As with people of any background, Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes reflect his own actions and should not be taken as representative of Judaism or of Jews generally. But for most, that’s the only Jewish name you know. While he was born to a Jewish family, he was not observant, obviously.
Try focusing on Jews who have made major contributions across science, medicine, technology, and culture. Here are some well-known examples:
Albert Einstein – Theory of relativity, foundational work in modern physics.
Jonas Salk – Developed the first successful polio vaccine.
Albert Sabin – Developed the oral polio vaccine.
Paul Ehrlich – Pioneer of immunology and chemotherapy; developed the first effective treatment for syphilis.
Selman Waksman – Discovered streptomycin, the first effective antibiotic against tuberculosis.
Rosalyn Yalow – Developed radioimmunoassay (RIA), transforming hormone and disease testing.
Gertrude B. Elion – Helped develop medicines for leukemia, organ transplantation, herpes, and HIV/AIDS.
Hedy Lamarr – Co-invented frequency-hopping spread spectrum, a key precursor to modern Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS.
Emil Berliner – Invented the flat disc gramophone record.
László Bíró – Invented the modern ballpoint pen.
In technology and computing:
Sergey Brin – Co-founded Google.
Andy Grove – Helped build Intel into the world’s leading semiconductor company.
Mark Zuckerberg – Co-founded Facebook (now Meta).
Other notable contributions:
Louis B. Mayer – Co-founded MGM and helped shape the modern Hollywood studio system.
Ralph Baer – Invented the first home video game console (“the father of video games”).
It’s also worth noting a broader statistic: although Jews make up only about 0.2% of the world’s population, they have received over 20% of Nobel Prizes across fields such as physics, chemistry, medicine, economics, and literature. That remarkable representation reflects contributions across many disciplines rather than a single area of achievement.
Because without them and their medical contributions, some of you would cease to exist.
Besides, what’s the old adage, “Let those without sin, cast the first stone”.