Top 100 Most Influential Jews in the World » More Headlines

Leaders in Culture

Top ten Jewish artists worldwide, arranged alphabetically

Daniel Barenboim

Conductor and pianist, 70, (Argentina) Israel, Germany

“This is a human conflict between two nations, in which each one is convinced without a doubt that he has the sole right to live on one little plot of land”


It is not especially thrilling to know that the Israeli-Argentine-Germaninternational pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim made the list of the 100 most influential Jews. After all, Barenboim is known for his particular affinity for the works of Richard
Wagner, such that he conducted the Staatskapelle Berlin when it played a work by the anti-Semitic composer at the Israel Festival in Jerusalem; for his harsh statements against IDF policy in the Gaza Strip and Judea and Samaria; for his support of the Palestinians; and the many anti-Zionist statements he has made over the years. Even so, it is impossible to deny the fact that he is a gifted musician, knighted by the queenof England, and one of the most wellrespected and in-demand conductors in the world. Yes, he too is one of ours.

Filmmakers, 55 and 58, USA

“Our mother has wanted us to come here for many years, but you know, we were busy” (at the Dan David Prize ceremony in Tel Aviv)

The Coen brothers are the sons of university professors; they grew up in Minneapolis, which is also where they made their first foray into the world of film, when they made ridiculous remakes of famous movies, starring their friends from the neighborhood. Today, with four Oscar statues in their bag (three for No Country for Old Men in 2007 and one for Fargo in 1996), they are likely the most esteemed and successful duo of filmmakers in the world. Their distinct style, which combines film noire with insane comedy, began to develop already in their first film, the masterpiece Blood Simple that hit screens in 1984 – and since then, they have only gotten better. To date, they have created 17 pictures, most of which were met with great success and rave reviews. The standouts: The Big Lebowski, Raising Arizona, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Man Who Wasn’t There, A Serious Man, and of course, Fargo and No Country for Old Men.

Film actor, 75, USA

“Life stinks, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t enjoy it"

Two Oscars, six Golden Globes, three Emmys, an Obie and the Career Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. Thus, perhaps, you can summarize – for now – the work of this Jewish-American actor, the supernaturally talented artist whose skills rival the things that only “Rain Man” can do. Hoffman, born in Los Angeles, is remarried with six children; he first became famous thanks to his role in the classic film The Graduate(1967), for which he was nominated for an Oscar. Later, he provided unforgettable performances in masterpieces like Midnight Cowboy, Kramer vs. Kramer, Marathon Man, All the President’s Men, Tootsie, Dick Tracy and of course, Rain Man. Just last year, by the way, he was given his first starring role in a TV series – HBO’s Luck – but apparently that was only because he did not have time – or a desire – until now to squeeze onto the small screen.

CEO of the Walt Disney Company, 62, USA

“To say that I’m aggressive might be an understatement here.”

While it was recently published that Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, wanted to enact broad cutbacks, that is no indication about Iger’s professional situation or that of the company he skillfully leads. Disney is enjoying, under his leadership, one of its most dazzlingly prosperous periods.

It seems that despite the difficult period, Iger, who was born to Jewish parents on Long Island, is still climbing to the top. Incidentally, at the start of his career, he was a weathercaster on a local TV station; after making connections in the industry, he convinced ABC to give David Lynch and his new, odd series, Twin Peaks, a chance. He has served in one of the key jobs in the American entertainment industry since 2005.

Author, 83, Hungary

“I experienced my loftiest moments of happiness in the labor camps. You can never imagine what a 10-minute break from slave labor feels like”

Fateless, the debut novel by JewishHungarian author Imre Kertיsz, was published in 1975. The book describes the experiences of a 15-year-old boy who was sent to Nazi death camps – a description that overlaps the experiences of Kertיsz himself, who at a similar age was transferred to Auschwitz and Buchenwald. At the beginning, the book did not raise any special interest; only 13 years later, in 1988 – particularly after the fall of the communist regime, following which the book was translated into German and other languages – the world began to understand it was dealing with a literary genius. The books he wrote later on, including A Detective Story, Kaddish for an Unborn Child and Fiasco, were quite popular. In 2005, after publishing 13 books, Kertיsz was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. His most recent novel, Liquidation, came out in 2003. Two years later, his first book – Fateless– was adapted for the screen by director Lajos Koltai.

