7 Jews Who Have Made a Deep Impact on life in America

( JTA ) — When Natalie Portman was named the 2018 winner of the $1 million Genesis Prize, known as the “Jewish Nobel,” it was in part an acknowledgement of her Israeli roots. While the Oscar-winning actress mostly grew up in the United States, Portman — née Herschlag — is also Israeli. Her father, Avner Herschlag, grew up in Israel, and her mother married him there. The family moved to the U.S. when she was 3. Portman’s facility with Hebrew was on display when she directed and starred in the Hebrew-language film “Tale of Love and Darkness,” based on the book by Israeli writer Amos Oz . She earned the Genesis Prize for “her commitment to social causes and her deep connection to her Jewish and Israeli roots,” said Stan Polovets, the Genesis Prize Foundation chairman. Portman is far from the