Jewish Contributions to America
Jewish Americans,
though a small percentage of the U.S. population, have profoundly shaped
American culture, politics, science, and social progress.
Jewish Americans
have been part of the U.S. since 1654, when the first Jewish settlers arrived
in New Amsterdam, seeking permanent residence and religious
They played roles in the American Revolution,
with figures like Haym Salomon financing the Patriot effort and over 100 Jews
fighting in key battles
Early Jewish
communities established synagogues, schools, and mutual aid societies,
fostering education, civic engagement, and cultural preservation
Cultural and Artistic Influence
Jewish Americans
have left an indelible mark on music, theater, and literature. Composers like
Irving Berlin and Leonard Bernstein shaped the Great American Songbook and
Broadway classics, while Emma Lazarus’ poem on the Statue of Liberty became a
symbol of American inclusivity
Writers, filmmakers,
and performers, including Barbra Streisand and Judy Blume, have enriched
American arts and popular culture
.
Science, Medicine,
and Innovation
Jewish Americans
have contributed significantly to science and medicine. Albert Einstein
revolutionized physics, while Jonas Salk developed the first viable polio
Jewish professionals also advanced medical
education and public health, exemplified by the Jewish Hospital of Cincinnati
and figures like Dr. Albert Sabin
Legal, Political,
and Social Impact
In law and politics,
Jewish Americans have championed civil liberties and social justice. Louis
Brandeis, the first Jewish Supreme Court justice, expanded civil rights and
privacy law
. Activists like
Betty Friedan and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel advanced women’s rights and
civil rights, marching alongside Martin Luther King Jr.
Today, Jewish
Americans continue to shape technology, media, and global diplomacy. Mark
Zuckerberg transformed social media, while leaders like Deborah Lipstadt combat
antisemitism and promote Holocaust education
Despite comprising roughly 2% of the U.S.
population, Jewish Americans exert outsized influence in education, business,
politics, and culture
Jewish Americans
have faced antisemitism and violence, including recent surges in hate crimes
and discrimination. Yet, their
communities have demonstrated resilience, maintaining cultural identity,
fostering education, and advocating for social justice
vygrnews.com
Jewish Americans’
impact spans over 350 years, touching every facet of American life—from the
arts and sciences to law, politics, and social activism. Their contributions
reflect a combination of cultural heritage, commitment to education, and civic
engagement, making them a vital part of the American story
Noam Chomsky
©Getty Images
Known today mostly for his political discourses, Noam Chomsky's largest
and most influential contribution to the world is in the field of linguistics,
where he has breathed new life into the field with his theories of universal
and transformational grammar, both of which fall under the umbrella of
biolinguistics, which posits the foundations of language are innate in human
brains, as opposed to something adopted from external sources.
1. Haym Salomon (April 7, 1740 – Jan. 6, 1785)
When people think about the American
Revolution, names like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander
Hamilton often come to mind. But behind the scenes, Haym Salomon played
a crucial role in helping keep the young nation afloat.
Haym Salomon (Wikimedia Commons)
Born in Poland to a Sephardic Jewish
family, Salomon immigrated to New York before the outbreak of the Revolutionary
War. A successful broker and merchant, he quickly became a supporter of the
Patriot cause. During the war, he was arrested by the British on suspicion of
spying, later escaped, and resumed helping the revolution.
As the Continental Congress struggled
with mounting debt and a lack of reliable funding, Salomon used his financial
expertise to raise money for the fledgling government. He brokered loans, sold
government securities, and personally advanced funds to government officials
and military leaders, often without expecting immediate repayment. Among those
he assisted was James Madison, who relied on Salomon to cover expenses while
serving in Congress.
Historians continue to debate exactly
how much of the Revolution’s finances flowed through Salomon, and some popular
stories about his role have been exaggerated over the years. But there is broad
agreement that he was one of the most important financiers of the Patriot cause
and helped sustain the revolutionary government during some of its most
difficult years.
