Updated 2012
Many Jews lead lives that make a difference. This list of 105
Jews
will give you a sample of life experiences.
This is a list of people, not books. You can find specific titles
by asking for books about these people by name or career at your
library or bookstore.
Our list is arranged in two ways to help you search for a Jewish
personality or a Righteous Gentile who helped the Jews. The first list
is alphabetical by the person's last name. The second list is
alphabetical by their life experiences. Choose the list that you
prefer.
Enjoy browsing both.
Arranged Alphabetically by Individual
Individual
Life
Experience
Aaronsohn, Sarah
Israel
/ NILI / Spy / Palestine
Aboab
Rabbi /
First in Americas / Brazil
Avner
Israel /
Assassin
Baeck, Leo
Rabbi / Holocaust
Ben Gurion, David
Israeli
Politician
Ben Yehuda, Eliezer
Hebrew Language / Revival
Benjamin, Judah
US / Politician /
Civil War
Berg, Moe
Sports / Baseball
Berlin, Irving
Music / Composer
Bernstein, Leonard
Music / Composer
Blume, Judy
Author / Children's Literature
Bohr, Niels
Scientist
/ Physics / Atom Bomb
Bondi, August
Frontier / Warrior / Anti-Slavery / John Brown
Brandeis, Louis
Supreme Court
Carvalho, Solomon
Artist / Photographer /
Fremont Expedition
Chagall, Marc
Artist
/ Painter
Cohen, Henry
Rabbi / Frontier
Cohen, Sasha
Sports
/ Olympics / Ice Skating
Columbus, Christopher
Explorer
Davidson, Jo
Artist / Sculptor
Dicker-Brandeis, Friedl
Holocaust / Artist
Dylan,
Bob
Singer of Protest
Folk Songs; Song Writer
Einstein, Albert
Scientist / Physics
Fleischner, Louis
Frontier / Oregon Pioneer
Fleishman, Sid
Author
/ Children's Literature
Frank, Anne
Holocaust / Diary Writer
Frankl,
Viktor
Psychiatry
Freud, Sigmund
Psychiatry
Friedan, Betty
Women / Feminist / US
Fry, Varian
Holocaust / Righteous Gentile Rescuer
Gehry, Frank
Artist / Architect
Gershwin, George
Music / Composer
Gimbel, Adam
Merchant / Department Store
Ginsburg, Ruth Bader
Supreme Court
Gluckel of Hamlin
Women / 17th
Century
/ Memoir Writer
Goldman, Emma
US / Political Activist
Gompers, Samuel
AFL / Labor Unions
Gratz, Rebecca
Sunday
Schools
/ Post Revolutionary War
Gray, Bettyanne
Russian Revolution
Greenberg, Hank
Sports / Baseball
Hautzig, Esther
Holocaust /
Siberian Slave Labor / Autobiography
Herzl, Theodor
Israel
/ Zionism
Heschel, Abraham Joshua Rabbi /
Scholar
Houdini, Harry
Actor /
Escape Artist & Magician
Jacobs, Lionel & Barron
Merchant / Frontier / Arizona
Kafka, Franz
Author
Kolleck, Teddy
Israel /
Politician
Korczak, Janusz
Holocaust / Ghetto
Orphanage / Author
Koufax, Sandy
Sports /
Baseball
Lazarus, Emma
Poet /
Statue of Liberty
Levy, Uriah Phillips
US / Navy Reformer / Saver of
Monticello
Lopez, Aaron
Merchant / Revolutionary War
Marcus, Mickey
Israel / War
of Independence / Soldier
Meir, Golda
Israel / Politician
Meitner. Lise
Scientist / Nuclear Fission
Mendelssohn, Fanny
Music / Composer / Musician
Mendelssohn, Felix
Musician / Composer
Mendes, Dona Gracia
Israel / Philanthropist / Sephardim
Mendilow, Miriam
Israel / Social Work
Meyer, Julius et.al
US / West / Indians
Michalina
Kidnapped Children
Mordecai, Major Alfred US
/ Soldier / Civil War
Myers, Myer
