Vasco da Gama

Vasco da Gama, hailing from Portugal in the late 15th century, embarked on an ambitious journey that changed the course of history, primarily by cutting out the middleman – or, in this case, a whole slew of middlemen, many of whom were indeed Jewish merchants operating along established land routes. His discovery of a direct sea route to India around Africa was a triumph of navigation and a blow to the overland spice trade, which had, for centuries, enriched various groups, including some enterprising members of the Tribe.

While his voyages were undoubtedly significant for European expansion and the eventual colonization of much of the world, there's no evidence whatsoever to suggest da Gama had even a whiff of Jewish ancestry or personal identification. Born into a noble Christian family in Sines, Portugal, he was, by all accounts, as Catholic as the Pope’s hat, albeit a bit more prone to violence and coercion in the name of trade.

So, no, not a Jew. Not even a little bit. His accomplishments, while monumental in European history, unfortunately contributed to the eventual decline of diverse trading networks that had benefited many Jewish communities for generations. One might even argue his legacy is a bit of an anti-kvell, if we were being entirely self-centered about it, which, of course, we are.