Donald Trump has revived his plan, originally raised five years ago, to purchase (or militarily seize) Greenland from Denmark, ostensibly “for economic security.” There is no permanent Jewish population in Greenland, though it is believed that there may have been Jews in Greenland as early as the 16th and 17th centuries, among the Dutch whalers who fished in Greenland waters. Which of the following is true about Jews in Greenland?
A. Fritz Loewe, a Jewish meteorologist, traveled to Greenland in 1929 to work with Alfred Wegener, the geologist who developed the hypothesis of how continental drift works. After their ground-breaking research Loewe returned to his native Germany. But in 1933 he lost his civil service job and was briefly incarcerated because of his religion, leading Loewe to flee Germany and resettle in Australia.
B. Fritz Loewe, a Jewish meteorologist, traveled to Greenland in 1929 to work with Alfred Wegener, the geologist who developed the hypothesis of how continental drift works. Unfortunately, on this trip to the frozen interior of Greenland, Loewe developed frostbite on his toes, leading to a crude amputation by scissors and a pen knife.
C. There are many ethnic communities around the world who claim to be Jewish or to have Jewish roots, including the Bene Israel and the Bene Ephraim of India, the Beta Israel of Ethiopia, and the Lemba people of southern Africa. There is a small community in Greenland called the B’nai Nordit (sons of Norway) who claim to descend from Jews who traveled to Norway (at the time of Jewish emigration to Russia in the 12th century), eventually then settling in Greenland. While they no longer live religiously as Jews, they do not eat the shellfish available in Greenland but thrive on the plentiful salmon, char and cod in the local waters.
D. Rita Sheftelovich, an Orthodox woman from Copenhagen, traveled to Greenland in the mid-1950’s to work as a nurse, caring for tuberculosis patients among others. Other than the many American Jews serving at the Thule Air Base, she may have been the only Jew in Greenland at that time. She kept kosher by eating canned goods and the plentiful fresh fish.
E. Rita Sheftelovich, an Orthodox woman from Copenhagen, traveled to Greenland in the mid-1950’s to work as a nurse, caring for tuberculosis patients among others. She kept kosher by eating canned goods and the plentiful penguins. (Her rabbi told her that turkeys aren’t listed in the Torah as kosher birds, but are called “tarnegol hodu,” or “Indian chickens” and are considered kosher like chickens. Similarly penguins are called “tarnegol eretz-yarok,” or “Greenland chickens,” and can therefore also be considered as kosher).
President Biden announced the names of 19 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award of the United States. Since the honors were first bestowed by President John F. Kennedy, there have been many Jewish recipients including Felix Frankfurter, Arthur Rubinstein, Irving Berlin, Henry Kissinger, Kirk Douglas, Elie Wiesel, Natan Sharansky, Harvey Milk, Bob Dylan, and Shimon Peres, Three of this year’s honorees are Jewish. George Soros, the investor and philanthropist, has supported progressive organizations including Media Matters for America, MoveOn, and Open Society Foundations. Soros has frequently been attacked as a symbol for antisemitic conspiracy theories. David M. Rubenstein is a lawyer, businessman, and philanthropist who serves as the chairman of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Among his philanthropy has been financial support for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Ralph Lauren is a fashion designer, businessman, and philanthropist who is particularly known for his Polo line of menswear and women’s fashions. His philanthropic support has largely focused on cancer research, education, and support. Which of the following is a Jewish fact about Ralph Lauren?
A. Lauren’s first designing experience was at his synagogue, the Intervale Jewish Center in the Bronx. As part of the bar mitzvah preparation, all of their students designed a tallit (Jewish prayer shawl) which they could wear at their service. The children were encouraged to draw whatever pictures they liked on the material they were given. Lauren included horses on his tallit as he loved the horses in television westerns, including Trigger, Roy Rogers’s horse. That tallit drawing was a later inspiration to him when he created his first men’s clothing line, featuring the polo horse symbol.
B. As a young man, Lauren attempted to join a local country club to compete on their polo team, having played the sport in college. He was refused membership, however, only later learning that it was because they did not accept Jewish members. Lauren later chose the polo symbol to claim a form of ownership over the sport which he was denied access to because of his religion.
