As New York’s Gay Pride Parade celebrated the Supreme Court decision on same sex marriage, many groups attended the parade in support or in protest. What was unusual about the Jewish Political Action Committee, whose members were at the parade?

A. This organization is a gay Orthodox group that was at the parade in support of the gay community and same sex marriage. However, the members of the group all wore masks to hide their identities, as they are not out in their communities, where homosexuality is considered a sin.

B. The group members were carrying signs protesting the possible deal between Iran and the Western powers regarding Iran’s nuclear energy program. When asked by a reporter why they were holding their protest at the Gay Pride Parade, Heshie Freed, spokesman for the group, said, “If the Iranians get nuclear weapons, it will mean the end of Israel and the end of the United States. We are prepared to show up anywhere and everywhere to raise the alarm that this so-called deal with Iran must not be signed and the Ayatollah must be stopped.”

C. This group of Orthodox Jews was protesting the parade based on their belief that homosexuality is a sin. They stood arm in arm with a group called Muslims for Traditional Values, who were there for the same reason. A month ago, however, the Muslim group had taunted the Jewish group at the Celebrate Israel parade in New York over their differences regarding Israel and Palestine. almost coming to blows until police separated them.

D. The members of this group of men wore tzitzit and carried signs referencing (among other things) the Biblical prohibition in Leviticus against homosexuality. Many of the men, however, were actually hired Mexican laborers dressed as Jews. A spokesman for the group explained that they usually bring yeshiva students to protests, but that “The rabbis said that the yeshiva boys shouldn’t come out for this because of what they would see at the parade.” Therefore, the workers were hired as “supplementary troops” in place of the students.

E. This group of Chassidic Jews was protesting the parade because of their belief that homosexuality is a sin. When the men and women in the group began to sing and dance the hora in sex-segregated circles, some parade marchers, assuming that this was a group of homosexual men and lesbian women, joined in the circles and danced with the protesters. A good time was had by all.

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When South Carolina seceded from the Union in 1860, a new “South Carolina Sovereignty Flag” was created under the leadership of William Porcher Miles, a member of the state secession convention. That flag, pictured below, then underwent changes in design, in part because of the critique of Charles Moise, a self-described “Southerner of Jewish persuasion.” What was Moise’s input?

Flag © By Emok (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

A. Moise complained that “the symbol of one particular religion should not be left out of the flag which will serve our new nation.” He noted that Christians were represented by the cross, Muslims by the crescent moon, and Quakers by the palm tree, but that there were no symbols representing Jews. As a result, Miles added a ram’s horn to the flag, which flew over the South Carolina capitol until the surrender of General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox in 1865.

B. Moise suggested that “the symbol of a particular religion not be made the symbol of the nation.” As a result, Miles changed the upright St. George’s cross to a diagonal heraldic saltire cross. Miles noted that this “avoided the religious objection about the cross (from the Jews and many Protestant sects), because it did not stand out so conspicuously as if the cross had been placed upright thus.” With the subsequent removal of the crescent moon and palmetto tree, the flag evolved into the Confederate Battle Flag which is currently in the news.

C. Moise suggested that “the symbol of a particular religion not be made the symbol of the nation.” As a result, Miles added the Christian fish and dove symbols to the flag and had “the heretic” Moise arrested and imprisoned for blaspheming the Christian sovereign state of South Carolina.

D. Moise suggested that “the symbol of a particular religion not be made the symbol of the nation.” As a result, Miles changed the large star in the middle of the flag from five-pointed to six-pointed, thus satisfying Moise’s request for a flag that represented Jews as well as Christians.

E. Moise said, “Billy. I know you think this flag design is nice, but trust me. This flag will never do. It’s way too ongepotchket. I mean, I get it. Yedeh mutter denkt ir kind iz shain [Every mother thinks her child is beautiful]. But oy vey iz mir, bubeleh. South Carolina needs this flag like it needs a loch in kop.”

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Pope Francis just issued a papal encyclical on the climate change crisis in which he states, “The Earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth.” This follows a recent letter on the same topic which was initiated by Rabbi Arthur Waskow and six other rabbis from across the religious spectrum. Their letter, which has been signed by more than 350 other rabbis, refers to the Koch Brothers and others whose funding backs climate deniers using what phrase?

