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Quizzes > Society & Culture > Religion & Mythology

Sort the Famous: Jew or Not a Jew Quiz - Think You Can Ace It?

Think you can ace our jew or not quiz? Dive in and find out!

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art illustration showing quiz interface with iconic figures to sort as Jew or not on sky blue background

This Jew or Not a Jew quiz helps you sort famous figures as Jewish or not. Play at your own pace, have fun, and learn a fact or two; when you're done, explore more Jewish culture questions or try more famous people trivia. Then come back to improve your score.

Which of these famous figures is Jewish?
Albert Einstein
Martin Luther King Jr.
Mahatma Gandhi
William Shakespeare
Albert Einstein was born to a secular Jewish family in Ulm, Germany, and maintained a strong cultural connection to his Jewish heritage throughout his life. He even served on the board of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. His Jewish identity influenced his social and political views.
Which of these musicians is Jewish?
Bob Marley
Bob Dylan
Elvis Presley
Chuck Berry
Bob Dylan was born Robert Zimmerman to a Jewish family in Duluth, Minnesota, and later converted to Christianity, but he has often spoken about his Jewish background. His early upbringing and family holidays were rooted in Jewish traditions.
Which of the following political leaders was Jewish?
Golda Meir
Angela Merkel
Margaret Thatcher
Indira Gandhi
Golda Meir was born Golda Mabovitch in Kyiv to Jewish parents and later emigrated to what became Israel. She served as Israel's fourth prime minister from 1969 to 1974. She remains one of the most prominent Jewish stateswomen in history.
Which acclaimed film director is Jewish?
James Cameron
Martin Scorsese
Christopher Nolan
Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg was born in Cincinnati to a Jewish family and has often addressed his Jewish heritage in films such as "Schindler's List." He has been a major philanthropist for Jewish causes.
Which of these pioneers of psychoanalysis was Jewish?
Carl Jung
B. F. Skinner
Ivan Pavlov
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud was born to a Jewish family in Freiberg, Moravia, and remained culturally Jewish throughout his life. His upbringing influenced his early education and social circle.
Which of these Hollywood actors is Jewish?
Tom Hanks
Adam Sandler
Brad Pitt
Jim Carrey
Adam Sandler was born and raised in a Jewish household in New York. He frequently references his Jewish background in his comedy and has produced numerous projects featuring Jewish themes.
Which of these actresses was born to a Jewish family?
Emma Stone
Mila Kunis
Amanda Seyfried
Anne Hathaway
Mila Kunis was born in Kiev to Jewish parents and emigrated to the United States as a child. She has spoken about her Jewish identity and upbringing in interviews.
Which of these writers was Jewish?
Jane Austen
Fyodor Dostoevsky
James Joyce
Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka was born into a German-speaking Jewish family in Prague. His Jewish cultural background influenced themes of alienation and identity in his works.
Which of these classical composers was Jewish?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Ludwig van Beethoven
Gustav Mahler
Johann Sebastian Bach
Gustav Mahler was born into a Jewish family in Bohemia and later converted to Catholicism to advance his conducting career. His Jewish heritage remained a complex influence on his music.
Which of these painters was Jewish?
Pablo Picasso
Salvador Dalí
Marc Chagall
Henri Matisse
Marc Chagall was born into a Hasidic Jewish family in Vitebsk, Belarus, and his paintings often include Jewish folkloric motifs. He remains one of the most celebrated Jewish artists of the 20th century.
Which of these Nobel Prize - winning scientists was Jewish?
Marie Curie
Rita Levi-Montalcini
Dorothy Hodgkin
Rosalind Franklin
Rita Levi-Montalcini was born into an Italian Jewish family in Turin, faced anti-Semitic laws under Fascism, and later won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Her background shaped her resilience and scientific career.
Which of these medieval philosophers was Jewish?
Maimonides
Dante Alighieri
Hildegard of Bingen
Thomas Aquinas
Maimonides, also known as Rambam, was a preeminent medieval Sephardic Jewish philosopher and physician in the 12th century. His works on Jewish law and philosophy remain foundational.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Understand Jewish Heritage -

    Gain insight into the cultural and historical context that defines Jewish identity and how it applies to well-known personalities.

  2. Identify Key Figures -

    Recognize and categorize famous individuals based on their Jewish or non-Jewish backgrounds using clues from their lives and work.

  3. Differentiate Cultural Traits -

    Analyze common traits and contributions that often indicate Jewish heritage without relying on stereotypes.

  4. Recall Historical Contributions -

    Memorize important achievements of Jewish personalities in various fields, from arts to science and politics.

  5. Apply Critical Reasoning -

    Use logical thinking to challenge assumptions about heritage and improve your skills in cultural literacy.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Matrilineal Descent and Halachic Identity -

    In traditional Jewish law (Halacha), a person is Jewish if their mother is Jewish or they have completed a formal conversion (Source: Talmud, Shulchan Aruch). A simple mnemonic "Mothers Matter" helps you recall that Jewish status is passed down through the maternal line. Scholars at the Jewish Virtual Library confirm this criterion as the baseline for Jewish identity.

  2. Formal Conversion Steps -

    Orthodox conversion requires three elements: a Beit Din (rabbinical court), immersion in a mikveh, and acceptance of mitzvot, while Reform and Conservative streams have adapted procedures (Source: Rambam, Reform Movement guidelines). Remember the formula Conversion = Beit Din + Mikveh + Kabbalat Mitzvot. Using "Court, Water, Promise" as a checklist makes it easier to spot legitimate conversions.

  3. Historical Figures and Ancestry Ambiguity -

    Many iconic personalities claim or are rumored to have Jewish roots, but public records can be unclear or conflicting. For example, debates around Charlie Chaplin's ancestry highlight the need for reliable genealogical verification. The Jewish Genealogical Society recommends cross-referencing birth certificates with synagogue archives to settle such questions.

  4. Jewish Diaspora Waves and Community Labels -

    Understanding major diaspora movements - like the Sephardic expulsion of 1492 and the Eastern European migrations of the 1800s - helps you spot heritage patterns (Source: Pew Research Center). A quick mnemonic "SEM" (Sephardic, Eastern, Mizrahi) can jog your memory about the three primary cultural groups. Surname clusters often reflect these regional origins and can be cross-checked in historical census data.

  5. Top Genealogy Tools and Verification Tricks -

    Use reputable archives such as Yad Vashem, JewishGen, and Ancestry's Jewish record collections to trace your family tree. A handy tip is to search Holocaust victim lists - common for Ashkenazi lineages - to confirm ancestral links. The University of Washington's Center for Jewish Studies asserts that cross-referencing multiple databases significantly boosts research accuracy.

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