Antoine Lavoisier

Antoine Lavoisier was, by all accounts, a brilliant man. Born into wealth, he didn't have to worry about where his next meal (or retort stand) was coming from, allowing him to dedicate himself fully to the noble pursuit of transforming alchemy into something resembling actual science. He introduced the metric system, elucidated combustion, and even proved that water isn't just really wet air, for which we are eternally grateful. His career was, in short, incandescent. So much for that.

Unfortunately, Lavoisier also dabbled in tax collecting, a profession that historically has not endeared one to the general populace, especially during a period of revolutionary fervor. Despite his immense contributions to science and public service, the revolutionary tribunal decided that "the Republic has no need of scientists." A shame, really, considering how much chemistry was about to explode.

While his contributions were certainly kvell-worthy on a universal scale, bringing untold nachas to anyone who appreciates elemental tables and the law of conservation of mass, his personal background offered not a scintilla of Jewish heritage. His family tree was decidedly French, Catholic, and thoroughly gentile, leaving no room for even a whisper of a claim to the tribe. He was, therefore, not exactly the kind of guy you'd invite to break fast, unless you needed a very precise measurement of your gefilte fish.