Venezuela opposition leader María Corina Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize, recognizing her efforts to support democracy in her country. Machado, a Conservative former member of the Venezuelan national assembly, has opposed the socialist rule that has dominated the country for the past 25 years, and in particular, President Nicolás Maduro, who has been condemned by human rights advocates. After last year’s presidential election, Machado and her supporters were able to show evidence that the election was stolen, with Maduro’s opponent actually winning by a 2 to 1 margin. But Maduro instituted a brutal crackdown against his opposition, forcing Machado to go into hiding, where she continued her efforts to restore democracy, leading to her receiving the Nobel Prize.
Donald Trump had been nominated for this year’s prize for his efforts to end the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Twice before, the Nobel Peace Prize was given in recognition of peace efforts between Israel and its Arab neighbors. In 1978 the award was given to Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, and in 1994 the award was shared by Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres of Israel and PLO leader Yasser Arafat.
When Jimmy Carter met with Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin in 1978 to forge what became the Camp David Accords (leading to the Nobel Prize) Carter focused on private meetings of the three leaders separate from the many policy advisors who accompanied the leaders. Early on, President Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter walked into the office at Carter’s Camp David cabin, followed by Begin and Sadat. There was an awkward moment as the two Middle East leaders had to decide who would enter next. How did Rosalynn Carter later describe how this scene played out?
A. As the First Lady wrote later, the two men stood there, each hesitating in order to let the other enter first. Said Rosalynn, “Jimmy said to me that Begin would never go ahead of Sadat, being perfectly proper according to protocol—president above prime minister.”
B. Said Rosalynn Carter, “I looked back as the two men stood there, side by side. Suddenly Sadat looked at Begin and motioned for him to go, saying ‘Please, sir, age before beauty.’ Begin froze in his place and glared at Sadat as the Secret Service agents stiffened. I held my breath as Begin lifted his hand and pointed his finger in Sadat’s face, until he spoke, saying, ‘You are one funny guy, Anwar,’ as a smile burst out across his face.”
C. As the First Lady wrote later, the two men stood there, each hesitating in order to let the other enter first. Said Rosalynn, “Jimmy said to me that Sadat would never go ahead of Begin, being perfectly proper according to protocol—prime minister above president.”
D. In Rosalynn Carter’s autobiography, First Lady From Plains, she wrote, “It was so moving to see Mr. Sadat step aside at the door and say to Prime Minister Begin, ‘Your people are taught to love your neighbors as yourself because you were strangers in Egypt. Please, Mr. Begin, you go first. And I assure you that you will no longer be a stranger in Egypt.’ ”
E. Rosalynn Carter spoke of this moment in Jonathan Alter’s biography, His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life, where she said, “My husband and I entered the cabin, but I then noticed that the two gentlemen were still standing outside. ‘You first,’ said Begin, to which Sadat replied, ‘No sir, please, you go.’ Each held his ground until the almost 6 foot tall Sadat finally said to the diminutive Begin, ‘Please, my friend, hop on board,’ after which Begin climbed upon Sadat’s shoulders and they entered together.”
Venezuela opposition leader María Corina Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize, recognizing her efforts to support democracy in her country. Machado, a Conservative former member of the Venezuelan national assembly, has opposed the socialist rule that has dominated the country for the past 25 years, and in particular, President Nicolás Maduro, who has been condemned by human rights advocates. After last year’s presidential election, Machado and her supporters were able to show evidence that the election was stolen, with Maduro’s opponent actually winning by a 2 to 1 margin. But Maduro instituted a brutal crackdown against his opposition, forcing Machado to go into hiding, where she continued her efforts to restore democracy, leading to her receiving the Nobel Prize.
Donald Trump had been nominated for this year’s prize for his efforts to end the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Twice before, the Nobel Peace Prize was given in recognition of peace efforts between Israel and its Arab neighbors. In 1978 the award was given to Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, and in 1994 the award was shared by Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres of Israel and PLO leader Yasser Arafat.
When Jimmy Carter met with Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin in 1978 to forge what became the Camp David Accords (leading to the Nobel Prize) Carter focused on private meetings of the three leaders separate from the many policy advisors who accompanied the leaders. Early on, President Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter walked into the office at Carter’s Camp David cabin, followed by Begin and Sadat. There was an awkward moment as the two Middle East leaders had to decide who would enter next. How did Rosalynn Carter later describe how this scene played out?
