Who would you choose?

• 1. David Ben-Gurion Part Moses, part George Washington, he, more than anyone else, led the Jewish people, devastated by the Holocaust, into the promised land, which, more than anything else, transformed Jewish life in the 20th century.

• 2. Albert Einstein An ardent Zionist, a great humanist, the scientific genius who saw what no one had before and, in so doing, changed forever how we view the universe.

• 3. Sigmund Freud His insights into the mind opened us up to ourselves and helped us understand who we are.

• 4. The Lubavitcher Rebbe The greatest rabbinic figure of the century, he connected Jews with Judaism by accentuating the positive and by reaching out to all, all over the world.

• 5. Yitzhak Rabin He led Israel to a stunning victory in the Six Day War and stunningly put Israel on the path to a true peace and the fulfillment of the Zionist dream.

• 6. Louis Brandeis The first great Jewish lawyer in the United States, the first Jew to sit on the Supreme Court, an important Zionist and a leader of the progressive movement that led to the election of FDR.

• 7. Milton Friedman His economic theories influenced monetary policy in this country and in others around the world, leading to the prosperity we and others now enjoy.

• 8. David Sarnoff The father of broadcasting, the head of NBC, no one did more to make television a part of our lives, bringing the world into our living rooms.

• 9. Samuel Gompers Founder of the American Federation of Labor, he led the effort to better the lives of working men and women, guiding the struggle for higher wages and shorter hours.

• 10. Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz The greatest Jewish scholar since Maimonides, he opened up the Talmud to the average Jew.

• 11. Steven Spielberg His films have captivated millions, with "Schindler's List" bringing the story of the Holocaust to the public in a way that went right to the soul.

• 12. Dr. Jonas Salk Before him, millions suffered from and died from the ravages of polio. Because of him, the disease has been eliminated from the face of the earth.

• 13. J. Robert Oppenheimer His work on the atomic bomb helped bring about the end of the war with Japan and the beginning of the nuclear age.

• 14. Elie Wiesel He kept the memories of the six million alive when no one else was and has been a strong, often solitary voice in support of all who suffer anywhere.

• 15. Baron Edmond de Rothschild He made sure Herzl's dream of a Jewish homeland would become a reality by securing the land on which Jews could build the state.

• 16. Betty Friedan The mother of feminism, her book "The Feminine Mystique" laid the groundwork for the equitable treatment of women.

• 17. Natan Sharansky His inspiring determination in the face of Soviet brutality inspired a generation of refuseniks and led to a million Soviet Jews coming to Israel.

• 18. Chaim Weizmann The first president of Israel, his negotiations with world governments was key to world support for the creation of the Jewish state.

• 19. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel He gave meaning to Jewish admonitions of tikkun olam, transforming the world, holding high the Jewish flag in the fight for civil rights and other causes.

• 20. Hank Greenberg Known as the Jewish Babe Ruth, this home run slugger was a hero to American Jews at a time when they badly needed one.

• 21. Irving Shapiro Head of Dupont, he was the first Jew to lead a Fortune 500 company.

• 22. Rabbi Bernard Revel Founder of the forerunner of Yeshiva University, the first college of arts and sciences in the Diaspora under Jewish sponsorship, he emphasized the need for both secular and Jewish learning, of being educated in both "Torah and science."

• 23. Abbie Hoffman Leader of the movement that brought an end to the Vietnam War and showed young people they could make a difference.

• 24. Anne Frank The symbol of the tragic loss Judaism suffered in the Holocaust, her diary shows how strong is the human spirit.

• 25. Leon Trotsky One of the most influential figures in modern political history, without him Lenin would not have been able to bring Marxism to Russia.

• 26. Irving Berlin Composer of some of the best known and most loved songs in American life, including "G-d Bless America," "Alexander's Ragtime Band," "You're in the Army Now," and about a thousand others.

• 27. Menachem Begin He took the courageous step of making peace with Egypt which changed everything and effectively ended any real threat to Israel's existence.

• 28. Rabbi Solomon Schechter Under his direction, the Jewish Theological Seminary became the national center for the ordination of modern rabbis. He also initiated a union of Conservative synagogues.

• 29. Henrietta Szold The founder of Hadassah, she was a leading force in the development of social welfare, child and health care programs in the Holy Land.

• 30. The Chofetz Chaim His books made Jewish law accessible to the masses, his personal example showed that Jewish law is to be lived, not just studied.

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• 31. Walter WinchellIn his heyday, no journalist reached more people than he did. He courageously brought the Holocaust to the awareness of the American public.

• 32. Helen Suzman This South African author was a strong and unshakable voice denouncing the immoral policy of apartheid in her country.

• 33. Carl Sagan He made the universe understandable to all and made its wonders something all could be part of.

• 34. Rabbi Sally Priesand The first woman to be ordained a rabbi, she opened the doors for the gender equality that has followed.

