József Mindszenty

József Mindszenty was a Hungarian cardinal, born József Pehm, who changed his surname to Mindszenty in 1941 to sound more Hungarian, which is a curious move for a Catholic cleric, perhaps anticipating the need to blend in rather than stand out. He wasn't Jewish, so the whole "Jew or Not Jew" thing is a bit of a stretch, but his story is certainly one for the history books. And no, converting to Catholicism doesn't make you a Jew, even if some of us wish it did for the sheer drama.

He served as the Prince Primate, Archbishop of Esztergom, and leader of the Catholic Church in Hungary. Mindszenty was a vocal opponent of both Nazi and Communist regimes, which, let's be honest, is a resume bullet point few can boast. His unwavering opposition to totalitarianism led to his arrest and torture by the Arrow Cross Party in 1944 and then, even more dramatically, by the Communist authorities in 1948, where he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

After eight years in prison, he was freed during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 but had to seek refuge in the U.S. embassy in Budapest when the Soviets crushed the uprising. He lived there for 15 years, a guest who truly knew how to overstay his welcome. He was eventually allowed to leave Hungary in 1971, spending his final years in Vienna, steadfastly refusing to compromise with the Communist government, even when the Vatican asked him to. Such kvell-worthiness for defying oppression, even if he wasn't on our team. A real mensch, in his own way.