C. Ralph Lauren first introduced a fragrance line for men and women in 1978, debuting perfume for women and cologne for men at Bloomingdale’s. When he first began working on the creation of these fragrances, he named the project Besamin, Hebrew for spices. The original fragrances were inspired by the spices included in the Havdalah spice box, including cinnamon, rose petals, and orange peels.
D. Ralph Lauren’s birth name was Ralph Lifshitz. After he graduated from City College with a degree in business, he applied for many jobs in local companies, but was constantly turned away. He reached out for support from his college advisor, who explained to him that it was his Jewish name that was preventing him from even getting an interview. Lifshitz subsequently changed his name to Lauren, after which he was able to get his first job at Brooks Brothers.
E. Ralph Lauren’s birth name was Ralph Lifshitz. As a child he attended a Jewish day school, where other children made fun of his name, emphasizing the second syllable. As a result, he decided to change his name to Lauren.
President Jimmy Carter died at the age of 100. Carter was a strong advocate for the right of Soviet Jews to emigrate, and he established the President’s Commission on the Holocaust, leading to the opening of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1993. In 1978 Carter worked with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat to negotiate what became known as the Camp David Accords, leading to the signing of a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt a year later. While Carter was central to this significant agreement, he later was criticized by many for his book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, which was seen by many as inaccurate and unfair to Israel. Carter later apologized for some of his messaging, writing that “we must not permit criticisms for improvement to stigmatize Israel,” and he went on to “offer an Al Het for any words or deeds of mine that may have done so.” The Camp David negotiations had gone on for 13 days, but had reached a dead end, leading Prime Minister Begin to tell Carter that his bags were packed and he was going home. What did President Carter bring to Menachem Begin in his cabin at Camp David, which led Begin to agree to remain and finalize the Camp David Accords?
A. Carter brought one of his own personal Bibles which he autographed for Menachem Begin. Begin recognized the sacrifice made by Carter in giving away such a personal item, so he decided to accept Carter’s request that he remain a bit longer.
B. Begin had requested that Carter autograph pictures of Carter, Sadat, and Begin as gifts for his grandchildren. Unbeknownst to Begin, Jimmy Carter found the names of Begin’s eight grandchildren and personalized the signing of each picture. When Carter brought these to the Prime Minister, Begin was moved to tears by the personal nature of the gift so he unpacked his bags and went back to the negotiations.
C. Carter brought Begin a video of Carter teaching a Sunday School class at the Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia. In the video Carter spoke of Moses dying before entering the Promised Land, and how Joshua succeeded him. Carter explained that God’s message was that there will always be other leaders to pick up the mantle of Moses’s leadership. Begin recognized that if he left, he would not be part of that Biblical legacy.
D. Carter brought a picture of himself and Chabad Rabbi Menachem Shemtov as Jimmy Carter lit the menorah at the first ever National Menorah Lighting in Lafayette Park. Begin was reminded by this photograph of how dedicated Carter was to the Jewish people, so he agreed to continue working towards an agreement.
E. President Carter brought Begin a bag of peanuts grown on Carter’s farm. Begin was unimpressed until Carter told him to be sure to eat them before Passover, as they were considered to be forbidden kitniyot. Begin was so impressed by Carter’s Jewish knowledge that he agreed to stay, and they proceeded to eat the peanuts while tossing the shells onto the floor.
Jews have long been singing Hanukkah songs, including Hanukkah O Hanukkah, I Have a Little Dreidel, and Maoz Tzur. More recent additions to the Hanukkah song list are Tom Lehrer’s (I’m Spending) Hanukkah in Santa Monica, Peter, Paul and Mary’s Light One Candle, 8 Days (Of Hannukah) by Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, and Eight Candles by Yo La Tengo. Daveed Diggs, who won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for his Broadway performance as Thomas Jefferson and Marquis de Lafayette in Hamilton, wrote and recorded a Hanukkah song in 2020. Diggs was raised Jewish (his white mother is Jewish while his Black father is not). He was given his name because of the Hebrew pronunciation of David. Diggs recently played the part of Rabbi Marshall Zucker on the Apple TV+ miniseries Extrapolations. What is the song he added to the canon of Hanukkah songs?
A. The song Dreidel Bird, which includes the lyrics “I have a little dreidel bird, dreidel bird/I don’t have to spin it/it’s a dreidel bird.”
