Intellectual Contributions

Jewish Nobel Prize Winners

Alfred Nobel, a Swedish Scientist who invented dynamite, left his large fortune to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in order to establish a prize to be awarded the most outstanding scientists each year beginning with 1901. Included are scientists in chemistry, physics, and medicine or physiology. In addition there is are Nobel prizes in literature, economics, and peace. The latter three prizes are burdened by political considerations, so that the terrorist Yasser Arafat received the peace prize, and Bob Dylan , whose name was originally Zimmerman, was awarded the prize in literature, as was a lady named Gluck, whose so called poetry, like that of Dylan, appears without merit . There is also a Nobel Prize in economics, one of which was awarded to a genius who knows how to balance his checkbook.

Therefore we can take seriously only those Nobel prizes awarded for achievements in the physical sciences.

To date, 900 people have been awarded a Nobel Prize. Of these, 200 were and are Jewish. Since the Jewish population of the earth is less than one percent, it is astonishing that over 22% of these prizes were awarded to Jews. It is also important to record that some of the non-Jews included are of Jewish descent.

This immense achievement has been well received in the United States, the only democracy in the world. Here the President’s chief of staff, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Attorney General, the Chief of the Air Force, the Commandant of the Marines, and the deceased Chief of Naval Operations were and are all Jews.

A good number of Nobel scientists were German Jews, which was rewarded there by ending in gas ovens.

It is no exaggeration to show that chemistry would today be far less important had not 35 Jews contributed Nobel level attainments. Add also those who achieved as much but were overlooked.

Forty Jews have won the Nobel Prize in medicine and physiology, and thirty-five won a Nobel prize in physics.

While many others are proud of their military achievements, as are the people of Israel, we can truthfully say that Jews have done more for humanity than any other people. That alone suffices to be called “The Chosen People.”

Shalom u’vracha.

 Dr. Gerhard Falk is the author of numerous publications, including The American Jewish Community in the 20th and 21st Century (2021).

[ Home ] [ Up ]