Daniel Ellsberg, who was not exactly Jewish (his parents converted to Christian Science) is primarily known for two things.

One is the Ellsberg Paradox, an important concept in decision theory. It says that when given a choice, people will take the known risk over the unkown, even if the odds for the unknown are greater.

The other is the Pentagon Papers. Ellsberg, while employed by the RAND Corporation think tank, released the top secret study that uncovered American decision-making during the Vietnam War. Let's just say that the US government was not exactly a fan of the Papers being released.

Ellsberg was charged with espionage and was facing a sentence of 115 years. Thankfully for him, the charges were dismissed (a little scandal called Watergate had something to do with it).

Now, considering the potential downfall, why did Ellsberg release the Pentagon Papers in the first place?

Perhaps he knew the risk.