A. They are referred to as “Big Oil Carbon Pharaohs.”

B. They are referred to as “Big Oil Carbon Shmendricks.”

C. They are referred to as “Big Oil Carbon Hamans.”

D. They are referred to as “Big Oil Carbon Amaleks.”

E. They are referred to as “Big Oil Idiots Who Believe That Things Go Better With Koch.”

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Jamal Michael Barrow, a rapper from Belize who performed using the name Shyne, served 8 years at the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York for attempted murder, assault, and reckless endangerment. His time there overlapped that of escaped killers Richard Matt and David Sweat. Unlike them, however, Shyne turned his life around in prison. How does he describe this life change?

A. While in prison, Shyne became friends with a Chassidic Jew, Dovid Litvak, who was serving time for mail fraud. Litvak told Shyne about his beliefs, and how even though he personally had failed to uphold the commandments, that the God of the Jews was a forgiving God, and that Litvak had a community waiting to welcome him back when he returned. Said Shyne in a Vibe magazine article, “I saw the light and embraced that message. I was no longer just Shyne. I was Sunshyne. At that moment I changed my name to Shemesh, Hebrew for Sun, and committed myself to turning around my life.”

B. In prison, Shyne shared a cell with Solomon ben David, a member of the Commandment Keepers, which is a group of Black Hebrews who were inspired by Marcus Garvey as well as the Beta Israel, black Ethiopian Jews. Ben David convinced Shyne that blacks were the true descendants of the tribes of Israel, and he told Shyne that after jail, he could find a positive place for himself with the Commandment Keepers. Shyne moved to Harlem upon his release and is now studying to be a rabbi at the organization’s Israelite Rabbinical Academy.

C. According to an interview Shyne gave to the Joy of Kosher magazine, “I didn’t know nothing about Jews, but the food in that jail was awful. I noticed this white guy with a long beard who got different food. It came wrapped in plastic on a tray, and he used to close his eyes, sing a song and start swaying every day before he ate. Then he just looked so happy. I got to know him, and found out he was Jewish. I asked how I could get some of that food, and he said they had to give it to him because of his religion. So I became a Jew and everything changed. I mean, man, those matzah balls are sooo chill.”

D. In an interview in Rolling Stone in 2013, Shyne said, “They have concerts at the prison, and this weird reggae dude named Matisyahu came and performed. I ain’t never seen nothing like that. I mean, this white guy had a long beard and crazy sideburns, but he sounded like he could’a been Marley. I talked to him and I said, hey man, when I get out of here, I’m gonna do what you do. Sure enough, I did, and in 2012 I performed Buffalo Soldier with him on his Spark Seeker album.”

E. Shyne, who changed his name while in prison to Moses Michael Levi to honor his Jewish grandmother, told the Jerusalem Post, “It was all through the grace of the kadosh baruch hu [the holy one, blessed is He]. I’m not a guy to wax religiosity, but when I was in jail, I got on my knees, I cried, I prayed. I said to Hashem, ‘Listen, I gotta get my album out. You can’t do this to me, You can’t send me back to the ghetto. You can’t do this to all the kids who are going to have their lives changed by my music. What do I gotta do?’ God replied, ‘Be a shomer brit [guardian of the covenant]’.”

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FIFA, soccer’s governing body, is in the midst of a huge organizational scandal. During the last FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil in 2014, what did the Israeli company Elbit Systems do to support the games?

A. They supplied kosher food for all of the Jewish athletes who were participating in the competition.

B. They sold the software to FIFA that was used to manage all aspects of the event, from ticket sales to financing to game statistics.

C. They developed a miniature video camera in partnership with GoPro, which was worn by team goalies, providing a view of the action from the net.

D. They provided hundreds of drones which were used by the Brazilian Air Force for defense and security at the soccer venues.

E. In line with FIFA’s way of doing business, they offered millions of dollars in bribes to get the hot dog concession at World Cup venues.

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Which of the following marched in the 2015 Celebrate Israel parade in New York City?

