Famous Jews born in Ukraine: from Golda Meir to Vladimir Horowitz

Ukraine has become the homeland for many outstanding Jews whose names have entered the world history of politics, science, art, and culture. We are talking about people who were born in Kyiv, Odesa, Chernivtsi, Donetsk, Buchach, and other cities — in different eras, from the Russian Empire to the Soviet period.

Their biographies are closely linked with the history of Eastern Europe, Israel, and the USA. Many of them shaped the face of the modern state of Israel, contributed to world-class science, and became symbols of the cultural influence of the Jewish diaspora.

Politics and public life

Golda Meir and Natan Sharansky

Golda Meir, born in Kyiv, became the fourth Prime Minister of Israel and one of the key figures in Israeli politics of the 20th century. Her journey — from an immigrant family to the head of government — became part of Israel’s national narrative.

Natan Sharansky, a native of Donetsk, was a Soviet dissident, political prisoner, later a minister in the Israeli government, and a public figure. His biography is associated with the struggle for the rights of Soviet Jews and their right to repatriation.

A special place is occupied by Vladimir Jabotinsky, born in Odesa. He became the founder of Revisionist Zionism and had a significant influence on the formation of the political ideology of the future state of Israel.

Simon Wiesenthal, a native of Buchach, went down in history as a Nazi hunter and one of the symbols of the struggle for historical justice after the Holocaust.

Art, culture, and cinema

Music, literature, directing

Kyiv became the hometown for the legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz. His interpretations of the classical repertoire are recognized as exemplary, and his career spanned the world’s largest concert venues.

Sholem Aleichem, born in Pereyaslav, became one of the most famous Jewish writers in Yiddish. His works formed the basis of the world’s cultural heritage, including theatrical and cinematic adaptations.

Otto Preminger, born in Vyzhnytsia, made a career in Hollywood and became one of the influential directors of American cinema.

Actress Mila Kunis, born in Chernivtsi, emigrated to the USA as a child and became one of the prominent figures in modern cinema.

Science and global influence

Selman Waksman and the discovery of streptomycin

Biochemist Selman Waksman, born in Kyiv, became a Nobel laureate for the discovery of streptomycin — the first effective antibiotic against tuberculosis.

His work changed 20th-century medicine and saved millions of lives worldwide.

Many of these people were born during the Russian Empire or the USSR, but their professional realization took place in Israel, the USA, and European countries.

Their biographies reflect the complex history of Jewish migration, intellectual contribution, and cultural influence.

In analytical publications by NANews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency, the topic of famous Jews born in Ukraine is considered as part of a broader history of the interconnections between Ukraine, Israel, and the global Jewish diaspora.

Ukraine remains an important part of this history — as a geography of birth, memory, and cultural heritage.