Director, 87, France

“The question of courage and cowardice is the thread that runs through my life”

In order to go through the entire professional career of the famous French-Jewish director, you would need something like 613 minutes – the length of his acclaimed and moving documentary, Shoah. Here, considering the limited space, we will merely mention that this is one of the people most identified with Holocaust study and the filmography of the Jewish People and Israel, and all of his works deal with these topics. Lanzmann was born in BoisColombes, in France. During World War II, he fought the Nazis as a soldier in the French resistance, and later he studied philosophy at the Sorbonne, and wrote an autobiography (The Patagonian Hare). In 2009, he was given a lifetime achievement award by the Cinematheque in Jerusalem.

Author, 74, Israel

“The bleeding heart Europeans only love us when we’re on the cross. All of us, doves, hawks and all the rest, prefer to forego that love of yours rather than accept it when we’re crucified”

Maybe one day, author Amos Oz will win the Nobel Prize for Literature, which he has been a nominee for since 2007. Either way, it is hard to say that he lacks international recognition.

Oz is the Israeli writer whose books have been translated into the most languages, and over the years, he has won the Israel Prize, the Goethe Prize, and the Heinrich Heine Prize, among others. To date, Oz, who is considered one of the most prolific writers in Israel, has published no less than 29 books – most of which were bestsellers. His first book, a collection of stories called Where the Jackals Howl, was published in 1965. His last book, a collection of stories called Between Friends, came out in 2012. Of his oeuvre, those books that stood out the most were My Michael(1967), Black Box (1987), and the autobiographical A Tale of Love and Darkness (2002). On a political level, Oz is a social-democrat who associates with the far Left. In the past, it was written of him that he is “the Left’s most eloquent speaker.” His books, in any case, present realistic characters, occasionally with an ironic or critical tone.  

Producer and businessman, 68, (Egypt, Israel, France), USA

“Obama’s attitude toward Israel is rather rubbish. But these times shall pass”

The dizzying success of IsraeliAmerican businessman and television producer Haim Saban can be measured in numbers. He is worth something like $3.5 billion – half of which is the amount he got in exchange for selling his television businesses to the Walt Disney Company in 2002. At the time, it was largest cash deal ever made with a private person. Saban, who moved to Israel from Egypt with his parents, is a self-made made. His father was a pencil salesman, while Saban made his way into the Israeli entertainment industry and then moved over to the French one, and from there to Los Angeles in the 1980s.

Saban’s production company, Saban Entertainment, was responsible for animated series based on comics, like Macron 1and X-Men, and The Power Rangers, which was a global hit. Recently, Saban has worked mainly as a businessman, a political activist and philanthropist. He bought and sold the Israeli phone company, Bezeq, and recently took over the Israeli Partner phone company. Saban has donated respectable amounts to Tel Aviv University and Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva, and he supports the moderate Left of both Israeli and American politics. Today, most of his time and energy are channeled toward Israeli initiatives and projects that boast a democratic spirit. In short, a valuable man.

Host of ‘The Daily Show,’ 50, USA

“If you don’t stick to your values when they’re being tested, then hey’re not values. They’re hobbies"

You might laugh, but New Yorknative Jon Stewart made his first strides in the entertainment industry as a French horn player named Jon Leibowitz. Granted, that was a long time ago, when Stewart was a high schooler in New Jersey; but still – it was worth a mention. Actually, it was only in 1989 that he began to gain momentum as a funnyman, when he wrote jokes for Caroline’s Comedy Hour; three years later, when he was chosen to present MTV’s first talk show, it was clear that he had something. Since 1999, Stewart has been presenting the mega-popular Daily Show on Comedy Central. Stewart has stood out in recent years for his support of Obama and the Democratic Party, and he even ran a campaign for the “Obamacare” health coverage law.

In 2001, Stewart received his first Emmy, and by 2012, his show had managed to win nine more – and counting.

President of CBS Entertainment, 55, USA

“We know our audience, we know what it wants and that’s where we go”

It is difficult to estimate the amount of influence and power Nina Tassler holds in the American television industry, but there is no doubt that she is a lynchpin. Born to a Jewish father and converted Puerto Rican mother, Tassler lives in Los Angeles. As part of the position she has held since 2004, she is responsible for such television successes as CSI and Survivor and is considered one of the senior foundations of television in the United States. Tassler, who was born and raised in New York, is married to Jewish actor Jerry Levine. She holds a degree in fine arts and theater from Boston University, and in the past served as vice president of Drama at CBS, and also directed film and TV.

The list includes the 10 culturally influential people chosen by the panel who did not make it into the top 50 spots. Compiled by: Roy Baharir

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