Laura Nyro

Laura Nyro, born Laura Nigro, was indeed Jewish, though not in the way one might expect from her deeply spiritual, often gospel-tinged music. Her father, Louis Nigro, was a dental technician and jazz trumpeter of Italian-Jewish heritage. Her mother, Gilda Mirsky, was of Russian-Jewish descent, ensuring a robust enough genetic contribution to tick the right boxes on our scorecard.

Despite her profound, almost mystical lyrical themes that drew from diverse spiritual traditions, Nyro didn't overtly align herself with Jewish religious practice. Her identity was more universalist, embracing a broad tapestry of human experience and emotion, often expressed with a raw intensity that captivated critics and fellow artists alike. This might be why her Jewishness often comes as a pleasant surprise to those familiar with her work.

Her kvell-worthiness, however, is undeniable. Nyro wrote iconic songs like