Salomon died in 1785 at just 44 years
old, leaving behind significant debts because many of the loans he made were
never repaid. Today, he’s remembered as one of the earliest Jewish Americans to
leave a lasting mark on the nation’s history.
2. Levi Strauss (Feb. 26, 1829 – Sept. 26, 1902)
Levi Strauss (Wikimedia Commons)
Few pieces of clothing are more
closely associated with the U.S. than a pair of blue jeans, and they exist thanks
in large part to Levi Strauss, a Jewish immigrant who
helped turn a practical solution into an American icon.
Strauss immigrated to the U.S. from
Bavaria with his family in 1847 after his father’s death. Like many immigrants
of the era, he was searching for opportunity in a rapidly growing country.
After spending several years working in the family dry goods business in New
York, he headed west during the California Gold Rush. In 1853, he settled in
San Francisco and founded Levi Strauss & Co., selling clothing, fabrics,
and other supplies to miners, merchants, and settlers.
One of his customers was Jacob Davis,
a tailor from Nevada who had devised a way to make work pants stronger by
reinforcing stress points with copper rivets. Davis lacked the money to patent
the invention, so he approached Strauss, who agreed to become his business
partner. In 1873, the two men received a U.S. patent for riveted work pants,
creating what would become the first blue jeans.
Originally designed to withstand the
demanding conditions of mining camps and ranches, jeans quickly became popular
with workers across the
American West. Over the following century, they evolved from durable
workwear into a global fashion staple embraced by everyone from cowboys and
factory workers to Hollywood stars, musicians, and world leaders.
3. Emma Lazarus (July 22, 1849 – Nov. 19, 1887)
Millions of immigrants have entered
New York Harbor, greeted by the words, “Give me your tired, your poor, your
huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Those iconic lines were written
by Emma Lazarus, a Jewish American poet whose words became
synonymous with the American dream.
Lazarus came from a prominent
Sephardic Jewish family in New York City whose roots in the U.S. stretched back
generations. Her ancestors had fled religious persecution in Spain and Portugal
centuries earlier, before eventually
settling in the American colonies. She was a gifted writer from a
young age, publishing her first book of poetry as a teenager.
Although she was already an
accomplished poet, Lazarus became increasingly engaged with Jewish causes in
the 1880s as thousands of Jewish refugees fled violent pogroms in the Russian
Empire. She volunteered to help newly arrived immigrants, advocated for Jewish
refugees, and wrote passionately about the importance of ensuring their safety
and opportunity.
In 1883, she was asked to contribute a
poem to help raise money for the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. Her
sonnet, “The New
Colossus,” reimagined the statue not as a symbol of military
victory, but as a beacon of hope for immigrants arriving in the U.S. Although
the poem received little attention during her lifetime, it was cast onto a
bronze plaque inside the Statue of Liberty in 1903, nearly two decades after
her death.
Today, Lazarus’s words have become
some of the most recognizable in American history. For generations of
immigrants arriving by sea, her poem captured both the promise of the New World
and the hope that newcomers, including countless Jews fleeing persecution,
could find freedom and build new lives in the U.S.
4. Joseph Pulitzer (April 10, 1847 – Oct. 29, 1911)
Every year, the highest honor in
American journalism bears the name of Joseph Pulitzer. But
long before the Pulitzer Prize existed, Pulitzer helped transform the way
Americans consumed the news.
Born to a Jewish family in Hungary in
1847, Pulitzer immigrated to the U.S. as a teenager with little money and
limited English. After briefly serving in the Union Army during the Civil War,
he settled in St. Louis, where he worked a variety of jobs before entering the
newspaper business. His sharp reporting and political instincts quickly
propelled him from reporter to newspaper owner.
In the 1880s, Pulitzer purchased the
New York World and turned it into one of the country’s most widely read
newspapers. He championed investigative reporting, exposed government
corruption, and covered the lives of ordinary Americans alongside national politics.
At the same time, he embraced eye-catching headlines, illustrations, and
human-interest stories, helping pioneer what became known as mass-market
journalism. His fierce circulation battle with William Randolph Hearst also
contributed to the rise of sensationalist “yellow journalism,” a legacy that
remains debated today.
