The contributions of Jewish inventors have significantly shaped the world we live in today. From groundbreaking medical devices to beloved entertainment franchises, the impact of these innovations is profound. This article explores ten remarkable Jewish inventions that have left a lasting legacy and transformed various facets of our daily lives.

The birth of video games

Imagine a world devoid of video games, where entertainment lacked the interactive thrill of digital play. This scenario would be unimaginable for many today. Ralph Baer, known as the father of video games, fundamentally changed the landscape of entertainment.

Born in Germany, Baer faced significant challenges during his childhood, including expulsion from school due to anti-Jewish laws. His family fled to the United States, where Baer became involved in the burgeoning electronics industry. In 1967, he developed the first video game console, affectionately named the "Brown Box," which paved the way for the gaming revolution.

Baer also created Simon in 1978, a memory game that captivated players for decades. His innovations ushered in a golden age of gaming, demonstrating how one individual's vision could reshape an entire industry.

The invention of stainless steel

Stainless steel is a crucial material in modern construction, medicine, and transportation. Its resistance to rust and corrosion has made it indispensable in various industries. This innovation is credited to Hans Goldschmidt, a German chemist of Jewish descent.

In 1893, Goldschmidt discovered a method to produce carbon-free chromium, which led to the development of stainless steel in the early 1900s. Without this invention, daily life would be drastically different, from the tools we use in surgeries to the infrastructure that supports our cities.

Marvel superheroes

Stan Lee, a Jewish comic book writer, co-created some of the most iconic superheroes in modern culture. Characters like Spider-Man, Iron Man, and the X-Men have transcended comic books, becoming cultural phenomena. Lee's narratives often reflected his own experiences and Jewish identity.

For example, the X-Men, representing marginalized groups, echo the struggles faced by the Jewish community throughout history. The Hulk was based on a 16th-century Jewish legend, the Golem of Prague. Lee's work not only entertained but also provided a lens through which social issues could be explored.

Life-saving medical devices

In the medical field, innovations by Jewish scientists have saved countless lives. Dr. Paul Zoll, a Jewish surgeon during World War II, revolutionized cardiac care. He observed that slight stimulation of the heart could cause it to beat more effectively.

His research led to the development of external defibrillators and pacemakers, devices that are now standard in medical practice. These life-saving technologies have made significant impacts on emergency medicine and everyday healthcare. The ability to revive and stabilize patients has transformed cardiac care and improved survival rates worldwide.

The advent of Google

In the realm of technology, few inventions have had as profound an impact as Google. Founded by two Jewish graduate students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in 1998, Google revolutionized how we access information. The search engine quickly surpassed its competitors due to its innovative algorithms and user-friendly interface.

Today, Google is a cornerstone of the internet, influencing everything from communication to commerce. Its services, including Gmail and Google Maps, have become essential tools in everyday life.

The ballpoint pen

The ballpoint pen is a staple in offices and schools around the world. Before its invention, writers struggled with fountain pens that often leaked and smudged. A Jewish journalist named Laszlo Biro sought to change that experience.

In 1888, Biro developed a pen with a tiny ball bearing at the tip, which allowed the ink to flow smoothly without the mess. His design was revolutionary, and he ended up selling it to Bic, leading to the mass production of ballpoint pens, which have sold over 100 billion units globally. This invention has simplified writing and made it more accessible to everyone. In some countries, these pens are still called Biro after the inventor.

Drip irrigation

Agriculture has benefited immensely from innovations in irrigation. In arid regions, water conservation is crucial for farming success. The drip irrigation system, developed by an Israeli father-son duo, Simcha and Yeshayahu Blass, has transformed agricultural practices in desert climates.

Their method allows water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, minimizing evaporation and maximizing efficiency. This innovation has enabled Israel to thrive agriculturally by being able to grow crops in the desert. This method has been adopted worldwide, helping to sustain crops in challenging environments. The impact of drip irrigation extends beyond individual farms, contributing to food security on a global scale.

