Very few climbers have reached the summit of Mt. Everest in the last two years, due to deadly avalanches and a huge earthquake. The 2016 season has just begun, with 9 Sherpas reaching the summit on May 11; however, four climbers have already died this month, with numerous others taking ill near the summit. In 2012, what made the Mt. Everest ascent by Israeli Nadav Ben Yehuda unusual?

Mt. Everest by Kirsten is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

A. Ben Yehuda, who was 24 at the time, would have been the youngest Israeli ever to reach the top of Mt. Everest. However, he abandoned his effort just 300 meters from the summit because he chose to assist a Turkish climber who was suffering from serious frostbite. Ben Yehuda carried the stricken climber down the mountain to the base camp, where they were then helicoptered to safety.

B. Ben Yehuda was making final preparations for his ascent to the top of the mountain when he received an e-mail announcing that his military reserve unit was being called to active duty. He was only 300 meters from the top, but because of his dedication to the Israeli Defense Forces, he immediately turned around in order to be able to report for duty on time.

C. Ben Yehuda had emigrated to Israel from the former Soviet Union, where he had not had a religious upbringing or celebrated a bar mitzvah. As he approached the summit of Mt. Everest with Israeli friends, they recognized the unique possibility for this moment. Transforming the meaning of Aliyah, or the going up to bless the Torah, one of his friends chanted, “Ya’amod, Nadav ben Mordechai, la’aliyah Ha-Everestit,” as Ben Yehuda went up to the summit of Mt. Everest. His friends then joined him while singing “Siman Tov u’Mazel Tov” as they shared some Manischewitz and rugelach.

D. Ben Yehuda was climbing in late August. An Orthodox Jew, he found himself in a dilemma as his climb took much longer than anticipated. By the time he reached the summit, Rosh Hashanah was only a few days away. He radioed to other groups that were climbing at that time, and managed to locate nine other Jewish climbers in the area. The resulting Rosh Hashanah services at the North Base Camp set the record for the highest altitude minyan ever held, at over 17,000 feet.

E. Ben Yehuda carried two stone tablets with him on his climb, and when he reached the summit of Mt. Everest, he carved the 10 Commandments into the stone. He carried the tablets back down the mountain, and they are now on permanent exhibit at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem.

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Israel’s honorary consul in Rio de Janeiro criticized Brazil’s embattled president, Dilma Roussef, for her comparison of the effort to impeach her to the Nazis’ persecution of Jews. Yet, two years ago, the criticism went in the opposite direction when what was said?

Dilma by Alex Vieira is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

A. The president of the Brazilian Israelite Confederation apologized to President Roussef for remarks made by Yigal Palmor, a spokesman for the Israeli foreign ministry. Brazil had recalled their ambassador to Israel in protest of Israeli attacks on Gaza, prompting Palmor to say that “Brazil is a friend, but we think its position is not balanced. This is an unfortunate reminder of the fact that Brazil, an economic and cultural giant, has offered nothing to the world since The Girl From Ipanema.”

B. The president of the Brazilian Israelite Confederation apologized to President Roussef for remarks made by Yigal Palmor, a spokesman for the Israeli foreign ministry. Brazil had recalled their ambassador to Israel in protest of Israeli attacks on Gaza, prompting Palmor to say that “Brazil is a friend, but we think its position is not balanced. This is an unfortunate demonstration of why Brazil, an economic and cultural giant, remains a third world nation.”

C. The president of the Brazilian Israelite Confederation apologized to President Roussef for remarks made by Yigal Palmor, a spokesman for the Israeli foreign ministry. Brazil had recalled their ambassador to Israel in protest of Israeli attacks on Gaza, prompting Palmor to say that “Brazil is a friend, but we think its position is not balanced. I can think of a brazillian reasons why their diplomatic efforts are not productive.”