Despite those controversies, Pulitzer
believed journalism should ultimately serve the public. Before his death in
1911, he left much of his fortune to Columbia University to establish a
graduate school of journalism and create annual prizes recognizing excellence
in reporting, literature, music, and public service.
5. Louis Brandeis (Nov. 13, 1856 – Oct. 5, 1941)
When Louis Brandeis was
appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1916, he became the first
Jewish justice in the court’s history, a milestone that reflected
both the growing role of Jewish Americans in public life and the barriers they
still faced.
Born in Kentucky to Jewish immigrants
from Bohemia, Brandeis built a reputation as one of the nation’s most respected
lawyers. Known as the “People’s Lawyer,” he fought monopolies, championed
workers’ rights, defended consumers, and argued that businesses should be held
accountable to the public.
During his 23 years on the Supreme
Court, Brandeis helped shape modern constitutional law, particularly in the
areas of free speech, privacy, and government regulation. His opinions continue
to influence American law, and he remains one of the most consequential
justices in the court’s history.
Brandeis also became a leading voice
in the American Zionist movement, believing that supporting a Jewish homeland
and embracing American citizenship were complementary, not contradictory. His
life helped redefine what it meant to be both proudly Jewish and fully
American.
6. Henrietta Szold (Dec. 21, 1860 – Feb. 13, 1945)
Henrietta Szold proved that one person could transform
Jewish life on both sides of the Atlantic.
Growing up in Baltimore to a family of
rabbis and educators, Szold devoted her life to expanding educational
opportunities and improving healthcare. In 1912, she founded Hadassah, which
began as a small volunteer organization and grew into the largest Jewish
women’s organization in the U.S.
Under her leadership, Hadassah funded
hospitals, trained nurses, and helped build a modern healthcare system in what
would later become the State of Israel. During the 1930s, Szold also led Youth
Aliyah, rescuing thousands of Jewish children from Nazi-controlled Europe and
helping them find safety in British Mandatory Palestine.
Today, Hadassah remains one of the
largest Jewish organizations in the U.S., a lasting testament to Szold’s vision
and leadership.
7. Julius Rosenwald (Aug. 12, 1862 –Jan. 6, 1932)
Julius
Rosenwald believed wealth
should be used to create opportunity for others. As the president of Sears,
Roebuck and Company, he helped transform the mail-order retailer into one of
the largest businesses in the U.S. But his greatest legacy may be what he did
with the fortune he earned.
Inspired by educator Booker T.
Washington, Rosenwald partnered with Black communities across the segregated
South to fund the construction
of nearly 5,000 schools, along with teacher homes and vocational
buildings. At a time when public education for Black children was chronically
underfunded, the “Rosenwald Schools” educated hundreds of thousands of
students, including future civil rights leader John Lewis and poet Maya
Angelou.
Rosenwald also gave generously to
Jewish causes, museums, universities, and scientific research, but he believed
philanthropy should solve problems during a donor’s lifetime rather than build
a permanent family fortune. His commitment to education and equality made him
one of the most influential philanthropists in American history.
8. The Warner Brothers
Long before Hollywood became
synonymous with the movie industry, four Jewish immigrant brothers helped build
it from the ground up.
Harry Warner (Dec. 12, 1881 – July 25, 1958), Albert
Warner (July 23, 1884 – Nov. 26, 1967), Sam Warner (Aug.
10, 1887 – Oct. 5, 1927), and Jack L. Warner (Aug. 2, 1892 –
Sept. 9, 1978) were born to a Jewish family in what is now Poland before
immigrating to the U.S. as children in the late 19th century. Their family
settled first in Canada before moving to Ohio, where the brothers took on a
variety of jobs to help support the household. Like many immigrant families of
the era, they saw opportunity in a rapidly changing U.S.
