Since the dawn of time, Jewish people have contributed greatly to various fields, from sports to entertainment to politics to porn. With our Breakthrough Jew feature, we recognize those who are up and comers in these various industries, identifying those great innovators and leaders in the contemporary world who are making a mark on society that will last a lifetime.

With the Jewish Hall of Fame, we recognize the remarkable advancements members of our community have made on today's society. These are people who have truly changed the world, and have earned the respect and praise of the members of today's younger generation.

ShalomLife’s Jewish Hall of Fame is our ongoing tribute to the greatest Jews who have ever lived; be sure to catch us weekly with our latest inductees, and tweet us @ShalomLife with your suggestions.

Check out last week's inductee into the Hall of Fame here.

Hall of Fame Member: Levi Strauss

: February 26th, 1829 in Buttenheim, Bavaria.

: September 26th, 1902 in San Francisco, California.

Born on February 26th, 1829, in Buttenheim, Bavaria to Hirsch Strauss and his wife Rebecca, Levi Strauss grew up to become the leading name in denim and fashion, building a company that would last for generations (and is still going strong).

The youngest of their children, Strauss grew up alongside six older siblings in an Ashkenazi Jewish household. Two of his brothers moved away to New York and together they opened J. Strauss Brother & Co., a wholesale dry goods store.

Strauss’ father passed away of tuberculosis in 1846 and soon after Strauss, his sisters, and his mother emigrated to the United States to join the other half of his family. Under the tutelage of his brothers, Strauss worked at their establishment, learning how to run a company on his own.

Soon after he arrived from Bavaria he moved to Louisville and began selling his brother’s supplies to Kentucky residents. It was during this time, in 1853, that Strauss officially became an American citizen. Later that same year, during the California Gold Rush, Strauss decided to journey even further from his family and open another dry goods store in San Francisco under his brothers’ company name, but later changed it to Levi Strauss & Co

In 1872 Strauss was approached by Jacob Davis, one of his clients from Nevada, who had an innovative way to use rivets in denim pants to make them more durable and last longer for customers during their laborious work sifting for gold. The problem for Davis was that he needed a partner to both secure the patent and help get the product moving. Excited for the opportunity to do more, Strauss agreed to go into business with Davis and the two of them received the patent for their new way of designing pants in 1873.

Their invention of the blue jeans would forever change the fashion industry and the way people dressed for both comfort and style.

During his time working with Davis, and changing the way we see the denim industry today, Strauss pursued other interests as well. A treasurer of the San Francisco Board of Trade, director of the Nevada bank, dabbling in insurance companies, and even trying his hand at utilities while director of the San Francisco Gas and Electric Company.

Proud of his Jewish faith and heritage, Strauss was also involved with both the Hebrew Board of Relief, and the Pacific Hebrew Orphan Asylum and Home. He also supplied 28 scholarships to the University of California, Berkeley, which continue to be provided to students by his company today.

Come 1890 the jeans that are internationally recognized received their XX marking on the wait tag along with the iconic 501 lot number. Later that year Strauss, with the help of his nephews, incorporated his company.

Sadly, Strauss passed away on September 26th, 1902 in San Francisco. He left behind $6 million (about $164 million in 2014 dollars) which was divided between his nephews and several other family members as he had never married. He also left funds to the charities he’d worked with during his life.

Today, the Levi Strauss Foundation is still in place and provides scholarships, and funds, to those in need. There are both exhibits in Germany at Strauss’ old home and at his company’s base of operations in San Francisco for tourists and fashion enthusiasts to enjoy.

Although Levi Strauss may have passed away over 100 years ago, his legacy remains and continues to have a lasting influence on the world of fashion. It’s for this reason that we at Shalom Life induct him into this week’s Jewish Hall of Fame.