Israel’s (Jewish) contribution to blessing the World

Genesis 12:3 “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (also Gen. 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14; Acts 3:25)

“For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead?” (Romans 11:15)

Concerning Jewish identity, the vast majority (over 90%) of the individuals considered here as being Jewish had two Jewish parents. Also included, are individuals with one Jewish parent and a few who were Jews-by-choice. [Copyright © 2002-2014 JINFO.ORG. All rights reserved.]

There were 14 million Jews in the world in 2010; 6.2 million in Asia (including Israel), 5.5 million in America, 2 million in Europe and 100,000 in Africa.

Out of the world's population of seven billion, the Jews are about 0.2%.

And yet Jews earned 22% of all individual Nobel Prizes worldwide between 1901 and 2013. Jews constituted 37% of all US recipients during the same period.

Chemistry (36 prize winners, 22% of world total, 33% of US total)

Economics (29 prize winners, 39% of world total, 50% of US total)

Literature (13 prize winners, 12% of world total, 27% of US total)

Peace (9 prize winners, 9% of world total, 10% of US total)(4)

Physics (51 prize winners, 26% of world total, 37% of US total)

Physiology or Medicine (55 prize winners, 27% of world total, 40% of US total)

Jews are also among the Creators of History's Greatest Lifesaving Medical & Scientific Advances (they helped save an estimated 2.8 billion lives)

JEWS LISTED AMONG THE CREATORS OF THE GREATEST LIFESAVING MEDICAL & SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES IN HISTORY accounted for 25% of the listees, and accounted for at least 50% of an estimated total of 5.6 billion lives saved.

The following data is based on the ScienceHeroes.com website,(1) which estimates the number of human lives saved by the most important lifesaving advances in the history of science.

Listed below are the 26 Jewish scientists, physicians, and engineers who are listed among the 105 principal developers of the roughly forty-three lifesaving breakthroughs.

They estimate that around 2.8 billion lives, (which is 50% of the estimated total of about 5.6 billion lives) were saved by the 105 individuals listed.

“Just as you, Judah and Israel, have been a curse among the nations, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong” (Zech. 8:13).

If we simply enumerate the total number of lives saved by advances for which at least 50% of the developers were Jewish, the number comes to about 4.3 billion lives, or roughly 77% of the total number of lives saved.(2)

[1] Fritz Haber, Synthetic Fertilizer (Haber-Bosch process): (1/2) x 2.72 Billion = 1.36 Billion Lives Saved

[3] Karl Landsteiner, Blood Transfusions (identification of blood groups): (1/2) x 1.16 Billion = 580 Million Lives Saved

[4] Richard Lewisohn, Blood Transfusions (sodium citrate blood preservation method): (1/2) x 1.16 Billion = 580 Million Lives Saved

[8] Abel Wolman, Chlorination of Drinking Water: (1/2) x 182 Million = 91 Million Lives Saved

[11] Benjamin Rubin, Smallpox Eradication (bifurcated inoculation needle): (1/4) x 142 Million = 35.5 Million Lives Saved

[12] Aaron Ismach, Smallpox Eradication (jet injector gun): (1/4) x 142 Million = 35.5 Million Lives Saved

[16] Samuel Katz, Measles Vaccine: (1/8) x 124 Million = 15.5 Million Lives Saved

[22] Sir Ernst Chain, Penicillin: (1/4) x 86 Million = 21.5 Million Lives Saved

[26] David Nalin, Oral Rehydration Therapy for Cholera:(1/5) x 59 Million = 11.8 Million Saved

[28] Norbert Hirschhorn, Oral Rehydration Therapy for Cholera: (1/5) x 59 Million = 11.8 Million Lives Saved

[30] David Sachar, Oral Rehydration Therapy for Cholera: (1/5) x 59 Million = 11.8 Million Saved

[32] Paul Ehrlich, Diphtheria and Tetanus Antitoxin: (1/3) x 42 Million = 14 Million Saved

[47] Alfred Sommer, Vitamin A Therapy: 8.5 Million Lives Saved

[48] Baruch Blumberg, Hepatitis B Vaccine: (1/3) x 6.7 Million = 2.2 Million Lives Saved

[49] Irving Millman, Hepatitis B Vaccine: (1/3) x 6.7 Million = 2.2 Million Lives Saved

[55] Gertrude Elion, Rational Drug Design: (1/2) x 5.5 Million = 2.8 Million Lives Saved

[73] Jacob Gershon-Cohen, Mammogram: (1/6) x 1.7 Million = 0.3 Million Lives Saved

[77] Albert Salomon, Mammogram: (1/6) x 1.7 Million = 0.3 Millions of Lives Saved

[83] Jonas Salk, Polio Vaccine: (1/4) x 1.1 Million = 0.3 Million Lives Saved

[84] Albert Sabin, Polio Vaccine: (1/4) x 1.1 Million = 0.3 Million Lives Saved

[93] John Robbins, Hib Vaccine for Bacterial Meningitis:(1/4) x 0.74 Million = 0.2 Million Saved

[94] Rachel Schneerson, Hib Vaccine for Bacterial Meningitis: (1/4) x 0.74 Million = 0.2 Million Lives Saved

[95] Alexander Wiener, Rh Factor Discovery and Infant Exchange Transfusion for Rh Haemolytic Disease: (1/2) x 0.55 Million = 0.3 Million Lives Saved

[96] Ronald Finn, Serum for Prevention of Rh Haemolytic Disease: (1/2) x 0.55 Million = 0.3 Million Lives Saved

[101] Brian Druker, Gleevec Anti-Leukemia Drug: (1/2) x 0.18 Million = 0.1 Million Saved

[103] Henry Heimlich, Heimlich Maneuver: (1/2) x 0.05 Million = 0.03 Million Lives Saved

NOTES

1. A book associated with the website entitled Scientists Greater than Einstein: The Biggest Lifesavers of the Twentieth Century, by Billy Woodward et al. (Linden, Chicago, 2009), profiles ten of the "lifesavers," who are collectively credited with having saved nearly 1.7 billion lives. Of these, three were, or are, Jews: Karl Landsteiner, David Nalin, and Alfred Sommer, whose advances together account for nearly three-fourths of the roughly 1.7 billion lives saved.

This analysis based on updated figures on the ScienceHeroes.com webpages profiling the individual scientists involved. These are generally somewhat higher than the figures appearing on the website's homepage. The figures used were those given in January 2014. Reference: http://jinfo.org/Life_Savers.html