Reuven Goldstein

The Jewish songwriting duo Richard and Robert Sherman, created the unforgettable songs of Mary Poppins“ A Spoonful of Sugar and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”

In the 1930s Leon Schlesinger, a Jewish producer from Philadelphia, created the Looney Tunes animation studio at Warner Bros. Launching the most influential cartoon series in history.

Mel Blanc, the legendary “Man of a Thousand Voices,” was the voice behind Bugs Bunny. Born Melvin Blank in San Francisco in 1908 to Russian Jewish parents, Blanc infused Bugs with Yiddish wit and timing, giving the rabbit his iconic wisecracking charm.

Georges Loinger a French Jewish soldier, escaped Nazi captivity in WWII and bravely smuggled hundreds of Jewish children across the Swiss border. Using wit, courage, and military skill, he turned survival into rescue, becoming a legend of resistance and hope.

Herman Wouk was among the most important Jewish American writers of the 20th century. His WWII epics The Caine Mutiny, The Winds of War, and War and Remembrance blended military history with Jewish themes and the Holocaust. The Caine Mutiny won the 1952 Pulitzer for Fiction fame.

Dr. Philip Moses Russell was a Jewish Revolutionary soldier who enlisted in 1775, and served as a Surgeon during the Valley Forge campaign. He received a commendation from George Washington for his care of the sick during the winter of 1777.

Founded in 1917, the Jewish Welfare Board supported Jewish soldiers in WWI with religious services and community care. In 1918, it also promoted war bonds, rallying Jewish Americans to back the U.S. war effort financially and show patriotic solidarity.

Admiral Ben Moreell born to a Jewish family from Poland, became one of the highest ranking Jewish officers in U.S. history. During WWII he founded the Navy Seabees, whose construction forces were vital to allied success across the Pacific.

In 1954,Wilt Chamberlain worked as a bellhop and played ball at Kutsher’s, a famed Jewish Catskills resort. Spotted there by Jewish coach Red Auerbach, it launched his path to NBA greatness. He later trained at Kutsher’s KSA camp, mentoring young players in the off season.

A Woodcut of Jewish traders and merchants in Odessa, Ukraine in 1837. After Catherine the Great founded Odesa in 1794, Jewish settlers quickly help shape the booming port. From 246 Jews in 1795, the community grew to 7,000 by 1831, and nearly 140,000 by 1897.

From humble Jewish immigrant delis on New York’s Lower East Side serving pastrami, pickles, and rye. Kosher dining has evolved dramatically. Today chefs worldwide create kosher cuisine with gourmet techniques, proving kosher food can be both deeply traditional and world class.

Le Marais, one of Paris’s oldest districts,has been home to Jewish life since the Middle Ages. Known as the “Pletzl”Yiddish for “small place” it grew into a vibrant center of Jewish culture, identity, and resilience through the centuries.

Jewish immigrant Adolph Levitt, born in Russia, invented the first automated doughnut machine in New York City in 1920. His “Wonder” machine turned out hot doughnuts through a glass window, helping popularize doughnuts across America and modernizing bakery production nationwide.

Based on import and production estimates, Israelis consume roughly 10,000–15,000 metric tons of sunflower seeds yearly, about 1–1.5 kg (2-3pounds) per person.

Corrie ten Boom was a Dutch watchmaker who hid Jews from the Nazis in her Haarlem home in the Netherlands. She and her family saved hundreds before being arrested and sent to concentration camps, she survived the camps.

The French Jewish painter Edouard Brandon became especially known for his depictions of synagogues, and Jewish life. Below an 1865 painting titled “Bar Mitzvah”.

The Ahrida Synagogue in Balat is among the oldest and most significant synagogues in Istanbul. Founded in the 15th century, it became a center of the city’s Sephardic Jews. Its ship shaped bimah is often said to evoke vessels that brought Jewish refugees safely to Ottoman lands.

In Rome’s Jewish Ghetto, Pasticceria Boccione is famed for its ricotta cheesecake. Under a 1775 papal edict barring Jews from selling dairy, bakers charred the crust so it looked burnt and plain hiding the cheese within.

Prominent Jews played a pivotal role in the rich history of Split, Croatia from its founding. The Split Synagogue was established upon arrival of the Sephardic Jews from Spain and Portugal, and has been continually in use since the early 16th century.

“Carrying the scrolls of the law” by British painter Simeon Solomon 1871,oil on canvas.