The teddy bear

The teddy bear is a cherished toy for children worldwide, but its origins are rooted in a poignant story. Inspired by President Teddy Roosevelt's refusal to shoot a bear during a hunting trip, Morris and Rose Michtom, a Jewish couple, created a stuffed bear that captured the public's imagination.

After placing the bear in their candy shop window, its popularity surged, leading the Michtoms to establish a toy company. They gifted the original teddy bear to President Roosevelt, which is now kept in the Smithsonian Museum.

The polio vaccine

Polio once posed a severe threat to public health, paralyzing and killing thousands. The development of a vaccine by Jewish scientist Jonas Salk changed the course of this disease. Salk chose not to patent the vaccine, prioritizing public health over profit.

His decision allowed for widespread distribution, leading to a dramatic decline in polio cases. Within ten years, polio cases in the US dropped from 35,000 to just 161. There was only 1 reported case of polio in 2024.

The concept of Monotheism

Monotheism, the belief in a single God, has profoundly influenced religious thought throughout history. Judaism is credited with introducing this radical idea, which challenged the polytheistic beliefs prevalent in ancient cultures. This foundational concept has shaped the beliefs of billions today as over half the world's population practices monotheistic religions.

Monotheism has encouraged moral frameworks that guide ethical behavior and community values. The implications of this belief system extend beyond religious practice, influencing art, culture, and philosophy.

Conclusion

The inventions and ideas introduced by Jewish innovators have significantly shaped modern society. From entertainment to healthcare, these contributions highlight the resilience and creativity of a community that has faced immense challenges throughout history. Imagine a world without video games, stainless steel, or the comforting presence of a teddy bear. Jewish inventiveness continues to inspire and transform our lives, demonstrating the profound impact that one group of people can have on the world.

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Conservative media personality Candace Owens has sparked yet another controversy with her recent podcast discussion about the origins of the Khazar Khaganate.

In her latest live episode, titled "The Olympics Exposed Brigitte Macron," Owens primarily addressed the controversial depiction of "The Last Supper" in the Olympics opening ceremony and expressed her belief that a satanic cult rules the world. She then encouraged her audience to research their origins, stating that most people "don't know where they come from."

When a follower suggested, "You should look into the Khazars and the origin of the Ashkenazi Jews," Owens responded by claiming that many award-winning historians, including Israelis, assert that "the people inhabiting Israel today are not biblical Jews." She contended that these people are descendants of Khazars who were forced to convert to an "acceptable faith" by Russia and Persia (former Iran) in the 8th century due to immoral behavior, including cheating and "sexual stuff," leading them to convert to Judaism.

Owens then stated that the Khazarian Empire originated in what is now modern Ukraine, emphasizing, "It all goes back to Ukraine." She claimed that despite their conversion, the Khazars – whom she identified as the ancestors of modern Ashkenazi Jews – "carried on their corruption, carried on their sexual deviancy," leading Russia and Persia to "team up and crush the Khazarian Empire." Owens further asserted that, according to a recent theory, the Khazarians are now seeking revenge, suggesting, "Kind of happening right now." She added, "The elite really wants a war with Russia and Iran."

Additionally, Owens linked Sigmund Freud's theory of psychoanalysis to the Kabbalah, claiming it serves as a form of protection for elites who practice pedophilia.

Ben Shapiro, an Ashkenazi Jewish-American and Co-Founder of the right-wing media outlet The Daily Wire, has previously criticized Owens' antisemitic rhetoric as "faux sophistication." Notably, Owens was recently fired from The Daily Wire.

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The shared history and identity of the Jewish people

For centuries, the Jewish people have seen themselves as a family, united by a shared history, common traditions, and a collective destiny. Whether they hailed from Germany, Poland, Iraq, or Yemen, Jews across the globe celebrated the same holidays, observed the same rituals, and passed down the same stories. This sense of familial connection was not just a metaphor – it was a deeply felt reality that transcended the boundaries of geography and biology.

