the jewish 100 list 5782

Wonder Woman herself! Gal Gadot has made Am Yisrael proud over the years as both the titular character in Wonder Woman and as Miss Israel 2004. She is on the receiving end of a lot of hate just for being Israeli, and yet she never stops proudly owning her identity. The warm way she lights up a screen and lights up a room gives a humanizing association with Israel to people which helps to counter the demonizing material many people passively consume.

Chinese, Jewish and Israeli? That exact combination of identities has allowed Amy Albertson to take to a variety of social media sites and show her daily life with these intertwining identities. She has made a huge impact on the young Jewish community- especially speaking at the youth conference for BBYO this past year.

Daniella Rabbani is a triple threat — actress, writer and director who has performed in a variety of venues from The State Jewish Theater of Poland to off-Broadway productions. One of her most well-known roles is her portrayal of Rabbi Zoe Schwartz in the CBS Syndicate “God Friended Me”. She’s dedicated to promoting Yiddish and never shies away from her Jewish identity. No wonder so many Jews around the world adore her.

Talia was born in Israel, moved to New York as a child and then moved back to Israel as an adult. She’s been a devoted practitioner and teacher of Yoga for many years. Her philosophy for life and practice ‘Love and all is coming’ truly infuses everything she does. She lives in Tel Aviv with her husband, artist Ezra Baderman, and her son and daughter. She’s very active on Instagram, sharing her beautiful yoga practice and family life to over 480k followers and in May of 2021 she used her large platform to discuss antisemitism and to counter the disinformation being spread in relation to the Israel/Hamas war.

Felicity Spector is a UK journalist who also educates an Instagram following of over 100k. This foodie features challah and tahini, among other delicacies, online. She has worked as a judge on The Great Taste Awards and written food features for the website, Great British Chefs. She has made a number of food centered trips to Israel and posted about her experiences for her large following- showing off some of the best Israel has to offer.

Nicola Mendelsohn CBE was raised in an Orthodox home, the child of a Kosher caterer, and in 2021 was named vice-president of Meta’s Global Business Group. By the time she was a senior in University, she had already raised £20,000 for Jewish causes, and Jewish identity and community has been consistently important in her life. In 2018 she announced her diagnosis with a blood cancer called follicular lymphoma and launched a Foundation in 2019 dedicated to finding a cure within the decade. We are wishing her our very best!

Step into the mind of Joshua Cogan with his breathtaking photography that will take you through more than 65 countries. Recognized across the globe by SXSW, National Academy of TV and Science, and much more, his work documenting Jewish communities around the world would amaze you! Joshua is paving the way for future generations who love to explore and use their identity as a way of expression.

Michelle was raised by a Jewish mother and Hispanic father but with very little connection to Jewish community. Eventually she felt she needed to understand Israel and her Jewish roots which led to an exploration that resulted in taking a strong stand for the Jewish people. She has since made Aliyah and taken on a very long list of projects from central Shlicha to Hillel International to director of diaspora education at Stand With Us. We are so very appreciative of her deep commitment.

Mayan is an Israeli born and New York based photographer who has turned her lens towards an intimate view of a diverse range of communities, from LGBT youth in Mexico to women in the IDF. Her work has appeared everywhere from Vice to Vogue to the New York Times. We’re sure we will see many wonderful things from Mayan!

At 19 years old, Ysabella Hazan, entered her first year of law school and has since been speaking around the work for her Zionism while using her online platform to fight for am Israel. Ysabella has worked at the Israeli consulate in public affairs and diplomacy. She founded a global Jewish empowerment movement called Decolonized Judean aimed at shifting culture and the narrative around Israel and the Jewish people. Through her work as a strategist, writer and advocate she has been recognized as Canada’s top 13 advocates and among the world’s top 50 Israeli activists, her work has even brought her to speak at the capital in Washington.

Born in Jerusalem to Mizrahi and Ashkenazi parents, Sarah has been inspired by the contrasts and juxtapositions she found in her environment. Her eye for beauty within realism has made her stand out as a casting director, and she is now working on her first feature film. We’re excited to watch her art grow!

Vanessa Feltz started her career as the first female columnist for The Jewish Chronicle before going on to become a television personality, radio broadcaster, and journalist and having her own chat show “the Vanessa Show”. Vanessa has referred to her Jewish background in England as being similar to “growing up in Fiddler on the Roof”. Vanessa is an advocate for actors all around, using her voice to improve representation, not only raising awareness online — but in the Hollywood offices demanding accurate Jewish representation!

British businessman, entrepreneur and media personality Alan Sugar was born to a Jewish tailor in London’s East End. He is now known as the “Boss” on both the BBC as well as the Australian Apprentice reality competitions. He went from being an active member and donor of Britain’s labour party to a strong critic of the antisemitism that sharply increased during the Corbyn era.

Mila Kunis was born to Jewish parents and Holocaust surviving grandparents in Ukraine, when it was controlled by the Soviet Union. For many reasons, including antisemitism, her parents left- bringing the family to the US when Mila Kunis was seven. This year, she made a heartfelt and powerful condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and with her husband Ashton Kutcher raised over 30 million dollars for fleeing refugees. She also stood in defense of Israelis when she signed a letter along with 200 other celebrities denouncing a cultural boycott of Israel.

A drag performer who came to prominence as a participant on the ninth season of reality competition show RuPaul’s Drag Race, Alexis went on to star in the reality program Dragnificent on TLC. Alexis grew up going to Shabbat dinners in the West Village of New York and has stated that drag and Judaism are related because they are both about being “your most authentic.” Alexis has shown so many LGBTQIA+ Jews that they can have a home in Judaism when there are often so many voices saying the contrary.

American journalist and author, Jake Tapper is best known for hosting The Lead with Jake Tapper and State of the Union on CNN. Jake attended Jewish summer camp growing up as well as an independent Jewish day school. “I spend more time devoted to doing good deeds, which is part of Judaism, than praying …” he told Jewish Insider. He regularly speaks up for Jewish people and uses his prominence for good.

Dame Maureen Lipman has had a long career acting on film, stage, television and comedy. She’s taken on some specifically Jewish roles, in the movie The Pianist and is currently starring as an 80-year-old Holocaust survivor in Rose at the Park Theatre. Lipman has long been an outspoken critic of antisemitism in the UK, especially within the Labour Party as well as by calling out the distortions in the media’s coverage of the Israel/Palestine conflict.

Rabbi Angela Buchdahl is a woman of many ‘firsts.’ She is the first woman to lead the Central Synagogue in New York City as Senior Rabbi in its 180 year history. She is also the first Asian-American woman to be ordained as a Rabbi. Her work has involved combining Judaism and other cultures and her essay ‘Kimchee on the Seder plate’ describes her Korean mother substituting kimchee for the biting taste of horseradish, emblematic of the ‘mixed multitude’ that is the Jewish people.