A. As the First Lady wrote later, the two men stood there, each hesitating in order to let the other enter first. Said Rosalynn, “Jimmy said to me that Begin would never go ahead of Sadat, being perfectly proper according to protocol—president above prime minister.”
B. Said Rosalynn Carter, “I looked back as the two men stood there, side by side. Suddenly Sadat looked at Begin and motioned for him to go, saying ‘Please, sir, age before beauty.’ Begin froze in his place and glared at Sadat as the Secret Service agents stiffened. I held my breath as Begin lifted his hand and pointed his finger in Sadat’s face, until he spoke, saying, ‘You are one funny guy, Anwar,’ as a smile burst out across his face.”
C. As the First Lady wrote later, the two men stood there, each hesitating in order to let the other enter first. Said Rosalynn, “Jimmy said to me that Sadat would never go ahead of Begin, being perfectly proper according to protocol—prime minister above president.”
D. In Rosalynn Carter’s autobiography, First Lady From Plains, she wrote, “It was so moving to see Mr. Sadat step aside at the door and say to Prime Minister Begin, ‘Your people are taught to love your neighbors as yourself because you were strangers in Egypt. Please, Mr. Begin, you go first. And I assure you that you will no longer be a stranger in Egypt.’ ”
E. Rosalynn Carter spoke of this moment in Jonathan Alter’s biography, His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life, where she said, “My husband and I entered the cabin, but I then noticed that the two gentlemen were still standing outside. ‘You first,’ said Begin, to which Sadat replied, ‘No sir, please, you go.’ Each held his ground until the almost 6 foot tall Sadat finally said to the diminutive Begin, ‘Please, my friend, hop on board,’ after which Begin climbed upon Sadat’s shoulders and they entered together.”
Curtis Sliwa is the Republican candidate for mayor of New York City, running against Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an Independent after losing the Democratic primary. Sliwa founded the Guardian Angels (originally called the Magnificent 13), a private security organization, in 1977 to fight crime in the New York City subway system. Wearing red berets, the members, mostly Blacks and Hispanics, were unarmed and were trained in karate. Following the Crown Heights riot of 1992, Sliwa said of the difference between Blacks and Hasidic New Yorkers, “There is no fear that the Jewish community is going to come to the streets and loot and rob and rape. When in my lifetime have I ever seen a Hasid grab anyone’s pocketbook?” In his mayoral campaign, Sliwa has focused on the Jewish community, saying recently that “If you [the Jews] depend strictly on Gentiles, history is replete with instances where you’re going to be horribly disappointed.” What was he referring to?
A. He was referring to education, saying that Jews should be attending Jewish day schools, not New York City public schools. He also said, “The public schools are too focused on DEI. And trust me, Gentiles don’t consider Jews to be part of the equity.”
B. He was referring to circumcisions, noting that the number of Jewish babies getting circumcised in hospitals has increased significantly. “I would not trust a Gentile doctor to do that surgery on my son.”
C. He was referring to safety, saying Jews must protect themselves through organizations like the Shomrim (Jewish civilian patrol groups in Hasidic New York neighborhoods). He also stated that “We’ve never had more antisemitic attacks. Who’s in charge? Gentiles.”
D. He was referring to the United Nations, saying that Jews should not look to that body for a secure Israel. “Don’t waste your time asking for their help for the horrors visited upon Israel by Hamas. The Gentiles only really care about the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, not the Jewish people in Israel.”
E. He was referring to the New York City mayoral election, saying “Gentiles like Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani will never put the interest of the Jewish community first.” When reminded that he is also a Gentile, Sliwa said, “Well, that's not really true. I consider myself to be a Goy, not a Gentile. I think that’s reason enough for New York’s Jews to vote for me.”
The Jimmy Kimmel Live! televisions show was temporarily taken off the air by the ABC Network and its parent corporation the Walt Disney Company. This followed remarks Jimmy Kimmel made about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. President Trump and many on the right were critical of Kimmel, with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr saying “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or, you know, there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.” Serious questions have been raised as to whether this put improper pressure on the broadcasters, in effect squelching the free speech rights guaranteed in the Constitution.