However, the advent of DNA testing has raised an intriguing question: just how closely are Jews related to one another on a genetic level? As scientists delve into the genetic makeup of Jewish communities around the world, they are uncovering fascinating insights into the origins and history of the Jewish people.

Unraveling the genetic tapestry of the Jewish Diaspora

One of the most remarkable findings from genetic research is the discovery that the majority of Ashkenazi Jews – those whose families settled in Central, Eastern, and Northern Europe after being exiled from the Land of Israel – are descended from a relatively small pool of ancestors. In fact, roughly 40% of Ashkenazi Jews can trace their lineage back to just four women, while 80% share a common ancestry with seven men.

This is a testament to the resilience and endurance of the Jewish people, who managed to maintain their cultural and religious identity even as they were scattered across the globe. But it also highlights the unique demographic history of the Jewish diaspora, where small communities were often isolated from one another for centuries.

The genetic connections extend beyond the Ashkenazi community, however. Studies have shown that most Jewish communities, regardless of their geographic origins, share a genetic link that can be traced back to the Middle East – the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people. Whether their families ended up in Yemen, Georgia, Poland, or Iraq, Jews around the world are more genetically similar to one another than they are to their non-Jewish neighbors.

The priestly lineage: the Cohanim and the Lemba people

One of the most fascinating aspects of Jewish genetic research is the discovery of the Cohanim – a priestly class within the Jewish people who can trace their lineage back to the biblical figure of Aaron, the brother of Moses. Through the analysis of the Y-chromosome, which is passed down from father to son, scientists have found that a staggering 80% of men who identify as Cohanim share a common genetic marker that links them to their ancient Middle Eastern ancestors.

Through the analysis of the Y-chromosome, which is passed down from father to son, scientists have found that a staggering 80% of men who identify as Cohanim share a common genetic marker that links them to their ancient Middle Eastern ancestors.

But the genetic connections don't stop there. Researchers have also found that the Lemba people of Zimbabwe, who have long-claimed Jewish ancestry, have a priestly class called the Buba, which share this same Cohanim genetic marker, providing further evidence of their ancient ties to the Jewish diaspora.

DNA as a reinforcement, not a replacement, of Jewish identity

While genetic research has shed new light on the shared origins and connections of the Jewish people, it's important to remember that DNA is just one facet of a much larger and more complex identity. Our culture, values, and faith are not dictated by our genetic makeup – they are the product of thousands of years of history, tradition, and collective experience.

For the Jewish people, the story of our identity is not written in the double helix of our DNA, but in the sacred texts we have studied, the rituals we have observed, and the struggles we have endured. The genetic connections we share merely reinforce the bonds that have already been forged through our shared history and collective destiny.

Embracing the diversity and complexity of Jewish identity

As we continue to unravel the genetic mysteries of the Jewish people, it's crucial that we resist the temptation to oversimplify or politicize these findings. The reality is that the Jewish identity is a rich tapestry of diverse experiences, beliefs, and traditions – and no single genetic marker can capture the full breadth and depth of what it means to be a Jew.

Whether our ancestors hailed from the Middle East, Europe, or Africa, we are all part of the same family, bound together by a shared history, a common faith, and a collective sense of purpose. As we move forward, it is this shared sense of identity, rather than any genetic sign, that will continue to define and sustain the Jewish people for generations to come.

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The center, which also serves Florida, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, helps future parents identify whether they are at risk of passing on genetic diseases, including those common among people of Jewish ancestry.

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Jewish genetic diseases are a group of recessive, inherited disorders that occur with significant frequency in the Ashkenazi Jewish community. Individuals of Ashkenazi descent have higher carrier rates for diseases such as Tay-Sachs, Canavan, familial dysautonomia, and Gaucher.

Sephardic and Mizrachi Jews are also at increased risk for certain genetic disorders.

There is a fee for Victor Center screening services. However, most medical insurance plans cover the service.  For more information, please call 786-897-9587 or visit https://www.victorcenter.org/

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The Vilna Gaon was born on April 23, 1720, in the village of Selz in modern-day Belarus. When he was living, Vilnius, known as the "Jerusalem of Lithuania" was anything but Lithuanian, and home mostly to Poles and Jews. The Holocaust changed that forever.

