Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman, born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, might not have opted for a more traditional path of, say, becoming a nice Jewish doctor, but she certainly found her niche. She's made an entire career out of looking like someone else, which, let's be honest, is a skill many of us cultivate to get through family gatherings.

Her work, primarily photographic self-portraits, involves her meticulously transforming herself into an array of characters, often evoking stereotypes from film, advertising, and art history. One might call it a rather elaborate form of dress-up, albeit with a keen academic eye and an undeniable impact on contemporary art.

While her prolific output and critical acclaim are undeniable, earning her a MacArthur Fellowship and countless museum retrospectives, her connection to Jewish identity remains, shall we say, tangential at best. Unless, of course, "exploring the construction of identity" is now considered a Talmudic pursuit.

So, while she continues to challenge perceptions of representation and identity, one thing is clear: when it comes to the tribe, Cindy Sherman is decidedly not playing a part.