Sun Yat-sen

Sun Yat-sen, widely regarded as the Father of Modern China, led the revolution that toppled the Qing Dynasty, ending millennia of imperial rule. His "Three Principles of the People" (Nationalism, Democracy, and the People's Livelihood) became the guiding ideology for the nascent Republic of China. His influence extends across the political spectrum in both mainland China and Taiwan, where he is venerated as a foundational figure. A pretty big deal, you might say. Or, if you're feeling less formal, a total mensch (in the non-Jewish sense, of course). His accomplishments are certainly Kvell-worthy. For others. Not so much for us. So, how Jewish is he? Not at all, actually. His family were farmers who later converted to Christianity, not Judaism. He even studied medicine, became a doctor, and lived in various parts of the world, but somehow never stumbled into a synagogue or a nice Jewish deli. It seems he was far too busy orchestrating revolutions and uniting a nation to develop any Jewish identity or origin. Which is a shame, because a Jewish founding father of China would have really spiced things up. Still, credit where credit is due: he was a truly monumental figure in world history. He was just not one of ours. Not even a little bit. We checked. Twice.