B. The song Eight Nights A Week, which includes the lyrics “Hey, I know Hanukkah is the fun one/You got your dreidels, your latkes, and your songs/Unlike Yom Kippur, when you zip up your zipper in atonement from all you done wrong.”
C. The song How Do You Spell Channukkahh, which includes the lyrics “Is it with a C or H?/I am confused/What about those N’s and K’s,/Do you use one or two?”
D. The song Puppy for Hanukkah, which includes the lyrics “You’re everything I ever wanted for/You’re my puppy for Hanukkah/I’mma name you Monica/Nah, probably not, that’s a weird name for a dog.”
E. The song I Am Not Throwin’ Away My Lot, which includes the lyrics “I am not throwin’ away my lot/I am not throwin’ away my lot/Hey yo, I'm just like my Bubby/I'm young, scrappy and chubby/And I’m not throwin’ away my lot. Kuh.”
There are 10 more shopping days until Hanukkah, with the first candle being lit on December 25 (followed by Chinese food!). Which of the following gifts, designed to be hung on the wall, are offered for sale at Overstock.com in their Hanukkah shopping section?
Overstock.com logo by overstock.com is in the public domain via Wikimedia Commons
A. A framed poster reading “happy challah days” and a wall hanging which reads “gelt digger”.
B. A wall hanging which reads “I LOVE YOU A LATKE” and a wall hanging which reads “chanukah oh hanukkah”.
C. A framed canvas depicting an African American family celebrating Kwanzaa as they gaze at the traditional kinara candelabra and Unity Cup.
D. A canvas wall art reading “dreidels spin, sleigh bells ring” and a canvas wall art reading “happy hanukkah/Festival of Lights/Potato Latkes & Applesauce/Shinning/Family & Friends/Spin the Dreidel/Nun Gimmel Hay Shin/May your days be as bright as the candles you light/Celebrate/Candle right with promise candles warm with love at Hanukkah”.
E. A framed print of the relief in Rome’s Arch of Titus depicting Roman troops carrying the Menorah which they seized when sacking the Temple in Jerusalem.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol imposed martial law claiming that others were attempting to overthrow democracy. Chaos ensued with other lawmakers opposing the action, leading to a quick end to martial law followed by a failed attempt to impeach the president. The first Jews to settle in Korea included Jewish soldiers who fought there during the Korean War in the early 1950’s. A Chabad House was established in 2008, and a mikveh was opened in 2019. What book that is connected to Judaism or Israel is a best seller in South Korea?
Korea south map-plby Kokiri is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A.The Talmud. South Koreans admire the Jewish people for their commitment to education, so they have taken to reading the Talmud for its lessons and inspiration.
B.Moshe Dayan: Story of My Life: An Autobiography. In 1962, South Korea and Israel established official diplomatic relations. Moshe Dayan served in the embassy in Seoul, and became somewhat of a cult hero as the Koreans admired him for his bravery and service, despite having lost an eye to a sniper while he served in the pre-state Haganah.
C.The BimBam Bibimbap Cook Book by Shifrah Devorah Witt and Zipporah Malka Heller, who had previously authored the highly successful The Complete Asian Kosher Cookbook. The book focuses on Korean foods with appropriate substitutes for non-kosher ingredients such as Korean pork belly and some Korean fish sauces that include non-kosher fishes.
D.The Book of Lights, by Chaim Potok. The book is about a rabbi who served in the United States military in Korea (based on Potok’s actual military service as a chaplain in South Korea).
E.Seder Kriah. This is a series of books designed to teach children how to read Hebrew (the title translates as The Order of Reading). A Korean guest at a Passover Seder at the Chabad House in Seoul loved the dinner and ceremony. He had heard the rabbi mention the book and thought he said Seder Korea, so he misinterpreted that it was a Passover Seder booklet designed for Korean people. He told all of his friends about it and it quickly became a best seller.
President-elect Donald Trump announced plans to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian imports on his first day in office. In response, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau flew to Mar-a-Lago last week for a meeting with Trump, hoping to dissuade him from this plan. Trudeau has been a supporter of the Canadian Jewish community and a strong voice against antisemitism, noting that “Antisemitism has no place in Canada—or anywhere else...we reaffirm our commitment to continue to take concrete action to combat antisemitism in all its forms.” He has also said that “Israel has the right to defend itself and its people.” Why did Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issue an apology to the Canadian Jewish community in 2018?
A. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid a visit to Canada, a trip which included an official state dinner at Rideau Hall, the official residence of the governor general of Canada. Arrangements were made to kosher the kitchen for the meal, but at the end of the meal, in addition to the kosher apple pie dessert, Trudeau surprised his guests by presenting Tim Horton doughnuts. Trudeau did not realize that he was violating kosher laws by including this famous Canadian food product. The Prime Minister’s office issued a statement noting that “Tim Hortons products are the pride of all Canadians, and we love to show them off to our world visitors. Prime Minister Trudeau apologizes to Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu and his entire delegation, as well as all Canadian Jews, for this inadvertent slip in disregarding the kosher issue when serving those treats.”
B. Following an antisemitic vandalism attack on a Toronto synagogue, Trudeau spoke on national television. He apologized to the Jewish community that such an incident could occur in Canada, and he decried the incident in the strongest terms. Trudeau stated that “I will never be silent in the face of hatred and intolerance, nor will our government. Diversity is our greatest strength, it enriches our lives, it strengthens our society, and it unites us as a country. It is our most cherished value.”
C. In 1939, the ocean liner St. Louis set sail from Hamburg, Germany to Havana, Cuba, carrying more than 900 Jewish refugees attempting to escape Nazi Germany. The vessel was turned away by the Cuban government, and then it sailed to the United States, where it was also denied entry. An effort was then made to receive permission to sail to Halifax, Nova Scotia, but Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King refused to provide sanctuary to the passengers, many of whom ultimately were killed when the St. Louis returned to Europe. Prime Minister Trudeau issued a statement saying that “the [Canadian] government chose to turn its back on these innocent victims of Hitler’s regime...We are sorry for the callousness of Canada’s response. And we are sorry for not apologizing sooner.”
D. When Trudeau paid a visit to New York, he ate breakfast with Mayor Bill de Blasio at Zabar’s, where they had lox and bagels. Trudeau remarked on how they were the best bagels he ever ate. This provoked a huge outcry from the Canadian Jewish community who consider Montreal-style bagels (typically smaller, denser, and sweeter) to be superior to New York bagels. Said Trudeau, “I truly misspoke and apologize to the Jewish community of Canada, whose bagel is a wonder of baking. I only meant that those were the best New York bagels I had ever eaten. And I welcome Mayor de Blasio on a future trip north to give a taste to our wonderful bagels.”
E. Prime Minister Trudeau attended a Passover seder at the Beth Tzedec Congregation in Toronto. When it was time to eat the maror, Trudeau pulled out a bottle of maple syrup and poured some on the bitter herbs. When asked what he was doing, Trudeau replied, “Maple syrup can make anything taste good.” He later apologized to Canadian Jews, saying “On all other nights I eat maple syrup. I promise that on next year’s seder night I’ll eat only matzah and bitters.”
Donald Trump has named former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee, a Baptist minister, is a strong supporter of Israel. He first led trips to Israel with his congregants in the early 1980’s, eventually becoming highly popular pilgrimages nearly every year, visiting Yad Vashem and the Israel Museum along with many Christian sites including the Garden of Gethsemane, the Via Dolorosa, and St. Anne’s Church. He views the Israel-Palestine conflict not as a geopolitical problem, but a spiritual conflict between good and evil. He expanded on that concept following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, referring to “the worst level of evil that exists on our planet today.” Many of his views are controversial, appealing to strong supporters of Israel but concerning to many who support Palestinian rights and believe in a two-state solution. For example, he has said “There is no such thing as a West Bank—It’s Judea and Samaria…There’s no such thing as a settlement—They’re communities, they’re neighborhoods, they’re cities. There’s no such thing as an occupation.” He has also said there is “no such thing as a Palestinian.” Prior to Mike Huckabee’s 2015 trip to Israel, he criticized President Obama for spending “more time berating Israel for building bedrooms for its families than he has spent bothering Iran for building nuclear bombs.” He then went on to draw a contrast between his and Obama’s relationship with Israel, invoking what musician?
A. “Israel is a friend. While I’m here for the umpteenth time in 42 years, I will tell them, ‘you got to have friends. The feeling’s oh so strong.’ And I won’t even need to take Bette Midler to sing it.”