Jimmy Kimmel has hosted Jimmy Kimmel Live! since 2003, and the program has received multiple Emmy nominations. Kimmel has been mistaken by many to be Jewish, though he’s actually Roman Catholic. In 2017, a Jewish boy named Will Rubin held his bar mitzvah party with the theme “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” leading Kimmel to invite Will onto his show. Jon Stewart crashed the interview, telling Will that he should have chosen a Jewish talk show host for his theme, noting “Don’t be fooled by his [Kimmel’s] learned-looking beard and his puffy, sad eyes. He’s not rabbinical — he’s just unhealthy.” In 2022, Jimmy Kimmel presented a sketch calling out Kanye West for his antisemitic comments. The sketch presented a “cure” for antisemitism. What was that cure?
Jews around the world are preparing for Rosh Hashanah, which begins on the evening of September 22. Religious celebration of the holiday includes attending services on one or both days, hearing the blowing of the shofar, participating in tashlich (the ceremonial casting of sins into the water) and reciting prayers of penitence. Home celebrations focus on eating such foods as round challahs, honey cake, pomegranates, and apples dipped in honey. There are many Jewish communities who follow customs that are not necessarily common among most Jews. For example, Ethiopian Jewish spiritual leaders rise early on Rosh Hashanah and dressed in white, recite the first prayer service, followed by a communal meal of lamb stew and injira Ethiopian bread. Some Iraqi Jews hold a seder on Rosh Hashanah, eating beets, gourds, and dates. Why do some Turkish Jews dip their apples in sugar rather than honey on Rosh Hashanah?
A. Rabbi Chaim Palachi, chief rabbi of Izmir, ruled that honey is not kosher and therefore cannot be used for the dipping of apples. His ruling was based on a concern that the legs of the bees could be stuck in the honey, and since the insect is not kosher, the honey containing a body part of the insect must also be avoided.
B. There has been a huge increase in the number of dying bee colonies in recent years. There are a variety of factors being studied to explain this phenomenon, including habitat loss, pesticides, and parasites. Turkey is a huge producer of honey by its native Caucasian Honey Bee population, but there was a major colony collapse in 2017, wiping out a large portion of the bee community. As a result, the Chief Rabbi Isak Haleva, citing the concept of tzaar baalei chaim (a prohibition against causing harm to animals) declared that Jews should not use honey until the colony was restored.
C. One of the earliest known Jewish communities in the Ottoman Empire (now Turkey) was in the village of Bursa. In 1427 there was a killer bee attack which decimated the community, with 23 children and 6 adults dying. Ever since, the community removed honey from their Rosh Hashanah celebrations.
D. Hürrem Sultan (known in English as Queen Hürrem) instituted a pogrom in the Jewish community of Constantinople in the mid-1600’s. As a result, Rabbi Shelomo Haim Alfandari, chief rabbi of the Ottoman Empire, ruled that no queen should be given honor among the Jews, and symbolically, the Jewish community extended this to queen bees and their honey-producing colonies.
E.Saturday Night Live introduced the Killer Bees sketch in their first season in 1975. The Killer Bees, led by guest host Elliot Gould, assaulted a young couple played by Chevy Chase and Gilda Radner. Elliot Gould’s Jewish family was from the Turkish town of Izmir (his birth name was Elliot Güzelses), and many Turkish Jews were outraged to see one of their own acting so violently. As a result, the head official at the Izmir synagogue, Gabbai Tom ben Gabbal, ruled that bees were evil and no pleasure should be derived from them or their honey.
Zabar’s is a New York Upper West Side market known for the many Jewish delicacies they sell, including bagels, smoked fish, and more. Zabar’s was founded in 1934 by a Ukrainian Jewish immigrant, Jacob Zabar (born Mordko Leib Zabarka), after he first rented a stall in a farmer’s market in Brooklyn. Zabar’s has become a part of popular culture, appearing in the movie You’ve Got Mail, and being referenced in television shows including Seinfeld, Friends, The West Wing, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, among others. Zabar’s just made another cultural connection outside of the food world in conjunction with the U. S. Open Tennis tournament which just ended in Flushing Meadows, New York. The Upper West Side shoe store West NYC is offering for sale a version of the iconic Adidas Rod Laver sneaker with colors matching the color theme of Zabar’s. According to West NYC, the shoe is offered with an aim of transforming “the classic sneakers into an unofficial part of the store’s [Zabar’s] uniform.” What is another example of an iconic fashion item making a partnership within the Jewish world?
A. The Lower East Side appetizing store Russ and Daughters teamed up with the fashion company Hermès, which produced a limited edition Birkin Bag featuring a picture of a bagel and lox above the word Appetizing.