That opportunity came in an unlikely
place: the brand-new motion picture industry. The brothers began by purchasing
a projector and traveling from town to town screening silent films before
opening their own movie theaters. The Warner brothers were among a generation
of Jewish immigrant entrepreneurs, including the founders of Paramount, MGM,
Universal, and Columbia, who transformed a small California town into the
center of the global film industry.
The Warners quickly earned a
reputation for taking risks. At a time when many studio executives doubted
audiences wanted to hear actors speak, the brothers, led by Sam Warner,
invested heavily in synchronized sound. Their gamble paid off in 1927 with the
release of “The Jazz Singer,” starring Al Jolson. Although not the first film
to experiment with sound, it was the first feature-length movie to successfully
combine synchronized dialogue with a compelling story, ushering in the era of
“talkies” and permanently changing the film industry.
Over the following decades, Warner
Bros. became one of Hollywood’s defining studios, producing classics such as
“Casablanca,” “The Maltese Falcon,” and “Rebel Without a Cause.” The studio
also introduced generations of audiences to characters like Bugs Bunny and
later became home to franchises including Harry Potter and the world of Batman.
The Warner brothers weren’t just
successful movie producers. Alongside other Jewish immigrant studio
founders, they helped
invent Hollywood itself, creating an industry that would become one
of America’s most influential cultural exports and forever change how stories
are told around the world.
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist whose theories of special and general relativity
transformed modern physics and our understanding of space, time, and gravity.
Awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics for his explanation of the
photoelectric effect, he also made pivotal contributions to quantum theory and
cosmology. His mass–energy equivalence formula, E = mc², became one of
science’s most famous equations.
9. Irving Berlin (May 11, 1888 – Sept. 22, 1989)
Few people have shaped the soundtrack
of America more than Irving Berlin. Over a career spanning more
than six decades, the Jewish immigrant wrote an estimated 1,500 songs, helping
define American popular music in the 20th century.
Born in the Russian Empire, Berlin
immigrated to New York City as a young child after his family fled antisemitic
persecution. Growing up on the Lower East Side, he worked a series of odd jobs
before breaking into the world of Tin Pan Alley, where he quickly became one of
the country’s most successful songwriters.
His catalog includes classics such as
“God Bless America,” “White Christmas,” “There’s No Business Like Show
Business,” and “Cheek to Cheek.” His music helped define Broadway, Hollywood,
and the Great American Songbook, while “White
Christmas” became one of the best-selling songs of all time.
Few artists have shaped America’s
cultural identity as profoundly as Berlin, whose songs have accompanied the
nation through celebrations, wars, holidays, and everyday life for more than a
century.
10. George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin
Few creative partnerships have shaped
American music as profoundly as George Gershwin (Sept. 26,
1898 – July 11, 1937) and Ira Gershwin (Dec. 6, 1896 – Aug.
17, 1983). Together, the brothers helped create a distinctly American sound by
blending jazz, classical music, blues, and popular song while producing some of
the country’s most enduring works.
Ira Gershwin (Wikimedia Commons)
The sons of Jewish immigrants from the
Russian Empire, the Gershwins grew up in Brooklyn and found success at a young
age in New York’s Tin Pan Alley. George composed the music while Ira wrote the
lyrics, a partnership that produced dozens of beloved songs, including “I Got
Rhythm,” “Someone to Watch Over Me,” and “Embraceable You.”
George also composed groundbreaking
orchestral works such as “Rhapsody in Blue” and “An American in Paris,” while
the brothers collaborated on the landmark folk opera “Porgy and Bess,” which
featured classics like “Summertime.”
Although George died in 1937 at just
38 years old, the Gershwins’ music has endured for generations. Together, they
helped define the Great American Songbook and forever changed the sound of
American music.
11. Jonas Salk (Oct. 28, 1914 – June 23, 1995)
Jonas Salk (Wikimedia Commons)
Few scientists have saved more lives
than Jonas Salk. His development of the first successful polio
vaccine transformed modern medicine and brought hope to millions of families
living in fear of one of the 20th century’s most devastating diseases.
