Jose Rizal

Jose Rizal, born in 1861, was a man of many talents: physician, poet, painter, sculptor, educator, linguist, economist, and even a dabbler in ethnology and cartography. He was essentially the Wikipedia of his era, but in human form and with significantly more revolutionary fervor. One could say he really "kvelled" for his homeland, albeit without any actual kvelled-from-Israel connections.

Rizal’s extensive writings, particularly his novels "Noli Me Tángere" and "El filibusterismo," exposed the abuses of the Spanish friars and colonial government, igniting a nationalist movement that would eventually lead to Philippine independence. He penned these works while gallivanting across Europe, presumably enjoying the finer things in life, like not being under Spanish colonial rule, a concept many of us can appreciate.

Despite his clear passion for liberation and his intellectual prowess, Rizal's heritage, a delightful blend of Filipino, Chinese, and Spanish, didn't include any discernible Jewish lineage. Nor did he, to our knowledge, ever attend a particularly rowdy bar mitzvah or develop a sudden affinity for matzo ball soup. His identity was firmly rooted in the burgeoning Filipino national consciousness.

Ultimately, while Rizal's fight for freedom is undeniably "kvell-worthy" in the universal sense, his "Jew Score" remains resolutely in the gentile column. He certainly made a name for himself, though perhaps not one that would typically be found on a synagogue honor roll. And that's okay; not everyone can be a Jew, after all.