B. Coach also co-branded with Zabar’s in 2022 when they offered their Cashin Carry Bag with the Zabar’s logo.
C. Following the Six Day War in 1967, Ralph Lauren introduced a special edition Polo Shirt which was only sold in Israel. In place of the polo player riding a horse and swinging a mallet, the horse rider is waving an Israeli flag.
D. Levi’s made a special edition of their classic 501 jeans in 1998 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel. In place of the traditional Two Horse Logo, the jeans included a map of Israel on the label, and the pants were marketed as Levi’s 613 jeans.
E. The George S. Bailey Hat Company, producer of the iconic Davy Crockett Coonskin Cap, teamed up with Chabad Lubavitch in Brooklyn, New York to produce the Davy Crockett shtreimel, a large fur hat made from raccoon pelts with two raccoon tails, one trailing each side of the hat and blending in with the wearer’s payess.
This past week was the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s strike on New Orleans and the destruction which followed the failure of the federal levee system. Like everyone else in New Orleans, the Jewish community suffered greatly, including the destruction of the Orthodox synagogue Beth Israel and the dispersion of practically the entire Jewish population. But the Jewish community has largely been restored, with many institutions, such as the eight synagogues and the Jewish Community Center thriving. New Jewish organizations since Katrina include the Avodah Jewish Service Corps, Moishe House, and The Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience. One of the most famous Jewish residents of New Orleans was Judah Touro, an American businessman and philanthropist, who was the son of Cantor Isaac Touro, a Dutch-born American rabbi who served as cantor of the synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island that bears his name. Judah moved with his family from Newport to New York City, but when his father died, his mother moved her family to Boston. Judah’s mother then died, leaving Judah and his siblings to be raised by their aunt and uncle, Rachel and Moses Hays. As a young adult Judah moved to New Orleans, where he eventually amassed a fortune in business. When he died, he left huge sums of charity to many Jewish and other institutions, including what became New York’s Mt. Sinai Hospital, synagogues across America, and Mishkenot Sha’ananim, the first Jewish residential settlement in Old Jerusalem. In New Orleans, Touro funded what became Touro Infirmary as well as the Reform congregation Touro Synagogue. While it’s not certain, what is the common belief as to why Judah Touro left Boston and moved to New Orleans?
A. Touro took a job teaching commerce and business at the University of Louisiana, which later became Tulane University.
B. Touro wanted to marry Catherine Hays, his first cousin, but his uncle Moses, Catherine’s father, would not allow it.
C. He got an offer from Samuel Zemmuray, a Jewish New Orleans businessman, to come and work for him in the banana trade between Central America and New Orleans.
D. Touro came to New Orleans because he was a supporter of slavery, and he did not feel comfortable remaining in the north.
E. Touro left Boston because he knew what it means to miss New Orleans.
President Trump has ordered the Smithsonian Institution to review all of its museums with a goal of removing any exhibits which focus on “how horrible our Country is.” While he particularly called out the African American History and Culture Museum, noting that it focused too much on “how bad slavery was,” the White House also offered a long list of other displays of concern at other Smithsonian museums. These include an “Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride flag” at the entrance to the American History Museum, an exhibit at the National Museum of the American Latino which features content from “a disabled, plus-sized actress,” and an animation at the National Portrait Gallery focusing on Anthony Fauci. The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum complex, comprising 21 museums and the National Zoo, mostly located in Washington, DC, but also including the Hirshhorn Museum in New York City and the Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia among others. What other United States museum is currently being considered for inclusion under the Smithsonian umbrella?
Donald Trump just completed a meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, where they discussed the Russia-Ukraine war. Alaska had an indigenous population for thousands of years, but was first settled by Russians in the mid-17th century. While Spain also claimed Alaskan territory in the late 1700’s, Russia ultimately took control of most Alaskan territory until the sale to America in what was known as Seward’s Folly in 1867. The first Jews in the Alaskan territory were likely Russian fur traders, with the first organized Jewish communities appearing in the 1880’s. The Klondike Gold Rush of 1897 and the Nome Gold Rush of 1899 saw significant numbers of Jews arriving to seek their fortune. As many as 200 Jews lived in Dawson, Alaska at that time, including Sid Grauman, who went on to found Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. Around the same time, Wyatt Earp and his Jewish wife Josephine opened a highly successful saloon, the Dexter, in Nome. A number of Jews were successful in Alaska politics, including Ernest Gruening, the state's first senator, Leopold David, Anchorage’s first mayor, and Jay Rabinowitz, a member of Alaska’s Supreme Court for more than 30 years. It is estimated that there are now about 6000 Jews in Alaska, mostly in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau. What Alaskan landmark is named after a Jewish person?