Artist / Silversmith / Revolutionary War
Netanyahu, Yoni
Israel / Entebbe
Hero / Soldier
Nevelson, Louise
Artist /
Sculptor
Oberlander, Cornelia Hahn Landscape
Architect
Oppenheimer, J. Robert
Scientist / Physics / Atom Bomb
Peretz, Isaac Leib
Author / Yiddish
Perlman, Itzhak
Music / Musician
Picon, Molly
Actor / Yiddish Theater
Rabin, Yitzhak
Israel /
Politician
Rabinowitz, Shalom
Author / Sholom Aleichem
Ramon, Ilan
Astronaut / Columbia / First Israeli Astronaut
Rashi
Talmud / Commentary
Resnik, Judith
Astronaut / Challenger
Rosenfeld, Bobbie
Sports / Olympics
Rosenwald, Julius
Philathropist / Education / Civil
Rights Activist
Saadia Gaon
Talmud / Gaon
Salk, Jonas
Doctor / Cure for Polio
Salomon, Haym
US / Banker /
Revolutionary War
Salomons, Sir David
England / Politician / First Jewish London
Mayor
Schindler, Oskar
Holocaust / Righteous Gentile Rescuer
Scholl, Sophie
Holocaust / Resistance / White Rose
Sendak, Maurice
Author / Illustrator
Senesh, Hannah
Holocaust / Resistance /
Poet
Sharon,
Ariel
Israel / Politician,
Israel / Soldier
Sills, Beverly
Music / Opera
Silverstein, Shel
Author / Children's
Literature
Singer, Isaac Bashevis
Author / Yiddish / Nobel Prize
Spielberg, Steven
Movies
Spitz, Mark
Sports / Olympics / Swimmer
Strauss, Levi
Merchant / Blue Jeans / Gold Rush
Szold, Henrietta
Israel / Social Worker
Teller, Edward
Scientist /
Physics / Hydrogen Bomb
Wald, Lillian
Social Worker / Nurse
Waldman, Neil
Artist /
Illustrator
Wallenberg, Raoul
Holocaust / Righteous Gentile
Rescuer
Weinberg, Robert
Doctor / Cancer Research
Weizmann, Chaim
Israel / Politician / Scientist
Wertheimer, Samson
Court Advisor / 17th Century
Wiesel, Elie
Holocaust / Survivor / Author
Wiesenthal, Simon
Holocaust / Survivor / Nazi Hunter
Yezierska, Anzia
Author / Immigrant
Yolen, Jane
Author / Children's Literature
Zenatti,
Valerie
Israel / Soldier
Arranged Alphabetically by Life Experience
Life Experience
Individual
Actor / Escape Artist & Magician
Houdini, Harry
Actor / Yiddish Theater
Picon, Molly
AFL / Labor Unions
Gompers, Samuel
Artist / Architect
Gehry, Frank
Artist / Illustrator
Waldman, Neil
Artist / Painter
Chagall, Marc
Artist / Photographer / Fremont Expedition
Carvalho,
Solomon
Artist / Sculptor
Nevelson, Louise
Artist / Sculptor
Davidson, Jo
Artist / Silversmith / Revolutionary War
Myers,
Myer
Astronaut / Challenger
Resnik,
Judith
Astronaut / Columbia / First Israeli Astronaut
Ramon, Ilan
Author
Kafka, Franz
Author / Children's Literature
Blume, Judy
Author / Children's Literature
Fleishman, Sid
Author / Children's Literature
Silverstein,
Sid
Author / Children's Literature
Yolen, Jane
Author / Illustrator
Sendak, Maurice
Author / Immigrant
Yezierska,
Anzia
Author / Sholom Aleichem
Rabinowitz, Shalom
Author / Yiddish
Peretz, Isaac Leib
Author / Yiddish / Nobel Prize
Singer, Isaac
Bashevis
Court Advisor / l7th Century
Wertheimer, Samson
Doctor / Cancer Research
Weinberg, Robert
Doctor / Cure for Polio
Salk, Jonas
England / Politician / First Jewish London Mayor
Salomons, Sir David
Explorer
Columbus, Christopher
Frontier / Warrior / Anti-Slavery / John Brown
Bondi, August
Frontier / Oregon Pioneer
