The Bar and Bat Mitzvah Years

Meet the thirteen

Thirteen Jewish Americans, from 1654 to today, each met as a kid in their bar and bat mitzvah years. One story leads into the next, so the book reads as a single history.

Asher (Asser) Levy
Among the first Jewish arrivals in North America in 1654, Asher is known for his work supporting the early Jewish community and fighting for its rights.

Rachel Gratz
A member of the prominent Gratz family, Rachel grew up in Revolutionary-era Pennsylvania and was cousin to the famous Rebecca Gratz.

Emma Lazarus
Having lived through the Civil War and significant Jewish immigration to the United States, Emma wrote a poem titled, “The New Colossus,” which was set inside the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty after Emma died.

Louis Brandeis
Born a few years before the Civil War, Louis was the first Jewish Supreme Court Justice.

Irving Berlin
One of the most important songwriters of the twentieth century, Irving catapulted to success after the release of his big hit, “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” in 1911.

Hank Greenberg
A Major League Baseball player and Hall of Famer, Hank—then a Detroit Tiger—skipped an important game in 1934, when it fell on Yom Kippur.

Jack Kirby
One of the most beloved comic book artists of all time, Jack helped create Captain America, the Avengers, the X-Men, and so many more.

Richard Feynman
A physicist educated at MIT and Princeton, Richard worked on the Manhattan Project, the U.S. government’s secret effort to build an atomic bomb during World War II.

Ruth Kirschstein
Rising in her career to lead the National Institutes of Health (twice), Ruth studied diseases and promoted scientific research.

Gilda Radner
The first cast member hired for Saturday Night Live, Gilda remains one of America’s most influential comedians.

Steven Spielberg
An influential filmmaker and director of popular movies such as Jaws, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Jurassic Park, Steven is also known for his work on preserving the memory of the Holocaust.

Judy Resnik
The second American woman—and first American Jew of any gender—to fly into space, Judy was killed in the accidental explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986.

Susan Wojcicki
A key figure in the growth of computing and technology, Susan rented out her garage to the founders of Google in its early days, joined the company as its sixteenth employee, and rose to be the CEO of YouTube.