Former Israeli hostage Noa Argamani and Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt were included along with over a dozen Jews in Time Magazine’s 100 “Most Influential” list this year.
Their inclusion — in the “Leaders” and “Titans” sections of the annual list — points to the ongoing significance of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and its aftermath.
Argamani’s feature was written by Doug Emhoff, the Jewish husband of former Vice President Kamala Harris. Argamani was rescued from Hamas captivity last summer, eight months after video of her abduction from the Nova music festival became a symbol of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
Since then, Argamani has championed the release of the remaining hostages, including her partner Avinatan Or.
“I’m deeply honored to be included in the TIME 100 list and grateful that this recognition continues to shine a light on the hostage crisis and the horrific attacks of October 7th,” Argamani tweeted. “It’s a powerful reminder of the urgent need to keep speaking out.”
Greenblatt, who has been a leading — and often divisive — voice against antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment in the United States, credited his inclusion on the list to the broader work of the ADL in a post on X.
“I’m deeply moved & incredibly proud to be included on the 2025 #TIME100 list. This honor isn’t mine alone,” he wrote. “I share this with the entire ADL family & everyone who supports our mission to fight antisemitism & all forms of hate — wherever, whenever we see it.”
Here’s what you should know about the other Jewish notables on the Time 100 list (and the Jews from last year’s list):
- Dario Amodei is the CEO of Anthropic, an AI startup that focuses on ethical obligation. He founded the company along with his sister Daniela. Their mother is a Jew from Chicago, according to Wired.
- Adrien Brody has earned two Oscars for best actor for his portrayals of Holocaust survivors. Most recently, he won the 2025 award for his lead role in “The Brutalist,” and used his award speech to describe his representation of the “lingering traumas and the repercussions of war” and the importance of combating hate.
- Bobbi Brown is a cosmetics doyenne who has advocated for natural beauty, including celebrating her “Jewish” nose.
- Larry Fink is a co-founder, chairman and CEO of the investment firm BlackRock. Born to Jewish parents in California, his success with BlackRock has made him a billionaire — and a champion of the ESG movement in investing.
- Wendy Freedman is a Jewish Canadian-American astronomer whose breakthroughs have driven efforts to measure the universe. She was awarded the National Medal of Science in January.
- Rashida Jones is an actress, writer, producer and filmmaker best known for her roles in television on “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation.” She is the daughter of Jewish actress Peggy Lipton and Black music producer Quincy Jones, and has reflected on how her Black Jewish identity has shaped her life.
- Alex Karp is a Jewish American billionaire and the co-founder and CEO of Palantir, a data-analytics firm that works with U.S. defense and intelligence agencies.
- Josh Koskoff is a lawyer who represents the families of those who have lost their lives due to gun violence in schools. In 2022, he won a $73 million settlement for the families of Sandy Hook victims from an arms manufacturer that produced the assault rifle used in the attack. He has said he inherited his propensity to fight for the underdog from his great-grandfather, a Jewish immigrant from Russia.
- Howard Lutnick is the commerce secretary for the Trump administration. Prior to his appointment, he was the CEO of finance firm Cantor Fitzgerald.
- Lorne Michaels is the creator of “Saturday Night Live,” one of the most influential comedy shows in American television history. Born Abraham Lipowitz in Toronto, he founded the show in 1975. It celebrated its 50th anniversary taping in February and featured many Jewish comedy greats.
- Scarlett Johansson is an actress best known for her roles in “Lost in Translation” and Marvel’s “The Avengers” franchise. Born to a Jewish mother, the actress discovered that some of her ancestors died in the Warsaw Ghetto on a 2017 episode of “Finding Your Roots.”
- Miranda July is a screenwriter and author whose book “All Fours” was a sensation when it came out last year. Her Jewish father adopted the surname Grossinger, July’s original last name, in homage to the Jewish Catskills resort where his family vacationed.
- Claudia Sheinbaum became Mexico’s first female and first Jewish president this past summer with the campaign slogan “it’s time for women.” Her election made Mexico the biggest country to have a Jewish head of state.
- Mark Zuckerberg is the founder of Facebook and CEO of Meta, its parent company. Zuckerberg has said his Jewish identity is “very important” to him. His company, Meta, has recently received criticism from Jewish groups over its rollback of hate speech regulations on its platforms.
The list also includes at least one non-Jewish member of a Jewish family: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has been vocal about holding Shabbat dinners every week with his wife, Victoria, who is Jewish.
And it includes at least one aspiring Jew: Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, who studies with a rabbi, loves Israel and has said he wants to convert to Judaism once he leaves office.
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