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.
The New York Times recently published a list of the 17 best bagels in New York City. As the bagel taster/author Becky Hughes noted, “Some of the choices…are true-blue New York versions; others are far from it.” The “far from it” variety includes rainbow bagels, bagels with Sichuan peppercorns, and piña colada bagels. Bagels are also in the news as PopUp Bagels has grown from a Connecticut popup to a brick and mortar store, to a chain with 10 locations in New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut. PopUp Bagels now has plans to expand nationally, and the company has celebrity investors including Paul Rudd and Michael Phelps. Among the most popular bagel flavors is the everything bagel, typically covered with the combination of seeds and spices, including sesame seeds, poppy seeds, flaked sea salt, garlic flakes, and onion flakes. Everything bagel coating can now be found in many other food products, including which of the following?
The New York Yankees trail the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-0 in the World Series, the 12th time that these two teams have competed in Major League Baseball’s Championship Series. The first seven matches were New York Yankees vs. Brooklyn Dodgers, with the Yankees winning 6 of 7 championships. Since the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958, the teams have split 4 World Series matchups. The Yankees currently have one Jewish player, pitcher Scott Effross, while there are no Jewish players on the Dodgers roster. Among the most fabled Jewish players in professional baseball are Sandy Koufax and Hank Greenberg. Early in the 20th century, many Major League baseball teams made an effort to sign players of certain ethnicities based on the population of their home city. The Yankees, for example, sought out Italian players, signing Tony Lazzeri and Joe DiMaggio among others. The New York Giants wanted some Jewish players, and in 1923, they signed Mose Solomon, son of Orthodox Jewish immigrants, following his 49-home run season with the Minor League Hutchinson Wheat Shockers of Kansas City. Upon his signing with the Giants, the Sporting News ran a headline saying Giants scout “Dick Kinsella Finds That $100,000 Jew”, and some referred to Solomon as “the Jewish Babe Ruth.” What other nickname was also given to Mose Solomon?
Mose Solomon is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The New York Yankees trail the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-0 in the World Series, the 12th time that these two teams have competed in Major League Baseball’s Championship Series. The first seven matches were New York Yankees vs. Brooklyn Dodgers, with the Yankees winning 6 of 7 championships. Since the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958, the teams have split 4 World Series matchups. The Yankees currently have one Jewish player, pitcher Scott Effross, while there are no Jewish players on the Dodgers roster. Among the most fabled Jewish players in professional baseball are Sandy Koufax and Hank Greenberg. Early in the 20th century, many Major League baseball teams made an effort to sign players of certain ethnicities based on the population of their home city. The Yankees, for example, sought out Italian players, signing Tony Lazzeri and Joe DiMaggio among others. The New York Giants wanted some Jewish players, and in 1923, they signed Mose Solomon, son of Orthodox Jewish immigrants, following his 49-home run season with the Minor League Hutchinson Wheat Shockers of Kansas City. Upon his signing with the Giants, the Sporting News ran a headline saying Giants scout “Dick Kinsella Finds That $100,000 Jew”, and some referred to Solomon as “the Jewish Babe Ruth.” What other nickname was also given to Mose Solomon?
Mose Solomon is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
There is a proliferation of Sukkot products available for sale. Of course, that includes the lulav and etrog, as well as easy-to-build Sukkah kits. Also available are sukkah decorations, table cloths, t-shirts, temporary tattoos and more. But not surprisingly, that can lead to problems, especially as manufacturers and retailers look to expand their business, while not necessarily knowing about the holiday, its rules and its customs. What product is for sale this Sukkot that is getting attention because the product is flawed?
Sukkah by Mark D. Zimmerman
A. The online retailer Tarps 'R' Us is selling a foldable plastic sheet designed to go over the top and down the sides of your sukkah to prevent rain from coming in. Their ad says, “Why spend another Sukkot shivering and dripping in the rain, when you can own your own SukkahTop Tarp?”
B. A party store in Lakewood, New Jersey is offering a Sukkot seder plate, which has designated spots to place an etrog, myrtle leaves, willow leaves, palm fronds, and a piece of matzah.
C. For those who want to observe the custom of living in the sukkah, but aren’t quite up to the level of “roughing it” required, the online Glamping Depot website offers a glamping sukkah kit that when put together yields a completely enclosed space with a bed, small refrigerator, a wine rack, and blue tooth speakers playing Matisyahu songs non-stop.
D. A deli in Williamsburg, Brooklyn has a sign in their window which includes a picture of a lemon, and the message “Happy Sukkot to our Jewish neighbors. Why pay for an etrog when you can buy our lemons for half the price?”
E. A number of Amazon sellers are offering cardboard Sukkot gift boxes, decorated with the Hebrew word Sukkot. But the word was printed left to right rather than the Hebrew right to left, thus reading Tuchos (Yiddish for rear end).
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