A. Saint Brigades Drum & Bugle Corps, Kars 4 Kids, and The Amazing Juggling Mohelim.

B. Jordache, Areyvut Mitzvah Clowns, and Mr. Pickle.

C. Bushwackers Drum & Bugle Corps, Caucasian Jewish Congregation, and The Cheese Guy.

D. Golem, Bi-Cultural Day School, and the Star of David Drum and Bagle Corps.

E. Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorino, Lindsey Graham, Mike Huckabee, Bobby Jindal, Mike Kasich, George Pataki, Rand Paul, Rick Perry, Marco Rubio, Rick Santorum, Donald Trump, and Scott Walker, all of whom carried signs declaring “I stand with Israel more than anyone else here and waaaay more than Obama.”

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In what context did David Letterman recently speak about his son Harry and a bar mitzvah?

A. Letterman was one of the presenters at a recent event at Lincoln Center benefiting children with cancer. He told the audience about a drive he took with Harry from their home in upstate New York to Manhattan during a huge snow storm. Harry complained that he needed to use the bathroom. Explained Letterman, “Having to go to the bathroom at that level we’ve all experienced, he did so while we were inching along in traffic in a blinding blizzard—in my coffee thermos. That’s when I said to him, ‘Son, you don’t need a bar mitzvah. Today, you are a man.’ ”

B. While television viewers saw Letterman introduce his wife and son on his last Late Show broadcast, prior to the show he brought them onto the stage. At that time, the audience cheered wildly for Harry, who looked a bit overwhelmed by the attention. When the audience finally stopped clapping, Letterman said to his son, “Gee, Harry. Now you don’t need a bar mitzvah. This is even better than being called to the Torah.”

C. As he approached his pending retirement, Letterman gave an interview to his hometown Indianapolis Star newspaper. Said Letterman, “I’m not sure why I decided that now is the right time to retire. But in 2012 I went with Harry and Regina to the bar mitzvah of Paul Shaffer’s son Will, and I was reminded how quickly these kids grow up. I mean, I remember when Will was born like it was yesterday. So here he is, a young boy standing in front of a huge crowd, and the rabbi tells him, ‘Today you are a man.’ And I'm thinking, wow, and I start picturing little Harry as a young man. And I figure, hey, if I don’t want Harry to only remember me as a doddering old fool rocking on the front porch, I better be sure to be in his life while I’m still not drooling. So maybe that’s why I started thinking about retirement. After all, isn’t family what really matters?”

D. The category of one of Letterman’s last Top Ten lists was Places I Might Be Seen After I Retire. In addition to choices such as “Back at the Taco Bell drive-thru” and “Doing a commercial for Hair Club for Men,” he also included “Earning a little extra gelt by presenting Top Ten lists at the bar mitzvahs of my son Harry’s Jewish friends.”

E. In an interview with the New York Times, Dave was talking about his beginnings in show business. “When I was growing up, my dad used to do magic tricks. Nothing fancy–just pulling coins out of my ear and stuff like that. But I thought it was amazing. And of course, his name was Harry, and he taught me about the great magicians he followed–Harry Houdini and Harry Blackstone. I got pretty good at some basic tricks, and started performing at children’s parties when I was in junior high. Now, it’s over 50 years later, and I’ve taught my son Harry some of the same tricks. And the timing’s great, because while I’m retiring, he just got his first job. He’ll be doing tricks for the guests at his friend Josh’s bar mitzvah in a couple of weeks. Who knows? Maybe he’ll be the next famous magician named Harry!”

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In the Mad Men pilot, Roger Sterling asks Don Draper if their advertising firm has ever hired any Jews. “Not on my watch,” replies Don. When Roger explains that they have a meeting with potential clients who are Jewish (from Menken's Department Store), what does Don reply?

A. “Really? Is that the only way we can do business with those people?”

B. “You want me to run down to the deli and grab somebody?” 

C. “They’re not selling knishes, Roger. They’re selling dresses. You don’t need a Jew. You just need me.”

D. “So introduce me as Don Dreyfuss. Just because I don’t have a big nose doesn’t mean I can’t be Jewish.”

E. “The client is Jewish, so you think we should bring along a Jew? What a stupid idea, Roger. Az Got hot geteylt dem seykhl bistu geshlofn.” [When God was doling out brains, you were asleep.]

