There are Famous jews Who have stood out throughout history for their genius, leadership, ideas or creativity, and in various areas, from literature to science.
The Jewish people are 5777 years old, descendants of the Hebrews and the ancient Israelites, Jews have a much older history than that of Christian Westernism.
As a monotheistic religion it bases its beliefs on the revelations of God, with a deeply rooted oral tradition. According to the beliefs, the words of the Messiah were given to Moses along with the Torah, the divine book containing the law and identity heritage.
The Jewish people descended from Judah, son of Jacob, son of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham. So his origin is Abraham, coming from Ur, who is credited with being the first patriarch and the revelation of the one God.
Judaism is one of the most minority religions in the world, according to statistical data, only 0.2 of the world's population profess this religion. Israel and the United States being one of the most concentrated countries with 12 million Jews, more than 90% of the total.
World War II and Nazism were the horror for this town, which went from having 18 million inhabitants to only 12, after the Holocaust.
Despite representing 0.2 of the world's population, the Jewish people have a large number of prominent personalities in the history of the world. Both in politics, as in cinema, music, economics, science, art and literature.
An example of this is the Nobel Prize. In total, 850 people won the prize, of which 194 are Jewish, representing 20% of the total prize money. We will review here 30 famous Jews in history.
30 Outstanding Jews in History
1- Jes Of Nazareth
Impossible not to begin the list by the main figure of the Catholicism that was Jewish. The legacy of this teacher who illustrated ethical ideas with parables was collected by the Gospels and expanded to the rest of mankind.
A sample of the importance of Jesus (Christ, the Messiah) in the history of the world is that the modern calendar is based on its birth.
2- Moises
Venerated like prophet, legislator and spiritual leader, is one of the central figures of the Judaism and in him is based great part of the religion, when being considered the first prophet.
Sacred beliefs place him as the one in charge of leading the exodus to the Promised Land, freeing the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt.
3- Karl Marx
Philosopher, economist, journalist, intellectual and communist militant, Marx It was he who changed the social sciences forever with his analyzes of capitalism and surplus value.
In addition, he is considered the father of modern communism, historical materialism and scientific socialism. Convinced that revolution was the way to overcome the crises of capitalism, his The Capital , Published in 1867.
4- Leon Trotsky
Another revolutionary leader who gained worldwide fame for his thinking. In addition, its importance in the Russian Revolution is central and also was the founder of the Fourth International, one of the most important communist groupings in history.
Exiled for his confrontation with Stalin, he was assassinated in Mexico in 1940. His History of the Russian Revolution, Is his most outstanding work.
5- Baruch Spinoza
He was one of the leading philosophers of the seventeenth century, Ethics His work summit. Rationalist, metaphysical and critical in 1656 was excommunicated from the Jewish community for its heterodoxy about the concept of god.
6- Albert Einstein
The great genius of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries was Jewish. He scientific German, father of the theory of relativity, received the Nobel Prize of Physics in 1921.
7- Anna Frank
The first woman Of this list but not the only one. It gained worldwide fame with Journals of Anne Frank , In which he detailed his life for two years hiding next to his family of the Nazi regime in Holland.
He died in 1945 in a concentration camp and it was his father, the only survivor of the family, who published his work.
8- Shimon Peres
This Israeli politician, presided over the country between 2007 and 2014 after more than 50 years of career fighting for the interests of his nation and for peace.
In 1994 he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his agreement with the Arab countries, signed in Oslo a year earlier. He died in 2016.
9- N Norman mailer
One of the great writers of the twentieth century, is considered next to Truman Capote like the creators of the literary journalism.
The American author was in charge of the biography of Marilyn Monroe and Lee Harvey Oswald (the assassin of John F. Kennedy), and won the Pulitzer Prize for his work The executioner's song .
10- Frida Kahlo
One of the most important artists in history, was born in Mexico within a Jewish family. He stood out for his surrealistic self-portraits. She was married to Diego Rivera and was a lover of Leon Trotsky.
According to the painter:"Every tic-tac is a second of life that passes, flees, and does not repeat itself. And there is so much intensity, so much interest, that the problem is only knowing how to live. Let everyone resolve as he can."
11- Amedeo Modigliani
An Italian painter and sculptor, he became famous for his faces and nude portraits with elongated faces that marked his style. He died at 35 years of tuberculosis before his work began to be valued.
12- Woody Allen
One of the most prolific directors in history and one of the most acclaimed. In love with the city of New York, where he was born and lives, besides the cinema his other passion is the clarinet.
Manhattan, Annie Hall And Midnight in Paris , Are some of his most remembered films and with which he won four Oscars.
