P. L. Travers

Born Helen Lyndon Goff in Australia, she later adopted the pen name P. L. Travers and cultivated an air of mystery around her life, including her birth year. Her most famous creation, Mary Poppins, brought her international fame and a certain immortalization in the annals of children's literature, even if she famously disliked the Disney adaptation.

While Travers delved deeply into various spiritual traditions, including Gurdjieff's teachings, Hinduism, and Zen Buddhism, Judaism was not among her known pursuits. Her background was thoroughly British, with Irish and Scottish roots, establishing her firmly outside the tribe, ancestrally speaking.

Her literary legacy is undeniable, providing generations with a stern yet magical figure who, in her own unique way, teaches us to find joy in the mundane. That's a k-score moment for any author, regardless of their lack of gefilte fish at the family gatherings.