Fleischner, Louis
Hebrew Language / Revival
Ben Yehuda,
Eliezer
Holocaust / Artist
Dicker-Brandeis, Friedl
Holocaust / Diary Writer
Frank, Anne
Holocaust / Ghetto Orphanage / Author
Korczak,
Janusz
Holocaust / Resistance / Poet
Senesh, Hannah
Holocaust / Resistance / White Rose
Scholl, Sophie
Holocaust / Righteous Gentile Rescuer
Fry,
Varian
Holocaust / Righteous Gentile Rescuer
Schindler,
Oskar
Holocaust / Righteous Gentile Rescuer
Wallenberg,
Raoul
Holocaust / Siberian Slave Labor
Hautzig, Esther
Holocaust / Survivor / Author
Wiesel,
Elie
Holocaust / Survivor / Nazi Hunter
Wiesenthal, Simon
Israel / Assassin
Avner
Israel / Entebbe Hero I Soldier
Netanyahu,
Yoni
Israel / NILI / Spy / Palestine
Aaronsohn, Sarah
Israel / Philanthropist / Sephardim
Mendes, Dona Gracia
Israel / Politician
Ben Gurion, David
Israel / Politician
Kolleck, Teddy
Israel / Politician
Meir, Golda
Israel / Politician
Rabin, Yitzhak
Israel/Politician ; Israel / Soldier
Sharon, Ariel
Israel / Politician I Scientist
Weizmann, Chaim
Israel / Social Worker
Mendilow,
Miriam
Israel / Social Worker
Szold,
Henrietta
Israel / Soldier
Zenatti, Valerie
Israel / War of Independence / Soldier
Marcus,
Mickey
Israel / Zionism
Herzl, Theodor
Kidnapped Children
Michalina
Landscape Architect
Oberlander,
Cornelia Hahn
Merchant / Blue Jeans / Gold Rush
Strauss, Levi
Merchant / Department Store
Gimbel,
Adam
Merchant / Frontier / Arizona
Jacobs,
Lionel & Barron
Merchant / Revolutionary War
Lopez,
Aaron
Movies
Spielberg, Steven
Music / Composer
Berlin,
Irving
Music / Composer
Bernstein, Leonard
Music / Composer
Gershwin, George
Music / Composer
Mendelssohn, Felix
Music / Composer / Musician
Mendelssohn,
Fanny
Music / Musician
Perlman, Itzhak
Music / Opera
Sills,
Beverly
Philanhropist / Education / Civil Rights Activist
Rosenwald, Julius
Poet / Statue of Liberty
Lazarus, Emma
Psychiatry
Frankl, Viktor
Psychiatry
Freud,
Sigmund
Rabbi / First in Americas / Brazil
Aboab
Rabbi / Frontier
Cohen, Henry
Rabbi / Holocaust
Baeck, Leo
Rabbi / Scholar
Heschel, Abraham Joshua
Russian Revolution
Gray,
Bettyanne
Scientist / Nuclear Fission
Meitner, Lise
Scientist / Physics
Einstein, Albert
Scientist / Physics / Atom Bomb
Oppenheimer, J. Robert
Scientist / Physics / Atom Bomb
Bohr, Niels
Scientist / Physics / Hydrogen Bomb
Teller, Edward
Singer of Protest Folk Songs / Song Writer
Dylan, Bob
Social Worker / Nurse
Wald, Lillian
Sports / Baseball
Berg, Moe
Sports / Baseball
Greenberg,
Hank
Sports / Baseball
Koufax, Sandy
Sports / Olympics
Rosenfeld, Bobbie
Sports / Olympics / Ice Skating
Cohen,
Sasha
Sports / Olympics / Swimmer
Spitz, Mark
Sunday Schools / Post Revolutionary War
Gratz,
Rebecca
Supreme Court
Brandeis, Louis
Supreme Court
Ginsburg, Ruth Bader
Talmud / Commentary
Rashi
Talmud / Gaon
Saadia
Gaon
US / Banker / Revolutionary War
Salomon, Haym
US / Navy Reformer / Saver of Monticello
Levy, Uriah Phillips
US / Politician / Civil War
Benjamin, Judah
US / Political Activist
Goldman,
Emma
US / Soldier / Civil War
Mordecai, Major
Alfred
US / West / Indians
Meyer, Julius et.al
Women / l7th Century / Memoir Writer
Gluckel of
Hamlin
Women / Feminist / US
Friedan, Betty