At JONJ we've stumped for obscure athletes and comic book creators. So why not a "savior of humanity"?

A microbiologist, Waldemar Haffkine found late 1800's Russia to be way too nice for his liking and made his way to plague-ridden India (with a stopover to slum around Paris with Louis Pasteur).

While there, Haffkine invented, tested (on himself, no less) and distributed the first cholera vaccine, eventually inoculating over 30,000 Indians without asking for even a spoonful of saag in return.

Not content with that, Haffkine returned to India for round 2, this time with a vaccine for the bubonic plague, which he, again, tested on himself before distributing to the general public.

And you thought only Catholics could be martyrs.

Haffkine was also quite the Jew, becoming heavily involved with the Orthodox and advocating for a Jewish state in Palestine. He also suffered from anti-semitism throughout his life (we know, shocker), but never let it get in his way.

In other words, Waldemar Haffkine makes most mensches look like shlemiels. He's the epitome of a great Jew. Well, except for the fact that compared to him, even comic book creators seem well known.

Verdict: Jew.

February 6, 2008