Rabbi Arthur Waskow died last month at the age of 92. His original professional life was in the political world, as a legislative assistant to Congressman Robert Kastenmeier of Wisconsin, and later as a founder of the Institute for Policy Studies. He was an alternate delegate to the Democratic Convention in 1968 in support of Robert F. Kennedy, but following Kennedy’s assassination, he nominated the Reverend Channing Phillips for president, the first Black American to be nominated at a major party convention. He became more active in Jewish and progressive political life, publishing the Freedom Seder Haggadah in 1969, which focused not only on the Exodus from Egypt, but also on the modern civil rights and women’s rights movements. Said Waskow, “a Freedom Seder should be not only a ritual remembrance, not only a shared promise for the future, but itself a political act.” He was active in the anti-Viet Nam war movement, attending many sit-ins and being arrested multiple times. He also protested the treatment of Soviet Jews, apartheid in South Africa, and the Iraq War. By the 1970s, he became a leader in the Jewish renewal movement, first by founding the Fabrangen Havurah and later founding the Shalom Center and ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal. In 1995 he was ordained as a rabbi by a bet din comprising Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, Rabbi Laura Geller, and two other Jewish authorities. He wrote multiple books, advocated for LGBT rights, promoted a two state solution for Israel and Palestinians, and co-created “Kol Nidre in the Streets” as part of the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations. He was honored as one of the Forward Fifty, Newsweek’s Most Influential Rabbis, and T’Ruah’s Lifetime Achievement Human Rights Hero, and he received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. In his Freedom Seder Haggadah, Rabbi Waskow included the song Let My People Go, to which he added an additional verse which ended with what words?
Reb Arthur Waskow by jane d. is licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A. Join UP, People – Freedom in every land, Tell ALL Pharaohs: Let My creation grow!
B. Stand UP, People – Spread love across the land, Tell ALL Pharaohs: Let My creation grow!
C. Rise UP, People – Rise up in every land, Tell ALL Pharaohs: Let My creation grow!
D. Raise UP, People – Peace be with everyone, Tell ALL Pharaohs: Let My creation grow!
E. Explore NEW Worlds – Live long and prosper too, Tell ALL Klingons: Let My starship grow!
Vice President JD Vance addressed a crowd at a Turning Point USA event where he spoke of his wife Usha’s religion, which is Hindu. Said Vance, “I believe in the Christian gospel and I hope that eventually my wife comes to see it the same way.” There are only a few thousand Hindus living in Israel, most of whom are Jewish, but who adopted Hindu beliefs and practices in addition to or instead of their Jewish beliefs. Many of these Israelis took on the Hindu faith following visits to the Indian city of Vrindavan, where Krishna is said to have spent his childhood, or Mayapur, a major pilgrimage site in India. One large Israeli Hindu community lives in the town of Katzir-Harish in northern Israel, while another group lives in the West Bank town of Ariel. One of the major holidays in Hinduism is Krishna Janmashtami, which Israeli Hindus will celebrate next year on September 3 and 4, including the offering of 108 vegetarian meals in honor of the birth of Lord Krishna. What are people who follow both Jewish and Hindu tradition called?
President Trump ordered the tearing down of the East Wing of the White House in preparation for the building of a 90,000 square foot ballroom. Advocates state that the facility is needed as large state dinners are currently held in an outdoor space under a tent. Critics note that the expansion of the White House was done with minimal planning and consultation, with disregard for the historic space that has been demolished. Israel’s early presidents lived in their own housing until 1971, when President Zalman Shazar inaugurated a new facility known as Beit HaNassi, hebrew for House of the President. Besides being the residence of the President, Beit HaNassi is known for its artwork, including the Wall of Praise to Jerusalem by Moshe Castel, stained glass windows by Reuben Rubin, and a painted 63-panel ceiling by artist Naftali Bezem in the building’s reception hall.
Beit HaNassi underwent its own renovation in 2011 under the impetus of then-president Shimon Peres. Among the changes he made to his residence were removal of columns in the reception room which blocked views of attendees, improving the outdoor patio used for cocktail receptions, and an upgrading of the kitchen (which was described as “Ben-Gurion spartan with formica surfaces”). What are visiting world leaders asked to do when they pay a visit to Beit HaNassi?
A. They are asked to participate in a service in the garden of the house as a memorial to Israel’s fallen soldiers.
B. They are asked to sign their name on the Kotel shel Shalom HaOlam, the Wall for World Peace, which includes a stained glass window designed by Marc Chagall.
C. Pope Benedict XVI planted an olive tree in Beit HaNassi’s peace garden upon the request of President Shimon Peres, and subsequent world leaders have continued this tradition.
D. They are asked to put a token donation into the residence’s Tzedakah Box (designed by artist Yaacov Agam) with pictures of this donation used to promote charitable fundraising in the visiting leader’s home country.
E. They are asked to purchase a bitcoin with a picture of the current president on the e-currency.
An estimated 7 million people attended No Kings rallies across America and in many foreign countries. Attendees protested Donalds Trump’s actions which are seen by many as counter to democracy. In calling for the strengthening of democratic rule, protestors pointed out such actions by Trump as court actions against Trump’s opponents, forcing corporations and universities to kowtow to his demands under threat of litigation, propelling his anti-immigrant stance through illegal arrests and deportations, and accusing members of the free press of being enemies of the American people.
While there was not a No Kings rally in Israel, the Jewish people have a mixed history with kingship. For example, in 1264, King Boleslaw of Poland issued the Statute of Kalisz, granting Jews personal freedom, legal autonomy, and protections against forced baptism and blood libel. In the 14th century, King Pedro I of Spain had so many Jewish advisors that his enemies referred to the “Jewish court.” But most European monarchs were not friends to the Jews, with such people as King Edward I of England, King Philip IV of France, and King Ferdinand II (and Queen Isabella I) of Spain all expelling Jews from their lands and/or forcing conversions.
The Jewish people themselves have a history of kingship, starting with King Saul, followed by his son King David, and then his son King Solomon. After Solomon’s reign, the Jewish kingdom split into two–Israel and Judah, and each was led by a succession of kings, practically none of whom were considered good leaders of the Jewish people. For example, King Jeroboam of the Kingdom of Israel forced the people to participate in idolatrous practices, King Ahab of Israel built a temple for Baal, and Kings Zimri, Jehu, Shallum, Menahem, Pekah and many more became king by assassinating their predecessors. What was Athaliah, whose reign followed the assassination of King Ahaziah in the Kingdom of Judah, known for?
No Kings by Mark D. Zimmerman is in the public domain
A. It says in II Chronicles that King Ahaziah followed the bad practices of King Ahab because Athaliah “counseled him to do evil.”
B. Athalia established a Baalist cult in the Kingdom of Judah.
C. Athaliah seized the throne upon King Ahaziah’s assassination by murdering all the rivals to the throne.
D. Athaliah attempted to assassinate all of the line of King David, but did not know that one descendant, Joash, was saved and hidden at that time, and he then became king at age 7 upon Athaliah’s assassination.
E. Athalia was not actually a king of Judah, but rather she was female and was the only queen to ever reign over the combined kingdom or Israel or Judah.
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.”
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.
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