Carrie Nation

Born Carrie Amelia Moore in Kentucky, she was a true pioneer of public disturbance, long before flash mobs were a twinkle in anyone's eye. Armed with a hatchet, she led her "Home Defenders" into saloons, destroying property in the name of sobriety. It was a novel approach to community organizing, though perhaps not one endorsed by the Anti-Defamation League. But then, she probably wasn't looking for endorsements from anyone not actively smashing booze bottles.

Her motivations were rooted deeply in her Christian faith and personal experiences with alcoholism in her family. While she certainly had an identity, it was firmly Protestant and devoid of any matzo ball soup or Hanukkah candles. Her origin was equally gentile, with a lineage that stretched back through American history without a single menorah in sight.

Kvell-worthiness is where things get a bit tricky. On one hand, she fought against a genuine social ill, albeit with extreme methods. On the other, her actions were, shall we say, counterproductive to civil discourse. Ultimately, her legacy is more about the spectacle than the systemic change. She made a splash, but not a very Jewish one.