The Wandering Jew is another name for a tradescantia, and I really don't think it is one, unless they can have non-furry, non-squishy leaves.

Beautiful specimen!

Looks like Tradescantia fluminensis, variegated. Wandering Jew isn't a family, and traditionally refers to T. zebrina, but has lately been much diluted to being used to refer to other Tradescantias, which are in the Commelinaceae family.

http://allthingsplants.com/plants/view/146265/Inch-Plant-Tradescantia-fluminensis-Variegata/

Yes! That is definitely it! So, it IS a tradescantia after all! Silly old me! Tiffany, it is growing in plain tap water. It used to be in soil but was really ailing, nearly dying. I took the plant down (it was in a wall sconce) and washed off the soil and it made three plants in water.

Funny that the instructions say "excellent drainage needed". If this is the case, why do they grow so well in water?

Plants in soil grow roots for growing in soil and plants growing in water grow specialized roots for growing in water.

When planted in a substrate plant roots need to be able to 'breathe' and bad soil or overwatering creates an anaerobic environment that inhibits the roots to be able to function. It also leads to root rot because soil roots are not meant to be constantly wet.

Well said. Growing in water also allows for absolute perfect consistency. For plants that like growing indefinitely in water, they often do look nicer than potted ones. Peace lily and Pothos are other good examples.

If things go wrong in the future, cut off the good parts & start again. It's too much rigamarole for me to change the water while plants are outside most of the year, (to get rid of mosquito larvae swimming in them,) but I used to do it a LOT in my younger years, when I didn't take plants outside. Some plants for many years at a time (between re-starts.)

Beautiful WJ.