Comedian and actor Sacha Baron Cohen and his wife, actor Isla Fisher (a convert to Judaism), have donated 100,000 antiviral masks and 50,000 protective coveralls to healthcare workers in the U.K. The couple were joined in the effort by Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, also a Jew. Cohen is British, Fisher is Australian, and Benioff is…
Sidney Walton is a centenarian veteran of the Second World War who, accompanied by his son Paul, began a “No Regrets” tour around the U.S. two years ago. His goal is to meet the President and the governors of all 50 states. Part of the motivation: When Walton was young, he missed an opportunity to…
Research chemists at Israel’s Bar Ilan University, in Ramat Gan, have developed a technique that converts plain water into a disinfectant solution effective against bacteria and viruses (including corona-type viruses) on a wide range of surfaces. The disinfectant, which passed hospital tests in Israel, received a patent in 2019. In addition to being efficacious, the…
Ranker.com has listed what it considers to be the 72 “Greatest Jewish Athletes of All Time.” (It’s unclear whether the number 72 represents 4xchai or is just a coincidence.) It should be noted that most of those listed have/had two Jewish parents, were raised as Jews, and identify/identified themselves as being Jewish. The rest have…
Acclaimed art critic and columnist Jerry Saltz, 69, was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 2018. Since 2006, he has been the senior art critic for New York magazine; his writing has also appeared in The Village Voice, Art in America, and Modern Painters, among other publications. In addition to the Pulitzer, Saltz has…
In a thought-provoking article, Jerusalem Post reporter Jeremy Sharon — who often writes about religious issues in Israel — explores some of the unconventional rulings Orthodox rabbis have recently issued in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Will such rulings have a long-term impact on halacha (Jewish religious law)? Sharon asks. Quote: “But these difficulties…
Dan Levy, 36, played the flamboyant gay character David Rose in the hit Canadian-produced sitcom Schitt’s Creek. It just finished a highly successful run that lasted six seasons, thereby breaking the hearts of its legions of ardent fans. In real life, Levy is the openly gay son of comedic actor Eugene Levy, another star on…
Democrat Stephen Adler, 64, took over the office of mayor of Austin, Texas, in early 2015. One of his signature issues in that position has been homelessness, especially among veterans. Prior to entering politics, Adler practiced law in the Texas city for more than three decades, during which he focused on eminent domain and employment…
Before the Second World War, Yiddish was spoken by some 11 million Ashkenazi Jews, a majority of the world’s Jewish population. The Holocaust decimated Yiddish language, literature, and culture in Europe. After the war, assimilation in the West also took a toll, as did the establishment of Hebrew as the official language of the State…
Ina Garten, 72, a.k.a. “The Barefoot Contessa,” is one of America’s best-known television chefs. She hosts her eponymous Food Network program (Barefoot Contessa) and has written numerous best-selling cookbooks. These include Barefoot Contessa at Home: Everyday Recipes You’ll Make Over and Over Again; The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook; Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics; Barefoot Contessa Family…
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