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Our weekly quiz visited the New England Patriots Deflategate scandal when it first broke last January. But as this story again rears its ugly head (well, actually, Tom Brady’s got a pretty good-looking head), we’re happy to return to the topic this week. To read our January Deflategate question, click here.

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New York Times reporter Mark Leibovich visited Tom Brady prior to this year’s Super Bowl to interview him for an article. Leibovich noticed that there was a Chanukkah menorah on a shelf in Brady’s house. When he asked Brady about it, what was Tom's response?

A. “When I was first drafted by the Patriots in 2000, I attended the annual Patriots Fans Chanukkah party that [team owner] Mr. Kraft sponsored. He explained the meaning of the holiday, and being the team’s fourth string quarterback at the time, I took inspiration, that the underdogs could ultimately triumph. Mr. Kraft gave me the menorah that they used that day, and I have treasured it as a reminder of that message ever since.”

B. “It has been reported that it is more probable than not that I was at least generally aware of this menorah. But I don't have really any comment. It's only been there for 30 hours so I haven’t had much time to digest it fully but when I do I’ll be sure to let you know how I feel about it.”

C. “We’re not Jewish, but I think we’re into everything...I don’t know what I believe. I think there’s a belief system, I’m just not sure what it is.”

D. “I’m not Jewish. But Gisele [Bündchen, Brady’s supermodel wife] is. Her family fled Germany before World War II and settled in Brazil. This menorah is the only religious object they were able to bring with them, so it is very meaningful to us both.”

E. “I believe that you should do everything you can do to give yourself an advantage in the game. So if that means praying to all the gods who might help, I’m in favor. That menorah is just one path I follow. I also have a Kwanzaa kinara, a cross, a statue of Buddha, and a Koran. And when people criticize me because of this, I get mad, but then I just let the angry feelings deflate, because deflating is surely the best course of action if I want to win.”

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What is the Jewish connection to this year's Kentucky Derby?

A. The winning horse, American Pharaoh, is owned by Ahmed Zayat, a Coptic Christian from Egypt. Zayat, the CEO of the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation in the 1980’s, was responsible for negotiating with Israel’s Energy and Water Resources Minister Yitzhak Berman for the sale of Egyptian oil to Israel after the two countries signed a peace treaty. In 1997, Zayat sold his interest in the Egyptian oil company and moved to America, where he connected with Berman’s son Moti, who was then Chief Financial Officer at Calumet Farms in Lexington, Kentucky. Through this association, Zayat purchased his first race horse from Calumet in 1999, and in this year’s Kentucky Derby, three of his horses competed (along with American Pharaoh were El Kabeir and Mr. Z).

B. Because the Kentucky Derby is held on Saturday, this year the Chabad of Louisville decided to make it easier for religious Jews to attend the race. They opened their Chabad House, which is located only a mile from Churchill Downs, to Jewish visitors, offering kosher meals and rooms to sleep within walking distance of the race.

C. The winning horse, American Pharaoh, is owned by Ahmed Zayat, an Orthodox Jew from Egypt who made his initial fortune by selling the beverage company he owned in Egypt to Heineken International. As a teenager in Egypt, Zayat competed in jumping events, leading to his passion for horses. He now owns approximately 200 horses, with American Pharaoh being his first Kentucky Derby winner.

D. Kentucky Derby entrant (and 14th place finisher) Ocho Ocho Ocho is owned by oil magnate Marco Mendoza, a Jew whose ancestors emigrated from Spain to Mexico at the time of the Inquisition. Marco’s son Raphael was born on the evening of December 8, 2012. As a result, his bris, when he was 8 days old, was performed on December 16, 2012, which was the 8th day of Chanukkah. In honor of this, Mendoza named the race horse he had recently purchased Ocho Ocho Ocho.

E. The winning horse, American Pharaoh, is owned by Ahmed Zayat, a Muslim from Egypt. After emigrating to America, he was invited by friends to their Passover seder. When Zayat heard about Moses telling Pharaoh to “let my people go,” he decided to name his horse American Pharaoh, saying, “I asked Allah to ‘let my horsie go’ very fast in the Kentucky Derby. My prayers were granted.”

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