Alaska Jewish Museum by Jeffrey Beall is licensed under CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A. The Gerstle River was named for Lewis Gerstle, a Bavarian Jew who eventually settled in Alaska. In 1868 he and his partner Louis Sloss obtained the “Alaska Lease,” Alaska’s first fur concession, and he went on to found the Alaska Commercial Company, which still operates retail stores in 37 Alaskan rural locations.
B. Fleischman Medical Center in Cicely, Alaska, was named after Dr. Joel Fleischman, a doctor who took an internship in Cicely to help pay off his medical school debt. Dr. Fleischman went on to found a major hospital in this isolated northern Alaskan town.
C. The Mendenhall Glacier, a popular tourist attraction near Juneau, was named for meteorologist Abraham Mendenhall, a German Jewish immigrant. Mendenhall, who was the superintendent of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, first explored the glacier in 1879 on a trip accompanied by naturalist John Muir.
D. Mount Ripinski was named after a Polish Jew, Solomon Ripinski, who came to Alaska in 1884, after working as a merchant in Shreveport, Louisiana, an oil painter with a studio in Sacramento, California, and a colonel in the Oregon State militia. He helped establish a United States Government School in western Alaska, worked with the Pyramid Harbor salmon cannery, and was a charter member of the Juneau Men’s Igloo, an Alaskan fraternal organization.
E. The Schwartzman Porch, named after builder Arnie Schwartzman, who lives in Wasila, Alaska. Schwartzman built the porch on Sarah Palin’s house which she stood on whenever she wanted to see Russia.
The Italian government has announced a plan to build a bridge from the Sicilian city of Messina to the Italian mainland. The Strait of Messina Bridge project, which has been debated for decades, is estimated to cost 13.5 billion euros over the next 8 years until completion. Supporters state that it would stimulate huge economic growth in southern Italy, while those in opposition are concerned about its environmental impact, safety concerns (in particular regarding earthquake threats), and negative effects on local communities in the area where the bridge will be built.
Sicily has been home to Jews since the era of the Second Temple in Jerusalem (specifically as slaves to the Roman community). By the 6th century there was a synagogue and a hospital for the Jewish community. But by the 1200’s the lot of the Jewish community took a turn for the worse under the Crusaders, and by the 1300’s Jews in Sicily had to mark their clothing and stores with a “red wheel,” an early form of the Yellow Star. With the coming of the Inquisition, the Jews of Sicily were forced to move or convert. Some Jews returned in the 1700’s, but only in the last 10 years has there been more effort to organize Jewish communities in Sicily. One primary effort has been the establishment of a synagogue in Catania under the leadership of Rabbi Gilberto Ventura. The congregation is primarily made up of Bnei Anusim, descendants of the Jews who converted 500 years earlier. But Rabbi Ventura is fighting against what group that opposes his efforts to restore the Jewish Community of Catania?
Mt Etna and Catania by BenAveling is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A. The Vatican, because according to Bishop Giussepe Gambetti, “We love and respect the Jewish community, but the Bnei Anusim are our people and have been for 500 years. We do not wish to see them leave the church.”
B. The local Catanian community, many of whom still hold the antisemitic beliefs which are at the root of the lack of any real organized Jewish life even since Italy’s restrictive laws were abolished.
C. The Italian government, because there is a quota of non-Catholic religious institutions in the overwhelmingly Catholic country.
D. The Union of Italian Jewish Communities, which is the legal Italian overseer of Jewish communal life in the country. Their spokesman says that “In the case of Catania, this strange Jewish community hasn’t passed all the steps the law requires.”
E. Associazione dei Ristoratori Italiani (the Italian Restaurant Association). Pesce alla Ghiotta (Sicilian Fish with Potatoes and Olives) is a very popular Sicilian dish that is typically made with carp. Italian restauranteurs are afraid that the Jewish community will begin purchasing large quantities of fresh carp to use in gefilte fish at Passover time, thus leading to competition and a rise in prices.
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