Across the long arc of human history, progress has often been driven by communities that placed a high value on learning, questioning and moral responsibility.
Among these, the Jewish people, though small in number, have made an outsized contribution across science, medicine, technology, economics, the arts and humanitarian work.
Their influence isn’t the story of one culture advancing alone, but of individuals and institutions contributing to the shared treasury of human knowledge and advancement.
This isn’t a tale of superiority either but of impact and of how ideas, when nurtured, can bless the whole world.
Science that changed our understanding of reality
Few names are as widely recognized as Albert Einstein, whose theory of relativity reshaped modern physics and our understanding of space, time and energy. His work laid foundations for technologies ranging from GPS systems to nuclear energy.
Quantum physics, the strange and powerful science behind modern electronics, was also shaped by Jewish scientists such as Richard Feynman and Lise Meitner, whose insights helped unlock the secrets of the atom and subatomic world. Their work continues to power advances in computing, materials science and cosmology.
Medical breakthroughs that saved millions
In medicine, Jewish researchers have played a central role in life-saving discoveries and technologies. Jonas Salk developed the first successful polio vaccine, followed by Albert Sabin’s oral vaccine, which made global immunisation practical and widespread. These breakthroughs dramatically reduced one of the most feared diseases of the 20th century.
Selman Waksman’s discovery of streptomycin provided the first effective treatment for tuberculosis. Aaron Beck’s development of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy transformed mental health treatment and remains one of the most widely used therapeutic methods today. Viktor Frankl, drawing from his survival of Nazi concentration camps, founded logotherapy – a psychology centred on meaning and human dignity.
Technology that connected the planet
The digital age carries many Jewish fingerprints. Sergey Brin co-founded Google, transforming how humanity finds and uses information. Andy Grove of Intel helped lead the microprocessor revolution that made personal computing possible. Michael Dell scaled computer manufacturing to global levels.
Israeli and Jewish engineers helped develop the USB flash drive, modern navigation platforms such as Waze, and breakthrough medical devices like the PillCam – a swallowable camera that allows non-invasive internal diagnostics.
In agriculture, Israeli innovators pioneered drip irrigation, a water-saving method that’s helped farmers grow crops in arid regions around the world – a crucial innovation in an age of climate stress.
Economic and social thought
Jewish thinkers have profoundly shaped how societies understand markets and human behavior. Milton Friedman helped define modern free-market economic theory. Daniel Kahneman, blending psychology and economics, revealed how human decision-making often departs from logic, founding the field of behavioural economics.
Even critics of capitalism draw from Jewish intellectual heritage: Karl Marx, one of history’s most influential economic philosophers, reshaped political and social movements across continents.
Arts, culture and storytelling
Modern entertainment was also significantly shaped by Jewish pioneers. Many of Hollywood’s foundational studios like Warner Bros, Paramount, MGM, Universal, were founded by Jewish immigrants who built the global film industry from the ground up.
In music and literature, figures such as George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, Franz Kafka and Saul Bellow expanded artistic boundaries and influenced generations of creators contributing to art, culture and mainstream music.
Humanitarian vision and institutions
Jewish humanitarian organisations have operated globally for more than a century, often guided by the ethical principle known as, tikkun olam or “repairing the world.” Groups such as the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and HIAS have provided disaster relief, refugee resettlement and medical assistance across borders, boundaries and cultures.
Medical institutions such as Hadassah hospitals and numerous research centers have advanced both treatment and training worldwide.
A tradition of questions
Underlying many of these contributions is a deep cultural habit: the encouragement of questioning, debate, literacy and ethical reflection.
The long Jewish tradition of study, seen in rabbinic scholarship and communal education, fostered habits of analysis and intellectual resilience that translate well into scientific and professional life.
Shared progress
No innovation belongs to one people alone. Every discovery is tested, expanded and applied by the wider human family. Jewish innovators have worked in international teams, multicultural institutions and global collaborations.
Their achievements are threads woven into a much larger human tapestry teaming with wisdom and wellbeing for all of humanity.
Yet it’s worth pausing to recognise how often bright sparks have come from small communities that refused to stop learning, asking and imagining.
Progress, after all, is born wherever curiosity meets courage and where knowledge is treated not as a privilege, but as a responsibility for blessing mankind.
COLIN DEOKI lives in Melbourne, Australia and is a regular contributor to this newspaper. The views expressed in this article are his and not necessarily of this newspaper.
