Salka Viertel

Born Salomea Sara Steuermann in Galicia, Salka Viertel came from a thoroughly Jewish family background, though her personal observance may have waned over time. She married actor Berthold Viertel, and together they navigated the turbulent waters of early 20th-century Europe, eventually landing in Hollywood just as the Nazis rose to power.

Viertel made her mark as an actress on the European stage and screen before transitioning to screenwriting in Hollywood. She became a key collaborator for Greta Garbo, co-writing many of her most iconic films, including Queen Christina and Two-Faced Woman. Her sharp wit and sophisticated storytelling were instrumental in crafting complex female characters.

Beyond her professional achievements, Viertel's Santa Monica home became a vibrant intellectual hub, a weekly salon for fellow exiles like Thomas Mann, Bertolt Brecht, and Arnold Schoenberg. She provided not just social solace but also practical assistance, helping many Jewish artists and intellectuals escape Nazi persecution and find work in Hollywood, cementing her legacy as a cultural anchor during a dark time.

Her contributions to film and her role in nurturing a community of displaced European talent make her highly kvel-worthy. While not overtly religious in Hollywood, her deep roots and lifelong commitment to aiding her fellow émigrés speak to a profound, if perhaps secularized, Jewish identity.