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Although the now-independent Lithuania is home to only a tiny Jewish population, the locals try to remember the rabbi, who helped make their capital famous throughout the Jewish world. One of the streets in the old city of Vilnius has been renamed after the rabbi. In 1997, a statue of him was erected in what used to be the city's Jewish quarter.

The Vilna Gaon lived near the city's great synagogue, which was later badly damaged in World War II and completely destroyed by the Soviets. Still, much of the area remains as it was during his life. The nation's Jewish museum is named after the Vilna Gaon, and another site in Vilnius linked to the rabbi is the Widow and Brothers Romm print shop, which published the first version of the Talmud with the Gaon's commentary.

Ironically, the first version of the statue to commemorate the great scholar portrayed him without any head covering, an error that was later fixed. Although there are many images of the rabbi, no one knows what he really looked like, as all 11 "portraits" were painted long after his death.

The 300th anniversary of the Gaon's birth inspired decision-makers to step up their efforts to commemorate his life. The Lithuanian Parliament declared 2020 the Year of the Vilna Gaon and the Year of Jewish History. But even before 2020, Lithuanian authorities sought to have the Gaon's manuscripts included in UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme. The Lithuanian Central Bank issued a special commemorative coin to mark the celebrations of his birth and legacy.

The celebration scheduled originally included nearly 70 separate events, but coronavirus upended everything. An international conference on Jewish study and intellectualism in Lithuania from the 18th to 20th centuries has been postponed until October, and possibly to next year.

The Vilna Gaon himself would probably wonder, and maybe be dismayed, if he knew the honors being heaped upon him in his homeland, which since his lifetime has been nearly emptied of its Jewish population. He was noted for scholarship and modesty, so much so that he consistently refused an official position with the local rabbinate, as the job would have disrupted his studies. His sons said he never slept more than two hours a day, divided into four half-hour parts. It's hard to imagine him making time for the "nonsense" of national honors.

The unusual interest in the great scholar's life seems quite appropriate to Lithuanian Ambassador to Israel Lina Antanavičienė.

"The Jews were an inseparable part of society in Lithuania from the days of the great duchy in the 14th century," Antanavičienė said.

"The Jewish community made an important contribution to the rise of Lithuania, its history, culture, and science. We see the 300th anniversary of the Gaon's birth an opportunity to promote knowledge of the history of Jews in our country, and improve and preserve their legacy and invest more in keeping that legacy alive. In the broader sense, this is an opportunity for the Lithuanian people and for the entire world to learn more about the achievements of Jews who were born in our country and lived and created for our country, and to be proud of them," the ambassador said.

The Lithuanians' desire to show pride in a spiritual authority who was active in their capital city is worthy of praise, but it is a challenge. The Vilna Gaon's work, his thinking, rulings, and innovations to the Talmud and the Kabbala are not immediately comprehensible to anyone who is not familiar with Jewish texts, and virtually inaccessible to anyone who does not read Hebrew. And without the content, the Vilna Gaon could be reduced to a folkloric figure, as happened with Judah Loew ben Bezalel of Prague, whom residents and visitors associate with the famous legend of the Golom.

The organizers of the year of events honoring the Vilna Gaon will try to bridge knowledge gaps with an exhibition titled "The Years of Eliyahu," which is scheduled to open in October at the National Library of Lithuania and will focus on the rabbi's enormous influence on Judaism. State authorities plan to borrow the famous notebook from the Gaon's own synagogue, which is currently preserved at the Yiddish Scientific Institute in New York, for the exhibit.

The Lithuanian national broadcast company is making a special effort to bring the Vilna Gaon's work to the general public. A special radio program devoted to the Gaon shared some of his pearls of wisdom with listeners, and stressed his critical approach as well as his broad familiarity with general subjects like mathematics and astronomy. The Gaon wrote a book on the sciences, and was also knowledgeable about engineering, biology, geography, linguistics, and music.

