Robert Zimmerman. Allen Konigsberg. Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz. What do all of these seemingly unrelated people have in common? 

Each became a Jewish celebrity, and each changed his ethnic-sounding name.  

Could Bob Dylan, Woody Allen, and Jon Stewart, respectively, have achieved the same amount of success without their stage names? The short answer: maybe. 

Not to be too pessimistic, but it is part of human nature to judge others based on religion, ethnicity, and the like, even if it happens subconsciously.

Take the television show “Glee,” which preaches diversity and acceptance through song, and is watched by a large percentage of teens. 

The lone Jewish character is Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), a hard-working, ambitious girl who exhibits stereotypical physical Jewish features. Contrary to popular belief that she is Jewish, Michele is half-Jewish and associates more with her mother’s Catholicism.

More surprising, if a viewer were to hop on his or her computer and conduct the slightest bit of research, one would find that there is another Glee cast member who is “more Jewish” than Lea Michele.

Dianna Agron, who plays the blond, cheerleading, cross-wearing Quinn Fabray, has two Jewish parents and was raised in a Jewish home. Why wasn’t Agron cast for the role of Rachel Berry, the only openly Jewish character?

Perhaps because of biases and stereotypes. Society has certain, deep-rooted beliefs about Jewish people, leading them to believe it would be wrong for a blond girl to play someone who is Jewish and would cause a huge stir among viewers. 

If I were to take a sampling of Jewish girls from my school, Ladue Horton Watkins High School, probably half of them would look more like Michele and the other half more like Agron. In Hollywood, however, it seems as though most characters portrayed as Jews have admittedly more stereotypical Jewish physiques and personality traits.

We can also see similar storylines in other popular TV shows. Think Larry David in “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Or the portrayal of Jason Biggs’ character Larry Bloom in “Orange is the New Black.”

Judaism is not an ethnicity, it is a religion. Jews come from every part of the world. Why do Christian characters come in all shapes and colors, and Jews always seem to come in just one? In fact, when a character on TV is Christian, his or her religion is often assumed and unmentioned. 

However, in the rare instance that a main character is Jewish, his or her religious affiliation seems to play a big role in the storyline. Hollywood does not represent the diversity among the Jewish population, where people of every hair, eye and skin color can be found. 

Unfortunately, in geographic regions where Jews are not abundant, these Jewish characters feed into age-old stereotypes about Jewish people, their religion and their values.

The aforementioned famous Jewish celebrities contribute to this issue, too. Why should Bob Dylan feel compelled to detach himself from his given name in pursuit of success? In an ideal society, a Robert Zimmerman could have achieved the same level of notoriety.

An individual’s achievement should never be limited by his or her religious beliefs. In order to create a more diverse society, we must accept that inner talent or beauty can come with many outward appearances.