Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy is a Jewish Ukrainian comedian, actor, and politician who has served as the sixth and current president of Ukraine since 2019. Before his presidency, he achieved fame as an actor for his role in the television series Servant of the People, where he played a fictional Ukrainian president. Life imitating art, some might say, though one imagines the real-life gig is less funny, more fraught.

Born to Jewish parents in Kryvyi Rih, Ukrainian SSR, Zelenskyy comes from a family with a strong history in the region, including relatives who perished in the Holocaust. His command of both Russian and Ukrainian has been a significant asset in uniting a diverse nation, though his grasp of battlefield tactics remains, shall we say, a work in progress.

Since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Zelenskyy has garnered significant international recognition, praised for his leadership and resilience. He has refused to leave Kyiv, famously stating he needed "ammunition, not a ride." A true kvell-worthy moment, despite the ongoing horror of war, proving that sometimes, the funny guy actually is the right guy for the job. And yes, he's still Jewish, in case anyone was wondering.