The broadcast underscored the Gaon's importance as a spiritual authority not only to the Jewish people, and shared a piece of his practical advice: "Today, this teaching from the Vilna Gaon is important to us. If a person desires to understand something, he must follow three rules: to look at what he is shown, to hear what he is told, and to feel all this in his heart."

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Ambassador Antanaviciene agreed that the legacy of the Vilna Gaon includes universal messages.

"The Vilna Gaon's philosophy is as relevant in the changing world of today as it was in the 18th century. Living in a community, while developing independent thought and aspiring to make positive changes in society – that teaches us an important lesson about the development of modern democracy in Lithuania," she said.

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Stephens' column, The Secrets of Jewish Genius, which was published on Saturday, discussed the alleged superior intelligence of Ashkenazi Jews.

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"How is it that a people who never amounted even to one-third of 1% of the world's population contributed so seminally to so many of its most pathbreaking ideas and innovations? Aside from perennial nature-or-nurture questions, there is the more difficult question of why that intelligence was so often matched by such bracing originality and high-minded purpose," Stephens wrote.

"Ashkenazi Jews might have a marginal advantage over their gentile peers when it comes to thinking better. Where their advantage more often lies is in thinking different," says Bret Stephens. https://t.co/XQngBOMqmQ

— New York Times Opinion (@nytopinion) December 28, 2019

He was immediately scrutinized for "using eugenics talking points" in his piece, as well as for opting for hollow provocation.

"Bret Stephens latest piece is not like the other ones. I mean it is bad, like the other ones, but this one crossed a very important line and for no reason other than to be provocative. Well, consider me provoked," Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said on Twitter.

Bret Stephens latest piece is not like the other ones. I mean it is bad, like the other ones, but this one crossed a very important line and for no reason other than to be provocative. Well, consider me provoked.

— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) December 28, 2019

Jody Rosen, an American author who is is a contributing writer in The New York Times Magazine stated that there was no place for eugenicists at the paper.

Speaking as both an Ashkenazi Jew and a NYT contributor, I don't think eugenicists should be op-ed columnists. https://t.co/AlQM9m30rI

— Jody Rosen (@jodyrosen) December 28, 2019

The growing criticism prompted The Times to remove the citation of the study from the column and add an editor's note to the piece.

"An earlier version of this Bret Stephens column quoted statistics from a 2005 paper that advanced a genetic hypothesis for the basis of intelligence among Ashkenazi Jews," the editorial prefix added to Stephens' piece reads.

Bret Stephens' latest column (https://t.co/6ECSD0oWe8), which argues that culture and history drive Jewish achievements, has been edited to remove a reference to a paper widely disputed as advancing a racist hypothesis. We've added the following editors' note to the column. pic.twitter.com/Aj7eU3Fce2

— New York Times Opinion (@nytopinion) December 29, 2019

"After publication, Mr. Stephens and his editors learned that one of the paper's authors, who died in 2016, promoted racist views. Mr. Stephens was not endorsing the study or its authors' views, but it was a mistake to cite it uncritically. The effect was to leave an impression with many readers that Mr. Stephens was arguing that Jews are genetically superior. That was not his intent. He went on instead to argue that culture and history are crucial factors in Jewish achievements and that, as he put it, 'At its best, the West can honor the principle of racial, religious and ethnic pluralism not as a grudging accommodation to strangers but as an affirmation of its own diverse identity. In that sense, what makes Jews special is that they aren't. They are representational.' We have removed the reference to the study from the column."

For many others, however, enough was enough.

I just cancelled my subscription with the @NYT after many years as a loyal reader. I feel a huge sense of relief.

I've let a lot of things go over the last couple of years but the #BretStephens racist, bullshit op-ed was the final straw. I'm done.

— Jay D'Lugin דזשײ דלוגין (@jaydlugin) December 28, 2019

News Agencies and Israel Hayom Staff contributed to this report.

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