Giacomo Puccini

Born in Lucca, Italy, Giacomo Puccini was heir to a long line of church musicians, which, to anyone keeping score, is not exactly a breeding ground for crypto-Jews. His upbringing was firmly Catholic, as was his professional life, with nary a sniff of matzo ball soup or a Shabbat candle in sight.

Puccini’s genius for melody and dramatic pacing gave the world such masterpieces as La bohème, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly. These are operas of grand passion, tragic love, and high-stakes drama, proving that one does not need to be 'of the tribe' to craft works that resonate with universal human emotion (and, let's be honest, make audiences weep like a bubbe at a sad movie).

While he gave us no cantorial pieces or Yiddish folk operas, his contribution to the operatic canon is undeniable. His works remain staples in opera houses globally, ensuring that his melodies will haunt audiences for centuries, regardless of their heritage. He was simply too busy writing perfect arias to concern himself with such trivialities as 'Jewish identity.'