of Africa: Oral Traditions, Religious Practices, Genetics
The mass aliya of Ethiopian Jews to Israel is the stuff of legend — but it was fraught with vexing issues. Perhaps most notable: the question of whether the new immigrants truly were Jews. Since then, that question has largely been answered in the affirmative. (The Ethiopian Jews had to undergo pro forma “conversions” to…
Oren Liebermann: Jerusalem Correspondent for CNN and Author of Book on Diabetes
Journalist Oren Liebermann (37 or 38), the Jerusalem correspondent for CNN, grew up in Israel and New Jersey. He holds dual U.S. — Israeli citizenship and speaks both Hebrew (his first language) and English fluently. As a journalist, Liebermann has garnered two Emmys and three Associated Press awards. After being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes…
Expressions of Acceptance: Against the Odds, Muslims and Jews Find and Explore Their Common Humanity
It’s easy to conclude that the enmity between Muslims and Jews is intractable and probably will exist forever. The five videos linked below belie that conclusion. They may represent only a small fraction of interactions between the two religious groups, but they are real and meaningful and inspiring. There is hope! Quote: “We are…
Greg Joseph: Placekicker for the National Football League’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Greg Joseph (26) made his NFL debut with the Cleveland Browns. Currently, he is placekicker on the practice squad for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Joseph has also played for the Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers, and Tennessee Titans. As a youngster, he played football and soccer at Donna Klein Jewish Academy in Boca Raton, Florida. Joseph,…
Walter Mosley: Winner of Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters
Walter Ellis Mosley (68) is a Jewish African-American writer (Jewish mother, non-Jewish father) who recently was awarded the prestigious National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He is the first Black man to receive the honor (although not the first Jew). Mainly known for writing best-selling crime novels, Mosley is the author…
Andrew Weissmann: The ‘Pit Bull’ in the Robert Mueller Investigation
Attorney Andrew A. Weissmann (62) became the chief of the criminal fraud section of the U.S. Department of Justice in 2015. Two years later he was appointed to a management role on the 2017 Special Counsel team headed by Robert Mueller. The Muller investigation into President Donald Trump ended in 2019, after which Weissmann went…
Female Cantors: Raising Beautiful Voices in Song and Prayer
Some 65 years ago, the idea of women serving as cantors in temples and synagogues seemed fanciful. In 1955, reportedly, Betty Robbins because the first female cantor in the U.S. In 1975, Barbara Ostfeld became the first woman to be ordained as a female cantor. Today, a great many female cantors serve in Reform and…
President-Elect Biden Names Five Qualified, Experienced Jews for High Posts in His Administration (So Far)
As of this writing, President-Elect Joe Biden has named four Jewish men and a Jewish woman to key positions in his administration — all of whom are listed below. Nominees to cabinet-level posts will need to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF Ronald “Ron” Klain (59) is an…
Gertrud Kauders: Artist Who Hid Hundreds of Her Paintings Before She Was Killed by the Nazis
Gertrud Kauders (1883 — 1942) was a talented Jewish-Czech artist who was murdered by the Nazis in the Majdanek concentration camp. Her family had pleaded with her to leave Czechoslovakia early on, but she refused. It would prove to be a fatal mistake. Kauders was almost lost to history until recently, when some 700 of…
To learn about these and many more AmazingJews, watch a compilation put together by JewOfTheWeek.net in 2015 and posted on YouTube.