• 35. Nachum Goldman He was the Jewish statesmen after World War II, playing an indispensable role in the reparations agreement with Germany and in the development of Israel.

• 36. Niels Bohr After Einstein, he was the most influential physicist of the century, the father of quantum theory which laid the groundwork for modern nuclear science.

• 37. Henry Kissinger This German immigrant rose to the pinnacle of American power and was the architect of detente with the Russians and relations with China.

• 38. Bugsy Siegel If it wasn't for him, Las Vegas would still be an unknown spot in the desert.

• 39. Yonatan Netanyahu The hero of the Entebbe rescue, he epitomized the fact that Israel would do whatever necessary to rescue Jews in trouble wherever they were.

• 40. Simon Wiesenthal His relentless pursuit of Nazi war criminals brought many of them to justice, including Adolph Eichmann and the commandant who ordered the murder of Anne Frank.

• 41. Rabbi Stephen Wise One of the first Reform rabbis to embrace Zionism, he led the fight in America in support of creating the Jewish state.

• 42. Eliezer Ben Yehuda He took the dusty old language of Hebrew, confined only to books, and brought it to life, making it a vibrant, living, breathing thing.

• 43. Felix Frankfurter One of the country's leading lawyers, he was an advisor to FDR, the third Jew to serve on the Supreme Court and an ardent proponent of Zionism.

• 44. Stephen Sondheim This most poetic of composers has dazzled us with his music, with everything from "A Little Night Music" to "Into the Woods" to so much more.

• 45. Hannah Senesh Called the Jewish Joan of Arc, she volunteered to fly from Israel to parachute behind enemy lines to rescue Jews in Hungary during World War II. She was captured, tortured and executed at age 23.

• 46. Ted Koppel The best interviewer on television, he showed us just how powerful a medium it is when it's done right.

• 47. Sholom Aleichem The greatest of all Yiddish authors, he wrote the Tevye stories upon which "Fiddler on the Roof" is based, keeping a time, place and world alive.

• 48. Jerome Robbins One of the most influential choreographers of the century, his unique style of dance energized both Broadway musicals and classical ballet.

• 49. Yigal Yadin His archaeological work brought the Dead Sea Scrolls to life and showed just how ancient and how firm is the Jewish tie to the land of Israel.

• 50. Henry Morgenthau One of the most influential Jewish political figures in American history, he was FDR's Treasury secretary, and confidant, during World War II.

• 51. Martin Buber Foremost Jewish philosopher of the century, his "I and Thou," looked at how man relates to the world and his "Hebrew Humanism," stressed the divine role of the Jews among the nations.

• 52. Emma Goldman This anarchist and agitator showed the way for liberation movements to come, especially that for women's rights.

• 53. Marc Chagall He often employed Jewish themes in his colorful, fanciful works of art. His windows adorn the Knesset in Jerusalem.

• 54. Dr. Albert Sabin Following in the footsteps of Jonas Salk, he developed the widely-used oral vaccine that ended polio's reign of terror.

• 55. Rabbi Aron Kotler He transplanted the European yeshiva to the shores of America and developed a model that has been emulated in most communities around the country.

• 56. Golda Meir This American born woman was Israel's only woman prime minister, showing the world Jewish mothers don't just stay in the kitchen.

• 57. Bob Dylan His songs captured the spirit of a generation, gave expression to what many were feeling.

• 58. Jerry Seinfeld When it comes to comedy on television, he was something, the master of his domain.

• 59. Gustav Mahler A leading force in the Jewish and Viennese music scenes, his works greatly influenced other Jewish composers.

• 60. S. Y. Agnon He won the first Nobel Prize for Literature to be given to a Hebrew author.

• 61. Moshe Dayan He inspired the troops in the Six Day War, gave us understanding into the Arab psyche, taught us to love the land and its history.

• 62. Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan He made Reconstructionism into a vital fourth branch of Judaism and several of his innovations, including the bat mitzvah, have been adopted by all Jewish denominations.

• 63. Herman Wouk His novels have captivated millions of readers, bringing the reality of war to life, while his Jewish writings have brought the beauty of Yiddishkeit to heart.

• 64. Alan Greenspan His stewardship of the Federal Reserve Board has given us an economy that many thought not possible: low unemployment, high growth, low inflation.

• 65. Groucho Marx His mind was so fertile and his mouth so fast, it's hard to keep up and harder not to laugh. He's influenced all comics who have come since.

• 66. Isaac Bashevis Singer He won the Nobel Prize for Literature for his books written in Yiddish, helping to lead to yet another revival for this supposedly dead language.

• 67. Louis B. Mayer Head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was the most influential of all movie studio moguls with a keen sense for what Americans wanted to go to the movies to see.

• 68. Rabbi Louis Finkelstein One of Conservative Judaism's greatest scholars, he served as chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary and did much to strengthen the movement.

