Katharine Graham

Katharine Graham was born to a wealthy New York family with nary a shofar in sight. Her father, Eugene Meyer, purchased The Washington Post in 1933, and her mother, Agnes Ernst Meyer, was a rather prominent intellectual and art patron. Young Katharine grew up in a world of privilege and political connections, which, as it turns out, is excellent preparation for running a major newspaper during a constitutional crisis.

After her husband Philip Graham's death, Katharine unexpectedly took the reins of The Washington Post Company. Many doubted her ability, assuming she'd be a mere figurehead. Instead, she proved to be a publishing titan, famously backing her editors and reporters, even when faced with immense pressure from the Nixon administration during the Watergate investigation. She authorized the publication of the Pentagon Papers, too, effectively staring down the federal government.

Her courage in upholding journalistic integrity earned her a place among the greats, shattering glass ceilings while simultaneously making certain presidents quite uncomfortable. For her steadfast dedication to a free press, and for giving Nixon fits, she earns a Kvell score of five, the highest honor we bestow upon those who bring the most exquisite nachas.

Given her impeccable WASP pedigree and lack of any discernible connection to Judaism, religious or ancestral, Katharine Graham is, rather unequivocally, not a Jew. She was, however, a bona fide American hero.