The Guinness brand name is most often associated with the famous stout beer. Still, when Sir Hugh Beaver, Managing Director of Guinness Brewing, found himself caught in the heat of a pub debate in 1951, the legacy of the Guinness name was forever changed. Beaver, who wanted to settle a quarrel over which game bird was the fastest, proposed the creation of an official record-keeping document for future reference.
What started as a small reference book shared between buddies snowballed as more and more ambitious people sought to cement their names in history. In 1955, the very first official edition of the Guinness Book of World Records was published. Among the hundreds of impressive records set, it is no surprise that a number of Israelis and Jewish people have taken it upon themselves to highlight their talents and passions in this exceptional way.
Dedication to the Diaspora
Israel itself is just as committed to the Jewish Diaspora as the Diaspora is to the nation. The record for the most passengers carried on a commercial airline was set by an El Al flight, part of Operation Solomon, in 1991. Achieving this record was unintentional as Operation Solomon was a serious effort to evacuate Ethiopian Jews from the dangers of political unrest in the African country, bringing them to Israel where they could live safely in peace. One of the flights impressively carried approximately 1,100 people, including two babies born during the flight.
Significant scientific sweets
Israel is internationally renowned as a hub of world-class scientific innovation and research. The field of agriculture is one where Israel has particularly excelled due to the fact that much of Israel’s climate is arid and dry, making it naturally difficult to grow produce.
Farmer Tzahi Ariel, cultivating an Israeli variety of strawberry, broke the world record for the world’s largest strawberry in 2022. The massive berry grown at his family farm, Strawberries in the Field, was 289 grams. This blew the previous record held by a Japanese farmer by a whopping 39 grams.
National pride
Jewish people in Israel and the Diaspora are renowned for their strong, distinct sense of cultural and national pride. The blue and white of the Israeli flag is used worldwide to symbolize this passion. The Jewish community of Atlanta, Georgia, decided to pay tribute to the iconic flag in 2018 in a monumentally sweet manner. In the presence of a Guinness official, Congregation Beth Jacob broke the record for the largest cookie mosaic of a flag. Congregation members gathered to bake about 117,000 blue-and-white cookies to assemble an Israeli flag that was more than 3,200 square feet in size.
Illuminating the joy of the holidays
Often regarded as a favorite among children, Hanukkah is one of the most significant Jewish celebrations of the year. Families and businesses alike put in effort to decorate for the season. Tel Aviv’s Dizengoff Center LEGO store decided to go especially big with their festivities in 2022, in part to celebrate their first year in business. It embarked on a mission to break the record for the world’s largest LEGO menorah.
Engineer and real estate investor Amnon Marc Applbaum, who oversaw the project, said, "It was built from over 130,000 bricks, with no adhesive or structural support other than the magical power of the Lego bricks themselves.” It is fitting that this holiday was marked in such a delightful fashion with the massive 4x4 menorah made from the popular toy.
Ancient traditions of love
Even love, a phenomenon that may seem abstract and intangible, is documented in the Guinness Book of Records. After meeting at a nursing home party, Jewish couple Marjorie Fiterman, 102, and Bernie Littman, 100, broke one of those records in 2024, becoming the oldest newlyweds in the world.
Both attended the same university in their youth, but only crossed paths a decade ago. The Pennsylvania couple tied the knot in a traditional Jewish ceremony, complete with the groom getting out of his wheelchair and smashing a glass at the end of the ceremony. This beautiful, ancient ritual performed at such a special wedding is a testament to how, even in old age, love remains an essential part of the Jewish tradition.
From the heroic to the heartwarming to the scientifically impressive, Israelis and the Jewish people have made their mark on the now 70-year-old publication.