Raised in New York City to the
children of Jewish immigrants, Salk was the first in his family to attend
college. After earning his medical degree, he dedicated his career to medical
research, focusing on viruses and vaccines. In the early 1950s, he led the team
that developed the first safe and effective vaccine against polio, a disease
that had paralyzed or killed hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.
When the vaccine was declared “safe,
effective, and potent” in 1955, church bells rang across the U.S. and parents
celebrated what many saw as a medical miracle. Asked who owned the patent for
the vaccine, Salk famously replied, “Well, the people, I would say. There is no
patent. Could you patent the sun?”
Within a few years, widespread
vaccination campaigns dramatically reduced polio cases in the U.S. and around
the world. Salk’s breakthrough helped pave the way for the near-eradication of
the disease, making him one of the most influential medical researchers in
American history.
12. Richard Feynman (May 11, 1918 – Feb. 15, 1988)
Richard
Feynman changed the way
scientists understand the universe. Widely regarded as one of the greatest
physicists of the 20th century, his discoveries transformed the field of
quantum physics and continue to shape scientific research today.
Born in Queens, New York, to a Jewish
family, Feynman displayed an extraordinary talent for math and science from an
early age. During World War II, Feynman joined the Manhattan Project under the
scientific leadership of Jewish
physicists J. Robert Oppenheimer, where he helped develop the
world’s first atomic bomb.
After the war, Feynman’s
groundbreaking work in quantum electrodynamics revolutionized scientists’
understanding of how light and matter interact. His contributions earned him
the 1965 Nobel Prize in Physics and introduced concepts, including the now-famous
“Feynman diagrams,” that remain essential tools for physicists.
Beyond the laboratory, Feynman became
one of America’s best-known scientists thanks to his curiosity, humor, and gift
for explaining complex ideas. His books, lectures, and public appearances
inspired generations of students, making him not only a pioneering physicist
but also one of the country’s greatest science communicators.
13. Sandy Koufax (Dec. 30, 1935 –)
For generations of baseball
fans, Sandy Koufax has represented excellence on the mound.
For many Jewish Americans, he also became a symbol of
proudly embracing one’s identity.
Raised in Brooklyn to a Jewish family,
Koufax joined the Brooklyn Dodgers at just 19 years old before the team moved
to Los Angeles. After overcoming early struggles, he emerged as one of the most
dominant pitchers in baseball history. Between 1962 and 1966, he won three Cy
Young Awards, pitched four no-hitters, including a perfect game, and helped
lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to three World Series championships.
Koufax’s legacy extends far beyond his
statistics. During the 1965 World Series, he chose not to pitch Game 1 because
it fell on Yom Kippur, Judaism’s holiest day. His decision made headlines
across the country and became one of the most enduring moments in American
sports history, inspiring generations of Jewish athletes to embrace their faith
without apology.
Though chronic arthritis forced him to
retire at just 30 years old, Koufax remains one of baseball’s greatest pitchers
and one of the most iconic Jewish athletes in American history.
14. Stan Lee (Dec. 28, 1922 – Nov. 12, 2018)
Stan Lee changed the superhero forever. As the creative
force behind many of Marvel’s most iconic characters, he helped transform comic
books from children’s entertainment into a global cultural phenomenon.
Born in New York City to Romanian
Jewish immigrants, Lee began working in the comic book industry as a teenager.
In the 1960s, alongside fellow Jewish creator Jack Kirby and artist Steve
Ditko, he co-created
heroes who felt more human than the flawless champions who had
come before. Characters
like Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Black Panther, The
Hulk, and the X-Men struggled with everyday problems alongside extraordinary
powers.
Lee and Kirby’s storytelling helped
redefine the superhero genre, making their characters relatable, flawed, and
emotionally complex. Many of their heroes were outsiders who faced prejudice or
struggled to fit in, themes that reflected broader conversations about
discrimination in postwar America and have often been interpreted through the
lens of their Jewish backgrounds.
15. Barbara Walters (Sept. 25, 1929 – Dec. 30, 2022)
Barbara
Walters changed American television journalism by
breaking barriers for women in an industry long dominated by men.
