Jacques Offenbach

Johann Jacob Eberst, better known as Jacques Offenbach, was born in Cologne to a synagogue cantor. Clearly, the apple didn't fall far from the tree, though it did roll quite a distance across the Rhine. He moved to Paris as a teenager, quickly shedding his German roots for a more Gallic — and much more glamorous — identity. But let's be honest, that cantor's son heritage was always humming in the background of his most delightful works.

Offenbach's operettas, like the immensely popular Orpheus in the Underworld (complete with the can-can that scandalized and titillated), practically defined the Second Empire's frivolous spirit. His music was catchy, witty, and often quite saucy, proving that one can be both high art and high entertainment. He even managed to finish his only grand opera, The Tales of Hoffmann, just before shuffling off this mortal coil, ensuring his legacy wasn't just lighthearted.

While he converted to Catholicism later in life, a pragmatic move for social acceptance in Parisian society, his Jewish origin is undeniable. His father was, after all, a professional Jew. And his work, bursting with theatricality and a certain effervescent charm, certainly brought a lot of nachas to anyone who appreciates a good tune and a hearty laugh. He may have tried to blend in, but his music always had a bit of that Yiddish sparkle.