The Summer Olympic Games have begun in Brazil, which is the site of the oldest synagogue in the western hemisphere, founded in Recife, Brazil in 1636. The synagogue, Kahal Tzur Yisrael (Sinagoga Zur Israel in Portuguese), was founded by Spanish and Portuguese Jews who came to Brazil from the Netherlands, where their descendants had previously migrated to escape the forced conversions of the Inquisition. They were joined by New Christians already living in Brazil, a community which comprised descendants of Sephardic Jews who had converted to Catholicism. The synagogue served a community of more than 1400 Jews, and was led by a rabbi, Isaac Aboab da Fonseca, and a cantor, Josue Velosino, but only existed for about twenty years. The building, which included a mikvah, was torn down in the early 20th century, but a Jewish museum now stands on the site. The street where the synagogue was located was known at one time as Rua dos Judeus, Street of the Jews, but now carries what name?

Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima lights cauldron by U.S. Armyis licensed under CC BY 2.0.

A. Rua do Povo de Israel, Street of the People of Israel.

B. Rua do Cruz, Street of the Cross.

C. Rua do Sinagoga, Street of the Synagogue.

D. Rua do Bom Jesus, Street of Good Jesus.

E. Rua do Bossa Nova Lox, Street of the Dancing Salmon.

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In her acceptance speech at last week’s Democratic National Convention, Hillary Clinton made reference to HIPPY. What is HIPPY?

Hillary Clinton - Caricature by Donkey Hotey is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

A. HIPPY stands for Health Insurance Program for Parents and Youth, an Israeli program designed to provide health insurance coverage for low income families, and it was the basis for the CHIP program (Children’s Health Insurance Program) which Hillary spearheaded in the United States following the defeat of her broader universal health care program proposal in 1993.

B. Clinton referred to the Ha’aretz Initiative to Promote Peace through Yiddish, a program developed by the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz to bring together various communities within Israel around the common interest in Yiddish language, music, food and culture. She copied this model in promoting State Department initiatives to promote peace and healing in countries which were recovering from civil wars or ethnic strife, such as Afghanistan and Burma. The State Department program funded classes, festivals, films and other events which emphasized the shared history and culture of the politically divided populations of these countries.

C. HIPPY stands for Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters, an Israeli program designed to teach low-income parents how they could help their young children begin to learn and prepare for school. This was the basis for a program Hillary spearheaded in Arkansas in 1985 when she was the first lady.

D. HIPPY stands for Hope for Israelis and Palestinians for a Peaceful Year, an initiative of the Obama administration led by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2010. The program brought together Israeli and Palestinian children in a summer camp setting, enabling them to recognize the humanity of each community and develop friendships. Sadly, the program was discontinued following the 2014 Gaza conflict.

E. Clinton described HIPPY as the Homeland Initiative to Protect the People of Yisrael, a program she initiated as Secretary of State, which included arms sales and intelligence sharing between the United States and Israel. However, according to internal documents released by Wikileaks, within the Clinton campaign organization this program was actually known as the Hillary Initiative to Pander to the People of Yisrael, a program designed by the campaign to attract Jewish voters by trying to convince them that she actually cares for Israel and really didn't enjoy it when she kissed Suha Arafat.

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At this week’s Democratic Convention in Philadelphia, Hillary Clinton will officially become the first female candidate to head a major party ticket for president of the United States, despite controversy over her use of a private email server while she was Secretary of State. Among the thousands of emails written by Clinton that have been released as part of the investigation into her use of the private server, one of the emails was sent to both Jake Sullivan, one of her top advisers, and Richard Verma, the former assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs. The email simply read, “Where are we on this?” What was the subject line of that email?

