Prominent in The Jerusalem Post’s list of “50 Most Influential Jews of 2020” (see “In the Spotlight”): three Jewish physician-scientists on the cutting edge of the search for a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine. They are (from left to right) Prof. Shmuel Shapira, head of Israel’s Institute for Biological Research (IIBR); Dr. Tal Zaks, chief…
We remember the brilliant and beloved jurist who served on the U.S. Supreme Court for more than a quarter century. “The Notorious RBG” — as she came to be known — was an indefatigable champion of gender equality and other social justice causes. She passed away on Sept. 19 — Rosh Hashana eve — from…
By the time you receive this, Rosh Hashanah will have come and gone, and we’re just days away from Yom Kippur in the year 5781 on the Jewish calendar. The ten-day period known as the “Days of Awe” is the holiest time in the Jewish religion: It is when HaShem (God) decides the fate of…
After more than four decades as an on-air national news reporter and host, Andrea Mitchell (73) hardly needs an introduction here. Currently, she is Chief Foreign Affairs & Senior Washington Correspondent for NBC News; she also anchors MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports, which airs every weekday. Mitchell earned a Lifetime Achievement Emmy in 2019. Quotes:…
Mike Nichols (Nov. 6, 1931 – Nov. 19, 2014) was an extraordinarily prolific and talented film and theater director, producer, actor, and comedian. His many directorial film credits include Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), The Graduate (1967), Catch-22 (1970), Carnal Knowledge (1971), Silkwood (1983), Working Girl (1988), The Birdcage (1996), Closer, (2004) and Charlie…
Every year, The Jerusalem Post — Israel’s premier English-language publication — puts out a list of the most influential Jews in the world. The 2020 list was published earlier this month. Noted The Post: “This year, we strived to create a list showcasing the diversity of the Jewish nation while highlighting people from all walks…
Nicole Krauss, 45, is a novelist and short-story writer. Her novels Man Walks Into a Room (2002), The History of Love (2005), Great House (2010) and Forest Dark (2017), have been translated into 35 languages. Short-fiction works by Krauss have appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s, and Esquire magazines. Quote: “OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO” Sources: Wikipedia,…
Ted Koppel was the host of ‘Nightline,’ the late-night news program on ABC, from 1980 to 2005. Since leaving the program…
Mindy Grossman (63) is the CEO of WW International (formerly known as Weight Watchers). The Financial Times listed her in the top 50 women in world business in 2010 and 2011, and she has been ranked among Forbes’ 100 most powerful women in the world for the years 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2013. In 2014…
Since 2017, Theodore “Ted” Deutch (54) has served as the U.S. Representative for Florida’s 22nd congressional district. Deutch, a Democrat and an attorney, first became a member of the House of Representatives in 2010; he served two other Florida districts before his current position. He has been Chair of the House Ethics Committee since 2019.…
WOW! FACTS
Inventor of the mobile phone, “Father of the Internet,” inventor of the video game cosole, inventor fo the laser, inventor of the gramophone, creator of the Barbie Doll, creator of the cruise ship, “Father of Immunology,” inventor fo the modern condom (!), a prime minister of the U.K., a three-time prime minister of France, a president of Switzerland and the primary financier of the American Revolution?
We knew you could guess… all of them are (or were) Jews!
To learn about these and many more AmazingJews, watch a compilation put together by JewOfTheWeek.net in 2015 and posted on YouTube. >>
Nobel Prizes
Although Jews are less than two-tenths of one percent of the world’s population, more than 20% of Nobel Prize winners have been Jewish. Source: Google
Polio Vaccine
Millions and millions of people worldwide have been spared the ravages of poliomyelitis — including paralysis and even death — thanks to research conducted by Jewish scientist Dr. Jonas Salk and his team. The Salk vaccine entered widespread use in the U.S. in 1955. Source: Wikipedia
Miss Liberty
The words “…give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses…” on the Statue of Liberty were written by Emma Lazarus, a Jew. Source: BuzzFeed
Blue Jeans
Levi Strauss, an immigrant from Germany, invented his blue jeans in 1873. Source: BuzzFeed
Start-Up Nation
Israel has the third highest rate of entrepreneurship in the world. It has the highest rate of entrepreneurship among women and people over 55 in the world. Source: BuzzFeed