13- William Shatner
Actor and musician, he participated in a hundred television and film productions but will always be remembered for his role as Captain James T. Kirk in the series Star Trek .
14- Mila Kunis
The actress who became known by the series That 70's Show , Was born in Ukraine and of small emigrated with its family to the United States. In his new place of residence, he concealed his Judaism because he believed (mistakenly) that there were prejudices derived from the Holocaust.
15- Harrison Ford
Beyond the jokes that he makes about the religion (always says that it is democrat), was born in a Jewish family. Known for his role as Han Solo in Star Wars And for being the protagonist of Indiana Jones , Played almost a hundred movies but was never nominated for the Oscars.
In addition to his passion for acting, Ford is committed to environmental causes, collaborates with archaeological research and enjoys flying its planes.
16- Gwyneth Paltrow
Its role in Shakespeare in love Earned her an Oscar for best actress and her career exploded there. She was Brad Pitt's girlfriend and was married to Chris Martin, singer Coldplay.
17- Natalie Portman
Actress, director and producer, her roles in The Black Swan Made her an Oscar winner for Best Actress. Polyglot and vegan, she is Jewish but does not profess religion.
18- Paul Newman
One of the most elegant men in the cinema, he won an Oscar, was a racing driver and had an outstanding career as a philanthropist. He was also the representative of the United Nations against disarmament.
19- Steve Ballmer
This entrepreneur gained worldwide fame for being the CEO of Microsoft between 2008 and 2014. He is one of the 50 richest people in the world and owns the Los Angeles Clippers franchise in the NBA.
20- Calvin Klein
He is one of the most important fashion designers in the world. He founded his company in 1968 thanks to a small loan from a friend and since then dazzles the lovers of fashion. In addition to clothing, it is remarkable for its perfumes.
21- Ralph Lauren
Famous for its Polo clothing line, its style stands out for the number 3 in the T-shirts. His haute couture collection is chosen by the leading personalities of the world.
Levi Strauss
He is the inventor of jean jeans, a garment that revolutionized clothing in 1872. His company, Levis, still holds sway as one of the top casual wear.
23- Marcel Marceau
Mimo and French actor, will always be remembered for his character Bip. He began his career by his great admiration for Charles Chaplin.
He had to hide his Jewish origin to escape the Nazis and during the Second World War he rescued more than a hundred children from the Holocaust.
24- Jerry Seinfeld
This American comic gained worldwide fame for the series that bears his surname, in which humorously tells all kinds of everyday facts.
His fame led him to star in numerous roles in film and television, but also shared scenes with Barack Obama.
25- Steven Spielberg
Another of the great directors of cinema of century XX and XXI. ET, Jurassic Park, Schindler's List Y Saving Private Ryan , Earned him five Oscars.
He is also a scriptwriter, producer and videogame designer. One of his first outstanding professional works was in the production of Back to the Future.
26- Stanley Kubrick
Film director, scriptwriter, producer and photographer, Kubrick is one of the most influential filmmakers of the twentieth century. 2001: Space Odyssey Y The Mechanical Orange , Are two of his most remembered works. He died in 1999.
27- Barbra Streisand
An artist in all its expression, Streisand is an actress, singer, producer, composer and film director. He began his career in music and quickly moved on to acting, where he won two Oscars.
Defender and militant of the cause of Israel, besides dedicated much of its life to social questions. It raised funds for the fight against AIDS, education and protection of ethnic minorities.
28- Bob Dylan
The last Nobel Prize in Literature according to the Swedish Academy, he has a long musical career, which made him one of the most important composers in history.
Rebel and contestatario, committed to social causes, his poetry always had an important tone of protest. Reluctant to share data of his private life, he was multiplely awarded for his musical and poetic activity. He has 12 Grammy Awards and a Pulitzer, among other recognitions.
Born in a Jewish family like Robert Allen Zimmerman had a dozen of artistic names until adopting the one of Bob Dylan. Blowin 'in the Wind Y Like a Rolling Stones, Are two of his most popular songs.
In addition to being a musician, he devoted himself to painting and had some film appearances. He abandoned Judaism and converted to Christianity in the late 1970s.
29- Billy Joel
Revolutionized rock and pop with his song Piano Man, And from there he had a marathon musical career being the winner of six Grammy Awards, until his retirement in 1993, tired of the forms of the music industry.
Since then he is dedicated to give a few concerts, but never again recorded. He overcame problems with alcoholism and an attempted suicide. He is the sixth artist with the largest sales volume in the United States.
30- Alan Greenspan
Perhaps his name surprised on this list, but this American economist was president of the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States between 1987 and 2006, a period in which three presidents passed.
Critics of his management named him as one of those responsible for the 2008 international financial crisis, for his movement when he was a George Bush official.