Hillary Clinton's Underground Communications Center by Donkey Hotey is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

A. Israeli embassy move

B. Bill’s a pain in my tuchus

C. The Iran nuclear deal and that pain in the a** Netanyahu

D. Chuppah for Chelsea’s wedding

E. Gefilte fish

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Leading up to this week’s Republican Convention in Cleveland, the Republican Platform Committee under RNC Chair Reince Priebus has been finalizing details of the official party platform, covering such issues as reforming government, women in combat, coal as a clean energy source, and religious liberty. According to Michele Bachmann, how does party nominee Donald Trump define “religious liberty?”

Yokozuna Trump vs. The RNC by Donkey Hotey is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

A. Bachmann told right-wing radio host Jan Markell that Trump said “I don’t understand, when I was growing up, everybody bowed their head for a prayer in the morning before school. Even my Jews would bow their heads and pray. New York City, there are a lot of aetheists, and they would even bow their heads and pray. Why can’t we bow our heads and pray at school anymore?”

B. Bachmann told right-wing radio host Jan Markell that Trump said “I don’t understand, when I was growing up, everybody said Merry Christmas. Even my Jews would say Merry Christmas. New York City, there are a lot of Jews, and they would even say Merry Christmas. Why can’t we even say Merry Christmas anymore?”

C. Bachmann told right-wing radio host Jan Markell that Trump said “Religious liberty means that Christians can go to work and not be persecuted because of their beliefs. And Christian business owners can’t be forced to do things they don’t believe in, like make wedding cakes for gay people. Now I’ve been to many gay weddings and I always enjoy a good cake, but religious liberty gives me the right not to bake that cake or not to eat that cake. And Jews have the right not to eat that cake if it isn’t kosher. My daughter Ivanka is Jewish, and now she won’t eat cake when we go to weddings, unless it’s a Jewish wedding. It could be a gay Jewish wedding. Then she’ll eat the cake. That’s what religious liberty is about.”

D. Bachmann told right-wing radio host Jan Markell that Trump said “I don’t understand, when I was growing up, everybody ate a bagel with a schmear. The Jews would eat it, but so would us gentiles. New York City, there are a lot of Jews and lots of Christians, and we would all eat a bagel with a schmear. Why won’t the Muslims eat a bagel with a schmear?”

E. Bachmann told right-wing radio host Jan Markell that Trump said “My administration will see that the American people have religious liberty. There will be more religious liberty when I am president than there has ever been. Religious liberty is huge in America. And my religious liberty will be the most religious. That’s what I’ve done in my own family. I gave my daughter the religious liberty to marry a Jew. You can’t get more religious liberty than that.”

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A Spanish matodor was fatally gored this week in Spain, the first time this has happened since 1985. Though not widely known, there was a gay Jewish man who was born in Park Slope, Brooklyn in 1903 who went on to become a matador. He fought in the ring in Mexico and around the world and befriended Ernest Hemingway, who said of him, “he is one of the most skillful, graceful and slow manipulators of a cape fighting today.” His birth name was Sidney Frumpkin, though he later changed it to Sidney Franklin. But what name was he called when he first entered the bullring in Spain in 1929?

Bullfight, Spain by Christian Dalera is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

A. El Judio.

B. La Shechitah de los Toros.

C. El Yanqui.

D. El Matador de los Israelitos.

E. El Matador Va-Dor.

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What argument did British Prime Minister David Cameron make to the Jewish community of Great Britain in an attempt to gain their support for staying in the European Union?

Brexit by Christopher Michel is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

A. Referring to the growing support throughout the European Union for an independent Palestinian state, Cameron said, “Do you want Britain, Israel’s greatest friend, in there opposing a Palestinian state unless this is negotiated directly between Israel and the Palestinian leadership, or do you want us outside the room, powerless to effect the discussion that takes place?”

B. Referring to Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who has called Hamas and Hezbollah “friends,” Cameron recently said to a Jewish audience, “Even if you believe that it is in Britain’s best interest to leave the European Union, you should understand that a vote for Brexit is a vote for Jeremy Corbyn to become your next prime minister. If one is to be judged by the company he keeps, think about who his friends are, and what that might mean for you in Britain and for your brethren in Israel.”