• 69. Bess Meyerson The first Jewish Miss America, she was the pride and joy of Jewish mothers and the daydream of Jewish fathers.

• 70. Mark Rothko A leading advocate of the school of painters known as abstract expressionism, he used the power of color to evoke emotions and profoundly influenced how art is created and viewed.

• 71. Sarah Schnirer This Polish seamstress created the Bais Yaakov network of girls yeshivas, bringing formal Jewish education, for the first time, to Orthodox girls and young women.

• 72. Teddy Kollek Long-time mayor of Jerusalem, he dramatically changed the face of the city with his numerous building projects and did much to ensure its peaceful unification.

• 73. Rabbi Joseph Soloveichik A brilliant Torah scholar, he influenced thousands in how to live in the modern world while clinging tightly to tradition.

• 74. Molly Picon A star of the Yiddish stage, her brilliance as an actress led to worldwide acclaim.

• 75. Hannah Arendt A philosopher, she spent much of her life trying to understand the political and moral causes of the Nazi rise in Germany and other totalitarian regimes of the 20th century.

• 76. Harry Houdini A sensation of his time, his amazing escapes made him one of the greatest showmen of the century.

• 77. George Gershwin Composer of some of the finest and most enduring of American music, including "Porgy and Bess," and "An American in Paris."

• 78. Walter Lippman The intellectual elite and leading politicians, including presidents, cared about and listened to what he had to say in his editorials and newspaper columns.

• 79. Abba Eban He was the voice of Israel to the world, his eloquence brilliantly stating the case for why the United Nations should vote to recognize the Jewish state.

• 80. Mark Spitz His seven Olympic gold medals for swimming electrified the world and were a major source of nachas, discrediting the stereotype about Jews and sports.

• 81. Ahad Ha'am His essays brilliantly made the argument for the need for cultural renewal in Judaism. He played a key role in the negotiations with Britain that led to the Balfour Declaration calling for a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

• 82. Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver This silver-tongued orator, by both words and deeds, did much to bring about the birth of the state of Israel.

• 83. Leonard Bernstein A true renaissance man, he was a conductor, composer, pianist, author, teacher. His flamboyant style captivated audiences and his love for Israel gladdened Jewish hearts.

• 84. Red Auerbach He made the Boston Celtics the most dominant basketball team of its time and perhaps of all times. Sorry Michael.

• 85. Franz Kafka This Czech author's very personal books movingly expressed the anxieties and alienation of life in the 20th century.

• 86. Shimon Peres The only man to serve in all four of Israel's top governmental offices, he built Israel's defense establishment from the ground up and was the visionary that brought peace with the Palestinians.

• 87. Arthur Miller Like his best known play, "Death of a Salesman," most of his works deal with the real struggles faced by real people.

• 88. Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook The prophet of religious Zionism, he was the first to see the return of Jews to their homeland as the beginning of the divine redemption.

• 89. Sandy Koufax One of baseball's best pitchers ever, he brought pride to Jews everywhere by refusing to play in the World Series on Yom Kippur.

• 90. Neil Simon The most prolific of playwrights, his works have been among the most popular of the last generation, spawning movies and a TV series.

• 91. Rabbi Leo Baeck Theologian who served as spiritual leader of liberal Judaism in Germany, he survived the concentration camps and went on to found the World Union of Progressive Judaism after the war.

• 92. Lenny Bruce A comedian ahead of his time, he brought an edge to humor that made stand-up a real force.

• 93. Sarah Bernhardt The "Divine Sarah" was the greatest performer of her time and still is the symbol of truly brilliant acting.

• 94. Gloria Steinem She took Friedan's ideas and brought them to the masses while showing that you can be for liberation while also being nice to look at.
• 95. Isaac Stern One of the century's best violinists, he has devoted his life to a large number of good causes and has given much of himself, most of all, to his beloved Israel.

• 96. Barbra Streisand She kept her nose and her Jewish accent and became one of the country's most accomplished entertainers while also directing movies.

• 97. Al Jolson His was the first voice ever heard on film, with his "The Jazz Singer" ushering in the age of talkies. A leading star on the vaudeville stage.

• 98. Boris Pasternak Author of "Dr. Zhivago," he kept alive a spirit of humanity and compassion during the darkest days of Stalinist terror.

• 99. A. M. Rosenthal As executive editor of the New York Times, he transformed the paper, making it more lively and readable while maintaining the standards that make it the country's best.

• 100. Gertrude Stein She influenced some of the century's greatest artists, among them Hemingway and Picasso, both by tending to their needs and guiding them to make the most of their talents.

Dan Sharon of the Asher Library at Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies and Chicago historian Dr. Irving Cutler provided invaluable assistance with this special millennium issue. The Chicago Jewish News thanks them for their help.

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