Tag Archives: Russian Jews

Jews of the Week: Carasso & Metchnikoff

Isaac Carasso

Elie Metchnikoff

Isaac Carasso (1874-1939) A Spanish doctor, he noticed many of his patients suffered from digestive and intestinal problems. He imported bacterial cultures from Bulgaria and mixed them with sour cream, perfected by Nobel Prize-winning scientist and Russian Jew Elie Metchnikoff (1845-1916). Thus was born modern yogurt, which was initially sold only at pharmacies as a medicine! In 1919, Carasso founded Danone, named after his son Daniel. Today, Danone is the world’s largest provider of dairy foods and bottled water (Evian and Naya are among their brands). Meanwhile, Metchnikoff discovered the white blood cells known as phagocytes, and is considered one of the fathers of immunology.

Words of the Week

It’s better to have a Jewish State that is hated by the whole world, than an Auschwitz that’s loved by it.
– Rabbi Meir Kahane

Jew of the Week: Alexander Mashkevich

Mineral Baron, Media Baron

Alexander Mashkevich

Alexander Mashkevich (b. 1954) One of Kazakhstan’s “Trio” of super-rich men, he owns major reserves of natural resources, particularly aluminum and gas, all over the world. Mashkevich spends much of his time in Israel, where he is the 5th richest man with an estimated $3.5 billion. A very bright individual, he was made dean of a university at age 26. He is currently the president of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress and a close friend of Shimon Peres (current President of Israel) and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazabayev. His most recent move was to found a Jewish version of Al-Jazeera.

 

Words of the Week

The Jewish people are a single unit, as it says [Vayikra 19:18]: “You shall not take revenge and you shall not bear a grudge against the members of your people.” It is as if you were cutting meat and the knife slipped and cut your hand. Would that hand cut your other hand in revenge?
– Talmud Yerushalmi, Nedarim 9:4

Jew of the Week: Carl Sagan

A Beloved Scientist

Carl Sagan

Carl Sagan (1934-1996) Born to Russian-Jewish immigrants in Brooklyn, Sagan went on to become one of the greatest and most beloved scientists of the last century. He published more than 600 scientific papers and at least 20 books, one of which was the novel Contact, since adapted to a Hollywood blockbuster. He is most famous for being the host of the popular 1980s TV show Cosmos. Sagan had degrees in physics, astrophysics and astronomy, lectured at Harvard and was a full-time professor at Cornell. One of the central figures at NASA, Sagan helped develop many space missions, and designed the famous golden plaque launched with most space crafts. When asked if he was an atheist, Sagan replied “An atheist has to know a lot more than I know. An atheist is someone who knows there is no god. By some definitions, atheism is very stupid.”

Words of the Week

“How great are Your works, Hashem, how deep are Your thoughts… How abundant are Your creations; with wisdom You made them all…”
– King David (Psalms)