C. In an interview with the London-based Jewish Chronicle, Cameron said, “The EU–Israel Association Agreement which was signed in 2000 provides for free trade arrangements between Israel and the European Union that are almost identical to the free trade which exists among EU members. And as a result, Israeli citrus, flowers, and many other products can be found in the markets of Britain at competitive prices. If we leave the European Union, tariffs will be imposed that will prevent these products from being offered at competitive prices. And that will be a major loss for us as well as for the Israeli economy.”

D. Referring to the BDS movement that is growing in Europe, Cameron said, “Do you want Britain, Israel’s greatest friend, in there opposing boycotts, opposing the campaign for divestment and sanctions, or do you want us outside the room, powerless to effect the discussion that takes place?”

E. Speaking to a Jewish audience on the issue of Britain’s membership in the European Union, Cameron said, “All of us benefit from the trade agreements which the EU has negotiated with other countries, including Israel. With Brexit, our Jewish citizens will find huge tariffs showing up on all of your favorite food imports from Israel–Kishkes. P’tcha. Gefilte Fish. Gribenes. Schav. I mean, to be honest, I am quite gobsmacked that you can eat that rubbish. It just sounds so bloody awful. Not haggis awful, but still, quite grotty. But let me just sum up in language which you people can understand. Brexit, Shmexit.”

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Why did Israeli sports journalist Sharon Davidovitch say “LeBron James is now the most hated person in Israel. It’s a little bit joking and a little bit true: These days I can only compare the Israeli hate for LeBron James to the hate for Hamas.”

LeBron James by Erik Drost is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

A. He wrote this in 2001, when James was a junior at St. Vincent–St. Mary High School in Cleveland. LeBron’s team played against the Hebrew Academy of Cleveland in the annual parochial school basketball tournament. James scored the winning basket as time ran out, making St. Vincent-St. Mary the citywide champion, leaving Hebrew Academy to receive the runner-up trophy.

B. He said this in January, 2016, when the Cleveland Cavaliers fired their Jewish head coach, David Blatt, who was formerly the coach of the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team. Many Israelis (and others) believe that LeBron James was instrumental in Blatt’s dismissal.

C. He said this in 2014, when James criticized Israel during the Gaza war known as Operation Protective Edge. James issued his statement after an Israeli bomb killed Palestinians who were watching the World Cup in a Gaza cafe.

D. He said this right after the Cavaliers won the 2016 NBA championship, beating the Golden State Warriors, who are hugely loved in Israel. The Warriors, founded in 1946 as the Philadelphia Warriors, were first coached by Eddie Gottlieb, a Jewish immigrant from the Ukraine. Gottlieb’s first Jewish involvement in basketball was at age 19 in 1917, when he organized a Jewish men’s basketball team at the Young Men’s Hebrew Association in Philadelphia. This Jewish connection has made the Warriors the most popular NBA team in Israel since its founding, thus leading to the antipathy for LeBron James in this championship series.

E. He said this after a visit to Israel by James in 2014. The trip, sponsored by the Hebrew Union College/Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, included a prayer service at the Western Wall. The women on the mission intended to hold their own Torah reading on their side of the wall along with the Israeli Women of the Wall organization. However, the woman who was carrying a Torah scroll to place on a table for reading was detained and the Torah scroll seized by the religious authorities who oversee the area. In anticipation of this possibility, the men also had a Torah scroll, which James was able to hand over to the women, despite the 8-foot divider between the two sides, which was no barrier to the 6’8” superstar with an 8’10.25” standing reach, thus enabling the women to hold their service.

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Fiddler on the Roof was one of the nominees, though not the winner, of the Best Revival of a Musical category at this year’s Tony Awards ceremony. When Fiddler on the Roof was first being developed, the opening song, Tradition, was the last to be written. What song that originally opened the show was replaced by Tradition?