D. The president of the Brazilian Israelite Confederation apologized to President Roussef for remarks made by Yigal Palmor, a spokesman for the Israeli foreign ministry. Brazil had recalled their ambassador to Israel in protest of Israeli attacks on Gaza, prompting Palmor to say that “Brazil is a friend, but we think its position is not balanced. This is an unfortunate demonstration of why Brazil, an economic and cultural giant, remains a diplomatic dwarf.”

E. The president of the Brazilian Israelite Confederation apologized to President Roussef for remarks made by Yigal Palmor, a spokesman for the Israeli foreign ministry. Brazil had recalled their ambassador to Israel in protest of Israeli attacks on Gaza, prompting Palmor to say that “Brazil is a friend, but we think its position is not balanced. As I wax philosophic about the diplomatic decision by the Brazilians, I am hurt, as if they just ripped the hair from my body.”

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Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day, is celebrated this Thursday, May 12. How is one company marking this event?

Flag-of-Israel-2015-04-08 by Zachi Evenor is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

A. Mars Food is selling bags of M&M’s in blue and white colors. The letter M on each candy has been replaced with the number 68.

B. Utz Quality Foods issued an Independence Day bag of chips labeled “Yom Ha’atzma-UTZ Potato Chips.”

C. Bank Leumi has issued a commemorative gold coin worth 100 Israeli Shekels, featuring David ben Gurion on the front and a picture of the Declaration of Independence on the back.

D. Reebok has released a sneaker that is blue and white and has the words “Israel 68” engraved on the heel.

E. Starbucks is offering a special product for the month of Iyar. The product is called Cinnamon Chai V’Kayam Crème Frappuccino.

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Donald Trump’s name was associated with a problem that attracted the attention of the Israeli police last month. What happened?

Trump’s Birdnest by Mark Rain is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

A. Thousands of pounds of Trump Steaks were seized because they were stamped as kosher but they did not actually have kosher certification.

B. A local bottled water distributor in Haifa was arrested for filling bottles with tap water and labeling them as Trump Natural Spring Water.

C. Hundreds of bottles of Trump Vodka were seized because they bore phony “Kosher for Passover” stickers.

D. A printer in Tel Aviv was raided for printing fake Trump University diplomas and selling them on the black market to young people needing to prove they were college graduates in order to get government civil service jobs.

E. A wig manufacturer in Mea Shearim was arrested for trademark infringement for selling orange wigs to religious women which were marketed as “Trump Sheitels.” He used the advertising slogan “Build a modesty wall around your head with a Trump Sheitel. Made in China and paid for by Mexico.”

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Many people and organizations have created new Haggadahs and supplemental readings to be used at seders. Which of the following is not an actual alternate version of the Ten Plagues?

A. The Tzedek Seder: #BlackLivesMatter Haggadah offered Ten Plagues-Ten Lives Lost, in memory of those lost to police violence:

1. Sean Bell
2. Kendrek McDade
3. Walter Scott
4. Rekia Boyd
5. Eric Garner
6. John Crawford III
7. Kimani Grey
8. Aiyana Stanley Jones
9. Tamir Rice
10. Michael Brown

B. The JQ International GLBT Haggadah offered the following list:

1. Blood: The blood shed in the Nazi death camps and in Queer-bashings.
2. Laughter: The laughter caused by our stereotyped representation in jokes and in the media.
3. Guilt: The guilt we are told is inherent in our simple existence.
4. Shame: The shame we are made to feel when we share our lives and our bodies with someone of the same gender as ourselves.
5. Despair: The despair we feel when we are told that we are evil and monstrous, that AIDS is God’s judgment upon us.
6. Fear: The fear caused by a hostile society that would cast us out if it knew what we are.
7. Pain: The physical pain of being attacked by homophobes, and the mental pain of being rejected by family and community.
8. Loneliness: The loneliness of thinking that we are the only one of our kind.
9. Darkness: The darkness of our closets, and of where many of us are forced to spend our lives: the bars, the parks, the unsafe neighborhoods.
10. Silence: The hollow silence of when we do not speak out in our own defense, the silence from one generation to another.