B. “Israel is so special to me. While I’m here for the umpteenth time in 42 years, I will tell them, ‘There was a moment that I spent, oh, just loving you, yeah, ‘Cause you're the best thing that ever happened to me.’ And I won’t even need to take Gladys Knight to sing it.”
C. “Israel is my friend. While I’m here for the umpteenth time in 42 years, I will tell them, ‘Oh, I get by with a little help from my friend.’ And I won’t even need to take Ringo Starr to sing it.”
D. “Israel is a friend. While I’m here for the umpteenth time in 42 years, I will tell them, ‘you’ve got a friend.’ And I won’t even need to take James Taylor to sing it.”
E. “Israel is my special friend. While I’m here for the umpteenth time in 42 years, every time feels like my first time. I will tell them, ‘Like a virgin, hey, Touched for the very first time.’ And I won’t even need to take Madonna to sing it.”
Former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as the United States attorney general. Gaetz is a controversial figure, and in fact just resigned his Congressional seat in an effort to prevent the completion of his investigation by the House Ethics Committee. The investigation was based on reports of Gaetz’s illicit drug use, misuse of campaign funds, sharing of inappropriate images on the House floor, and sexual misconduct, including charges that he engaged in sexual relations with an underage girl, all charges which Gaetz denies. Gaetz has been criticized by many in the Jewish community for a number of reasons, including his invitation to Holocaust denier Charles C. Johnson to attend Donald Trump’s 2018 State of the Union address. He also attended rallies which included members of the neo-Fascist Proud Boys organization. Gaetz’s nomination for attorney general has been criticized or opposed by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the American Jewish Committee, and the ADL. What else did Matt Gaetz do that has led to criticism by Jewish organizations and individuals?
A. After the ADL criticized Tucker Carlson’s promotion of the Great Replacement Theory (that Jews are behind the effort to replace white America with non-white immigrants), Gaetz called the ADL racist and stated that Carlson “is CORRECT about Replacement Theory.”
B. Inspired by Louisiana’s new rule requiring the posting of the Ten Commandments in public schools (which is on hold while being litigated in the courts), Gaetz has advocated for the posting of the Ten Commandments in all public schools, government buildings, and university buildings (if the university accepts any public funding).
C. Referencing Jared Kushner, Ye (formerly Kanye West) stated in an interview with Tucker Carlson that “I just think that’s what they’re about, is making money.” Many were critical of this and other antisemitic comments made by Ye, but Gaetz said, “It's not antisemitic. It just happens to be true about Jared Kushner. And Ye is totally dope. I am totally crunk on Ye.”
D. Gaetz opposed the Antisemitism Awareness Act because he said the bill would even make the Gospels antisemitic based on the Gospels’ claim that Jews were responsible for the killing of Jesus. Said Gaetz, “The Bible is clear. There is no myth or controversy on this.”
Monkeys are in the news after a lab worker at the Alpha Genesis research center in South Carolina left a door open, allowing 43 rhesus macaque monkeys to escape. The monkeys all eluded capture for a few days and seemed to enjoy their lives in the nearby trees. Twenty five have now been caught and authorities say they are in good condition. Efforts continue to recover the remaining escapees.
Monkeys have made appearances in Judaism in a number of ways. They are mentioned numerous times in the Jewish religious texts. For example, it notes in the Gemara that people are allowed to raise monkeys. And the Talmud states that there is a blessing to recite when one sees a monkey: Blessed art thou…Who makes creatures different. (One wonders if any neighbors have made this blessing near the Alpha Genesis research center). Israel is home to the Israel Primate Sanctuary which has provided sanctuary to monkeys and other primates for almost 30 years. What other connections exist between monkeys and Judaism?
A. In 2016, Shimon Peres wrote a song titled Chinese Melody to celebrate the Year of the Monkey and Israel’s relationship with China.
B. If your pet monkey escapes on Shabbat it is not a violation of Shabbat rules to chase and recapture it (despite general restrictions against capturing on the Sabbath).
C. The Gemara states that Sarah was so beautiful that anyone else compared to her would be no better than a monkey compared to a human.
D. The Jewish Monkeys is a klezmer punk rock band whose music is described as “Yiddish folk with a Balkan tinge and a healthy dose of ska, reggae and afrobeat, running on indie rock energy.”
E. According to the Mishna, kosher slaughtering is permitted to be done by an uncircumcised Israelite or a Samaritan, but not by an idolator or a monkey.
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