Norland Scarecrow Festival - Fiddler on the Roof I by Tim Green is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

A. A Butcher’s Soul, with lyrics including “You say a butcher has no soul, it cuts me to the bone./You tell me if you please how many butchers have you known./What gave you the idea that a man who makes his living handling liver, lungs and kidneys has no heart./A butcher has his feelings, he is not a piece of meat./A man is not a chicken, you should hang him by his feet.”

B. A Blessing for the Tsar, with lyrics including “A blessing for the Tsar, a blessing on his head./A blessing for the Tsar, we wish that he were dead.”

C. I’m Going to Make Anatevka Great Again, with lyrics including “I’ll build us a wall to keep Russians away./And, oh, hey, did I mention, I’ll make the Tsar pay?/I’ll make Anatevka great again./And the Tsar, I have heard, may not even be Russian./Where’s his birth certificate, let’s start that discussion./I’ll make Anatevka great again.”

D. Letters From America, with lyrics including “Here in Anatevka, 90 percent are behind in the rent and we’re hungry to a man./Once a Rothschild saw our town, crossed himself and ran.”

E. We’ve Never Missed a Sabbath Yet, with lyrics including “Somehow the house will be clean, floors will be swept, soup will be cooked, beef will be boiled./Oh, there’s noodles to make and chicken to be plucked and liver to be chopped and challah to be baked./A race with the sun, so at the proper time the candles can be lit and blessed.”

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The world is mourning the passing of boxing champion Muhammad Ali. Some years ago, Ali made an appearance at Congregation Rodeph Shalom in Philadelphia. What was the reason for his visit?

Muhammad Ali-1 by Aymen Tanazefti is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.

A. He was in attendance at the aufruf of his daughter Khaliah in 1997, prior to her marriage to Spencer Wertheimer.

B. He attended the funeral of Howard Cosell in 1995. Ali spoke at the ceremony, saying, “I am the world’s greatest boxer, but Howard Cosell was the world’s greater promoter of boxing. Shalom, Howard.”

C. He was in attendance at his grandson Jacob’s bar mitzvah in 2012.

D. In 2013, Ali was the honorary referee at a charity boxing match at the synagogue, pitting Israeli World Boxing Association welterweight champion Yuri Foreman against New Jersey boxer Dustin “The White Tiger” Fleischer, who wears the Chai once owned by his grandfather, a Holocaust survivor.

E. Ali was born a Baptist, and later converted to Islam. But in 2010 he converted once again, to Judaism, in a ceremony at Rodeph Shalom. Said Ali at the time, “I changed my name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali because Cassius Clay was a slave name. But now I am changing my name to Moses Ali-yah. Moses was also a slave, but he became free and made Ali-yah to Israel, so I am honoring him. Now let’s go to the kiddush and get lunch. I hear it floats like a matzah ball and stinks like a kishke.”

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Nihar Janga and Jairam Hathwar became co-champions of the 2016 Scripps National Spelling Bee last week by correctly spelling the words “gesellschaft” and “Feldenkrais,” respectively. In 2013, Arvind Mahankali spelled the winning word, “knaidel,” which led to much controversy in the Jewish and Yiddish-speaking world as to whether that was the correct spelling. What sentence did the judge read when Arvind asked to hear the word “knaidel” in a sentence?

National Spelling Bee by Stacey Huggins is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

A. Hannah and Esther argued every year at Passover as to whether the knaidel should be a floater or a sinker.

B. Max hoped to find at least one more knaidel in his soup bowl but all he discovered was his missing lower denture.

C. Grandma’s soup was delicious, but the knaidel was so hard that her grandson Davey thought he was biting a bagel.

D. Offering to help her mother serve the matzah ball soup at their seder, little Melissa said, “Mommy, I’ll be glad to ladle the knaidel.”

E. The famous motorcycle daredevil’s most amazing feat was riding his bike with his girlfriend in his lap, while kissing her, as they jumped over the Israeli Parliament building while studying Jewish texts, eating matzah ball soup, and spinning a top, in what was billed as the “Evel Knievel Kabbalah Knaidel and Dreidel Knesset Canoodle.”

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