C. The JewBelong seder Haggadah lists the following plagues:

1. Hunger
2. War
3. Terrorism
4. Greed
5. Bigotry
6. Injustice
7. Poverty
8. Ignorance
9. Pollution of the Earth
10. Indifference to Suffering

D. Portland, Oregon based Le’Or, created the Cannabis Passover Seder with this list:

1. The criminalization of nature
2. The suppression of science and information
3. The prison-industrial complex
4. The radically undemocratic and unequal application of laws
5. The systemic violence against the poor
6. The denial of medicine to the sick and dying
7. The destruction of families
8. The isolation of stigma and shame
9. The perversion and erosion of a faithful justice system
10. The perpetuation of violence by those sworn to protect us

E. The Republican Jewish Coalition sponsored a Donald Trump-themed seder which included the following plagues:

1. Muslims
2. Rally protestors
3. Mexicans
4. Megyn Kelly
5. Univision
6. Carly Fiorina’s face
7. Kenyan birth certificates
8. Rosie O’Donnell
9. Hair-blowing strong winds
10. Small hands

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What connection between Jews and Christians did John Kasich make while visiting a Chassidic school, shmura matzah factory, and Jewish bookstore in Borough Park, Brooklyn?

John Kasich - Caricature by DonkeyHotey is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

A. Referencing the matzah that he observed being prepared he said, “You know, I was raised Catholic, I’m now Anglican, and so all my life I’ve taken communion. The communion wafers remind me of this matzah, and the matzah reminds me of our current political season. My Jewish friends tell me that they hate the taste of matzah, and they can’t wait for Passover to end so they can go back to eating bread. And to be honest, the communion wafer’s pretty dry and difficult to swallow. What does that have to do with the presidential race? Well, my friends, think of Donald Trump as the matzah and Ted Cruz as the communion wafer. You hate the way they taste and you can’t wait to be done with them. So that is why I am running for President. Think of me as the bread that you are really longing for. Vote for me next Tuesday, while you can still eat bread, and then have a great Passover.”

B. Referencing the matzah that he observed being prepared he said, “At the Last Supper, Jesus took bread, which was really unleavened bread, and blessed it, saying to his disciples ‘Take this and eat it, for this is my body.’ And the great link is, it was this unleavened bread which you are baking today, Jesus’s body, which brings together the Jewish people and all Christians. It’s a wonderful, wonderful holiday for our friends in the Jewish community, the Passover.”

C. Referencing the Jewish school he had visited, Kasich said, “When I walked into that school, I felt like I was in the Catholic school I attended as a child. I mean, your rabbis, with their side curls, look nothing like our priests. But they both dress mostly in black, and they both believe that God belongs in that classroom. As your president, I will see to it that your children can continue to study in a school with your God just as I did when I was young.”

D. Referencing the lamb’s blood placed on the doorposts of the Israelites’ houses in Egypt to save them from the plague of the slaying of the firstborn, Kasich said “The great link between the blood that was put above the lamppost, the blood of the lamb, is Jesus Christ is known as the Lamb of God. And the great link is, it was the blood of the lamb that saved the Jewish people, and in Christianity, it was the blood of the Lamb of God that saves all of us. It’s a wonderful, wonderful holiday for our friends in the Jewish community, the Passover.”

E. Addressing a large gathering of Chassidic Jews at the bookstore, Kashich said, “You know, as I stand here I am reminded that there really isn’t much difference between you people and the people of my state of Ohio. Well, not all the people of Ohio–you’d really stand out at a Cleveland Indians game. But we also have Christian people in Ohio that are just like you–the Amish. I mean, not exactly like you, but they have long beards, they don’t use electricity, and they speak a German dialect. So that’s pretty similar. And did I mention their hats? So happy Passover to you all.”

