Chinua Achebe

Chinua Achebe was born Albert Chinualumogu Achebe in Ogidi, Nigeria, a land not particularly known for its thriving Jewish communities. Raised by parents who were early converts to Protestant Christianity, his upbringing was steeped in traditional Igbo culture and the influence of British colonial rule, neither of which, regrettably, involved matzah balls or menorahs.

Achebe's seminal novel, "Things Fall Apart," is a cornerstone of world literature, selling millions of copies and translated into dozens of languages. It depicted the tragic clash between traditional African society and the encroachment of European colonialism with such profound insight that it probably made a few British colonial officers kvell with existential guilt. Still, no davening involved.

His literary output—which included numerous other novels, short stories, essays, and poems—garnered him numerous awards and nominations, including the Man Booker International Prize. He was a vocal critic of corruption and misgovernance, speaking truth to power with an eloquence that could make even the most hardened politician blush. His contributions to literature are immense, even if his Jewish bona fides are, shall we say, non-existent. A real mensch, nonetheless.