Lise Meitner

Lise Meitner - (1878-1968) Austrian Jewish-born physicist who worked closely with Otto Hahn and Max Planck on atomic research and certainly deserved a share of Hahns 1944 Nobel for the discovery of fission. The top female physicist of the 20thC.--she is often depicted as the "poor" victim of anti-woman and anti-Jewish discrimination. Born of Jewish parents in Vienna (they were both Jewish-she was not "part" Jewish as sometimes reported). She converted to Lutheranism in 1908. One biographer says this was not "opportunistic". Yeah, right. It wasnt tough enough being a woman, add a Jew on top of that. She came from an "assimilated" background--so throwing off her her Jewishness was not hard. But you dont see a lot of contemporary Jewish scientists in the US converting away, do you? No, because no matter how assimilated--it makes no difference today if you are Jewish. In pre-WWII Europe, if one was assimilated, converting away removed an important professional impediment that seemed a "relic". Meitner was the physicist; Hahn the chemist--and she was as important as he in the discovery of fission. Meitner buried her head in the sand and continued to work with Hahn until 1938 (later by correspondence). She hoped her Austrian citizenship, wartime service, and powerful friends would protect her. Well, the Nazis would not make an exception for her. And maybe it is just as well--because if they had--she probably would have been forced to be part of the German weapons program. Hahn "failed" to adequately inform the Nobel commitee of her contribution and she did not get credit. Although she did get the Fermi Prize in 1966 as a consolation. She never complained much about Hahns behavior. Most speculate because she didnt want to be closely associated with fission/the atom bomb. She refused to work on the Manhattan project. (Eds. Note--This long entry is an attempt, thru one life, to explain why so many of the listed scientists and others have the notation converted to Christianity.)

Mark G. Raizen

Mark G. Raizen - physicist, quantum physics

Martin Lewis Perl

Martin Lewis Perl - American. Winner of the 1995 Nobel Prize for his discovery of the tau lepton.

Martin Pope

Martin Pope - physical chemist, Davy Medal (2006)

Max Abraham

Max Abraham - (1875-1922) An important German theoretical electrophyicist. Started as an assistant to Max Planck (who was NOT Jewish). Important later work in the function of electrons.

Max Born

Max Born - British Jew. Nobel Prize, 1954. For his fundamental research in quantum mechanics.Grandfather of Max Born,actor, who appeared in Fellinis Satyricon and singer Olivia Newton-John.

Melvin Schwartz

Melvin Schwartz - American. Nobel Prize, 1988. Shared w/Lederman and Steinberger for work in the same area.

Michael Fisher

Michael Fisher -

Michael Pepper

Michael Pepper - (JYB 2005 p214)

Michael Rossmann

Michael Rossmann - physicist and microbiologist (Jewish mother)