Growing up in Boston to a Jewish
family, Walters began her career as a writer and producer before joining NBC’s
Today. In 1976, she became the first woman to co-anchor a network evening
newscast, shattering one of television’s highest glass ceilings. She was also
one of the first Jewish women to reach the highest ranks of American broadcast
journalism at a time when few women held such prominent roles.
Over a career spanning more than five
decades, Walters interviewed every U.S. president and some of the world’s most
influential figures, from world leaders and celebrities to royalty. Her
interviewing style, which combined tough questions with personal conversation,
helped redefine the television interview and inspired generations of
journalists.
In 1997, Walters co-created “The
View,” a daytime talk show built around women discussing politics, culture, and
current events. The program became a television institution and helped reshape
daytime TV. By the time she retired, Walters had become one of the most
influential journalists in American broadcasting history, opening doors for
countless women who followed in her footsteps.
16. Betty Friedan (Feb. 4, 1921 – Feb. 4, 2006)
Betty Friedan helped spark the modern women’s rights movement
in the U.S. Through her writing and activism, she challenged long-held
assumptions about women’s roles in American society and inspired millions to
push for greater equality.
Born in Illinois to Jewish parents,
Friedan studied psychology before becoming a journalist. In 1963, she published
“The Feminine Mystique,” a groundbreaking book that examined the frustrations
many women experienced despite being told that marriage, motherhood, and
homemaking should be enough to fulfill them. The book became a bestseller and
is widely credited with launching the second wave of American feminism.
Three years later, Friedan co-founded
the National Organization for Women, helping lead campaigns for equal pay,
workplace protections, reproductive rights, and an end to sex discrimination.
Her advocacy contributed to major legal and cultural changes that expanded
opportunities for women across the U.S.
The podcast
that makes sense of Israel’s past and present.
Although some of her views have since been debated and
criticized, Friedan’s influence on American society is undeniable. Her work
helped reshape conversations about gender, work, and equality, making her one
of the most influential activists of the 20th century.
17. Harvey Milk (May 22, 1930 – Nov. 27, 1978)
Harvey Milk became one of the first openly gay elected
officials in the U.S., transforming the fight for LGBTQ+ rights and inspiring
generations of activists.
Raised in New York to a Jewish family,
Milk served in the U.S. Navy before moving to San Francisco, where he became a
leader in the city’s growing gay rights movement. In 1977, he was elected to
the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man
elected to public office in California.
During his nearly year-long time in
office, Milk championed civil rights, affordable housing, public
transportation, and an ordinance banning discrimination based on sexual
orientation. He also became one of the nation’s most visible advocates for
LGBTQ+ equality, urging people to live openly and encouraging others to enter
public service.
On Nov. 27, 1978, Milk and San
Francisco Mayor George Moscone were assassinated by former Supervisor Dan
White. Though his life was cut short at just 48, Milk’s legacy continued to
grow. Today, he is remembered as a pioneer of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement
and as a symbol of the power of representation in American democracy.
18. Gloria Steinem (March 25, 1934 –)
Gloria Steinem became one of the most recognizable leaders of
the modern feminist movement, using journalism and activism to advocate for
gender equality in the U.S.
Born in Ohio, Steinem discovered as an
adult that her father came from a Jewish family that had immigrated from
Germany and Austria. She began her career as a journalist, gaining national
attention in 1963 after going undercover as a Playboy Bunny to expose the
working conditions women faced at Playboy Clubs.
In the 1970s, Steinem emerged as a
leading voice of second-wave feminism. She co-founded Ms. magazine, creating
one of the first national publications focused on women’s rights and gender
equality. Through her writing, speeches, and organizing, she advocated for
equal pay, reproductive rights, protections against gender discrimination, and
greater political representation for women.
For more than six decades, Steinem has
remained one of America’s most influential activists. Her work helped reshape
public conversations about gender and equality, leaving a lasting impact on
American politics, journalism, and culture.