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On Wednesday night, the Golden State Warriors play the Memphis Grizzlies. A win will set a new record for the most wins in a season, 73. Their record-breaking season is led by Stephen Curry, the point guard who many consider to be the greatest shooter in the history of the game. Curry has a Hebrew tattoo on his right wrist that is taken from the Bible. What does the tattoo say?

Stephen Curry/Warriors at Wizards 2/3/16 by Keith Allison is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

A. “Ani L’Dodi v’Dodi Lee,” meaning “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine,” from The Song of Songs, Chapter 6 Verse 3 in Ketuvim in the Hebrew Bible. His wife has a matching tattoo.

B. “Ahavah L’Olam Lo Nichshelet,” meaning “Love never fails,” from 1 Corinthians Chapter 13 Verse 8 in the New Testament. His wife has a matching tattoo.

C. “Me-Chayil El Chayil,” meaning “From strength to strength,” from The Book of Psalms Chapter 8 Verse 7 in Ketuvim in the Hebrew Bible.

D. “Hagedulah V’Hagevurah V’Hatiferet V’Hanetzach,” meaning “The greatness and the power and the glory and the victory,” from 1 Chronicles Chapter 29 Verse 11 in the New Testament. 

E. “Heyn Goyim K’Mar Midli,”–meaning “Behold the nations are like a drop in a bucket,” from Isaiah Chapter 2 Verse 22 in Nevi’im in the Hebrew Bible.

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At the same time that colleges were competing in the NCAA basketball championship series, Hillel chapters from around the country were competing in the annual National Hillel Basketball Tournament, held at the University of Maryland. Yeshiva Unversity-Ammar (men’s competition) and Emory University (women’s competition) won this year’s championships. What prize did they receive?

A. The Kiddush Cup.

B. The Elijah Cup.

C. The Star of David Trophy.

D. The Yiddishe Kop.

E. The Matzah Ball Athletic Cup.

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Among the most famous songs of the great Jewish composer Irving Berlin are White Christmas and Easter Parade. Bing Crosby introduced Easter Parade in the movie Holiday Inn in 1942. But Berlin first wrote this melody in 1917 with different lyrics. What was this original version of Easter Parade?

Holiday Inn (1942) by Insomnia Cured Here is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

A. Being With My Honey, including the lyrics “Days are bright and sunny/When I am with my honey/There’s no more fun than holding hands and walking along.”

B. Marriage Made Right, including the lyrics “Candlelight and roses/Are musts when one proposes/To guarantee she knows that you’re the fellow for her.”

C. Smile and Show Your Dimple, including the lyrics “Smile and show your dimple/You’ll find it’s very simple/You can think of something comical in a very little while.”

D. Stars and Stripes Forever, including the lyrics “Stars and stripes forever/Let no one ever sever/The bonds that hold together the great U S of A.”

E. Purim Parade, including the lyrics “Now it’s time for noshin/So eat your hamantaschen/Then loudly shake your gragger at the Purim parade.”

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There are many different ways in which children around the world celebrate Purim. Which of the following is not a Purim custom?

A. Children in Italy divide into two teams and throw nuts at each other.

B. Children in Tunisia make “Hamans” out of paper or rags and straw. Everyone then gathers around a bonfire and throws these “Hamans” into the fire, after which they beat the burning “Hamans” with sticks.

C. In Germany, cakes which are called “Haman” are baked in the shape of dolls. Children delight in cutting off the heads and eating them.

D. Bukharan children build a snow-Haman with charcoal eyes and a carrot nose. They then surround the snow-Haman with wood and rags that they ignite, causing the snow-Haman to melt as they sing songs.

E. At Trump Tower, little Trump children build a wall with their toy blocks. They then bake gingerbread Hamans, which they throw over the wall while chanting, “Get 'em out of here. Go back where you came from. Cursed is Haman and Mexicans and Muslims. Blessed is Mordechai and the USA and the Donald.”

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