19. Barbra Streisand (April 24, 1942 –)
Barbra
Streisand has spent more than
six decades redefining
what it means to be an entertainer. A singer, actress, director,
producer, and songwriter, she has broken barriers for women in Hollywood while
becoming one of the most successful performers in American history.
Born in Brooklyn to a Jewish family,
Streisand rose to fame in the 1960s with her powerful voice, distinctive style,
and refusal to conform to Hollywood’s beauty standards. She went on to star in
acclaimed films including “Funny Girl,” “The Way We Were,” and “Yentl,” while
recording dozens of bestselling albums.
In 1984, Streisand became the first
woman to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Director for directing “Yentl,” a
film about a young Jewish woman who disguises herself as a man to study the
Torah. Throughout her career, she has also been a vocal advocate for civil
rights, women’s equality, and Jewish causes.
One of the few entertainers to achieve
EGOT status, Streisand’s influence extends far beyond the stage and screen. Her
groundbreaking career helped expand opportunities for women in the
entertainment industry while making her one of the most celebrated performers
in American history.
20. Stephen Sondheim (March 22, 1930 – Nov. 26, 2021)
Stephen Sondheim transformed American musical theater with songs
that were witty, emotionally complex, and unlike anything audiences had heard
before. Widely regarded as one of Broadway’s greatest composers and lyricists,
he helped redefine what a musical could be.
Sondheim developed an early passion
for theater and was mentored by legendary Jewish composer Oscar Hammerstein II.
He first gained national recognition by writing the lyrics for “West Side
Story” and “Gypsy” before creating groundbreaking musicals of his own.
Over his career, Sondheim wrote music
and lyrics for acclaimed shows including “Company,” “Sweeney Todd: The Demon
Barber of Fleet Street,” “Into the Woods,” “Sunday in the Park with George,”
and “A Little Night Music.” His work explored relationships, ambition,
morality, and the complexities of modern life, elevating Broadway into a more
sophisticated art form.
Winner of numerous Tony Awards, an
Academy Award, a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and the Presidential Medal of
Freedom, Sondheim’s influence can still be seen across Broadway and beyond. His
work forever changed the landscape of American theater and inspired generations
of composers, lyricists, and performers.
21. Steven Spielberg (Dec. 18, 1946 –)
Few filmmakers have shaped American
cinema as profoundly as Steven Spielberg. Over a career spanning
more than five decades, he has directed some of the most successful and
influential films ever made, redefining the modern blockbuster while also
bringing some of history’s most difficult stories to the screen.
Born in Ohio to a Jewish family,
Spielberg often spoke about experiencing antisemitism as a child, an experience
that influenced
both his identity and his work. He rose to prominence in the 1970s
with films including “Jaws” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” before
directing classics such as “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” “Jurassic Park,”
“Saving Private Ryan,” and the “Indiana Jones” films.
In 1993, Spielberg released
“Schindler’s List,” a landmark film about the Holocaust that won seven Academy
Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. The film also marked a
turning point in his relationship with his own Jewish identity, inspiring him
to become more publicly engaged in Jewish life and Holocaust remembrance. After
its release, he founded the USC Shoah Foundation, which has preserved the
testimonies of tens of thousands of Holocaust survivors and other witnesses to
genocide around the world.
By combining groundbreaking
entertainment with powerful historical storytelling, Spielberg has shaped not
only how audiences experience movies but also how generations of Americans
understand history, memory, and the Holocaust.
22. Ruth Bader Ginsburg (March 15, 1933 – Sept. 18, 2020)
Ruth Bader Ginsburg transformed
American law through her decades-long fight for gender equality. As
both a pioneering lawyer and a Supreme Court justice, she helped expand legal
protections for women and reshape the interpretation of equal rights under the
Constitution.
Ginsburg excelled academically but
encountered widespread discrimination as a woman pursuing a legal career. After
graduating at the top of her class from Columbia Law School, she struggled to
find work despite her exceptional credentials.
In the 1970s, Ginsburg co-founded the
Women’s Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union and argued a
series of landmark cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, successfully
challenging laws that discriminated on the basis of sex. In 1993, President
Bill Clinton appointed her to the Supreme Court, where she served for 27 years.
Known for her thoughtful opinions,
powerful dissents, and unwavering commitment to equal justice, Ginsburg became
both a legal giant and an unexpected pop culture icon. Her work left a lasting
imprint on American law and expanded opportunities for generations of women.
23. Deborah Lipstadt (March 18, 1947 –)
Deborah
Lipstadt has spent her career
defending historical truth against Holocaust denial and antisemitism. Through
her scholarship, public advocacy, and government service, she has become one of
the world’s leading voices on Holocaust education.
Dr. Lipstadt built her career studying
the Holocaust and modern antisemitism. Her books, including “Denying the
Holocaust,” helped expose the tactics used by Holocaust deniers and explained
why denying historical facts poses a threat far beyond the events of World War
II.
In 1996, British Holocaust denier
David Irving sued Lipstadt for libel after she described him as a Holocaust
denier. After a widely watched trial in London, the court ruled decisively in
Lipstadt’s favor, concluding that Irving had deliberately distorted the
historical record. The case became a landmark victory for historical truth and
was later dramatized in the film “Denial.”
In 2022, Lipstadt was appointed the
U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism. Through her writing,
teaching, and public service, she has helped ensure that the Holocaust is
remembered accurately and that efforts to distort or deny it are challenged
with evidence and scholarship.
24. Sergey Brin (Aug. 21, 1973 –)
Sergey Brin helped change the way the world accesses
information. As the co-founder of Google, he played a central role in creating
the search engine that transformed the internet and became one of the most
influential technologies of the modern era.
Born in Moscow to a Jewish family,
Brin immigrated to the U.S. with his parents in 1979 after they faced
antisemitism and restrictions on educational and professional opportunities in
the Soviet Union. His family’s journey reflected the experiences of many Soviet
Jews who sought greater freedom abroad.
While pursuing a Ph.D. at Stanford
University, Brin met Larry Page. Together, they developed a search engine that
ranked webpages based on their relevance rather than simply counting keywords.
They founded Google in 1998, and the company quickly became the world’s most
widely used search engine.
Today, Google powers billions of
searches every day and has fundamentally changed how people learn, communicate,
and navigate the digital world. Brin’s work helped usher in the information
age, making him one of the most influential technology entrepreneurs in
American history.
25. Mark Zuckerberg (May 14, 1984 –)
Mark
Zuckerberg helped transform the
way billions of people communicate. As the co-founder of Facebook, he played a
central role in creating social media as we know it, fundamentally changing how
people connect, share information, and engage with the world.
Zuckerberg began programming computers
as a child growing up in White Plains, NY. While a student at Harvard
University, he launched Facebook from his dorm room in 2004. Originally created
for college students, the platform rapidly expanded into one of the largest
social networks in history.
Mark Zuckerberg
Under Zuckerberg’s leadership,
Facebook grew into Meta Platforms, whose platforms, including Facebook,
Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, are used by billions of people around the
world. The company has helped reshape everything from personal communication
and entertainment to politics, journalism, and business.
Zuckerberg’s influence has also
sparked significant debate over privacy, misinformation, political discourse,
and the responsibilities of technology companies. Regardless of those
controversies, his impact on how people communicate and consume information has
made him one of the most consequential technology leaders of the 21st century.
Originally Published Jun 30, 2026 05:52PM EDT
Elizabeth
Karpen is a New York-based journalist who is the senior editor of Unpacked.
Previously, she's written for the New York Post, New York Jewish Week, Tablet,
Page Six, and Grammy.
27. Albert
Sabin
Albert Bruce
Sabin, born Abram Saperstejn; August 26, 1906 – March 3, 1993) was a
Polish-American medical researcher, best known for developing the oral polio
vaccine, which has played a key role in nearly eradicating the disease. In
1969–1972, he served as the president of the Weizmann Institute of Science in
Israel.
Awards E. Mead Johnson Award (1941); National Medal
of Science (1970)
John Howland Award (1974); Presidential Medal of Freedom (1986)
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