A few weeks back, San Diego Jewish World ran an essay about major Jewish superstitions, such as protective words and ways to avert the Evil Eye — raiterh bendel (red band), sneezing to confirm the truth of what was just said, and “pooh,pooh, pooh.” Readers were invited to submit their favorite Jewish superstitions, and several follow, ken ayin ha’ra. [Joel H. Cohen]
A Potpourri of Jewish Superstitions Read More »
Joel H. Cohen, Trivia, Humor & Satire
(Melody: Call Me Irresponsible) By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — Call me unindictable. Since I’m controversial. Clearly irresponsible too. Do my calls for riots scare you? 1/6 shows I’m ruthless. MAGA folks take my cues. Yes, my ends are unacceptable. And my means unconscionable. Power is the goal I pursue. I like illegalities. Foment volatility.
Satire: Call Me Unindictable Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
By Mark D. Zimmerman Israeli actor Chaim Topol died last week at the age of 87. The actor, who professionally used only his last name because too frequently people would mispronounce his first name, Chaim, as “shame,” is most famous for playing the role of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. Topol starred as Tevye
Jewish Trivia Quiz: Chaim Topol, Z”L Read More »
Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire
By Mark D. Zimmerman Purim will be celebrated this week, with costumes, hamantaschen, Megillah reading, and Purim shpiels. Purim has occasionally made an appearance in popular culture, including the 1960 movie Esther and the King starring Joan Collins as Esther and The Bible Collection: Esther, a 1999 made-for-TV movie starring F. Murray Abraham as Mordecai.
Jewish Trivia Quiz: Purim on TV Read More »
Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & SatireBy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — Marjorie Failure Greene recently tweeted, “We need a national divorce. We need to separate by red states and blue states and shrink the federal government. I want to see a legal agreement that would separate states to resolve ideological and political disagreements. Rearranged this way, Americans can decide where
Satire: Marjorie Failure Greene, Divorce American Style Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
By Jacob Kamaras LA JOLLA, California — In a rematch of our legendary (in relative terms) Chanukah 2021 debate, in which I defeated Rabbi Eric Ertel of the San Diego Jewish Experience (SAJE) but sustained a fractured heel in the process, Rabbi Ertel and I duked it out once again on Wednesday night at the
Latke Defeats Hamantash in Rematch Debate in La Jolla Read More »
Jacob Kamaras, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Trivia, Humor & Satire
SAN DIEGO — Anyone who knows even a shtickle of Yiddish would be shocked and amazed to find this license plate on, quite appropriately, a Chevy Volt. Editor’s note: “JPlate” is the new name of our Jewish-interest license plate series.
Jewish-Interest License Plate (JPlate): OYGVOLT Read More »
Melanie Rubin, San Diego County, Trivia, Humor & Satire
By Mark D. Zimmerman Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, a Haredi authority in Israel on legal and ethical practice, died in March 2022 at the age of 94 in Bnei Brak. Among his rabbinic rulings was that it was forbidden to own a smartphone without first receving permission from a halahkic authority, and that the owner could
Jewish Trivia Quiz: Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky Auction Read More »
Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire(Melody: This Train is Bound for Glory) On the First Anniversary of the Russian Invasion By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — Ukraine is bound for glory, Ukraine. Winning a war so gory, Ukraine. Ukraine will prove greater. Beat the invader and its dictator. Ukraine is bound for glory, Ukraine. Ukraine has a smaller army, Ukraine.
Ukraine is Bound for Glory (aka I’m Not Rootin’ for Putin) Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireBy Joel H. Cohen NEW YORK — Pooh, Pooh, Pooh, I’m not superstitious, ken ayin ha’ra (no evil eye). But why take chances? So, of course, I observe the secular warnings: Avoid black cats and don’t walk under ladders — and, honoring the Druids, I knock on wood so as not to invoke bad karma
The Red Band of Courage (or Cowardice) and Other Jewish Superstitions Read More »
Joel H. Cohen, Trivia, Humor & SatireBy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — The Roald Dahl Story Company and Puffin Books have changed the original language in Dahl’s children’s stories to make them more inclusive and less offensive. The Mark Twain Foundation is planning to do the same for his works. Here are some of the changes: Tom Sawyer is now described
Satire: Never the Twain Shall Offend Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
By Mark D. Zimmerman The Carter Center issued a statement that following recent hospital stays by President Jimmy Carter, the 98-year-old former president “decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention.” Among President Carter’s greatest accomplishments was the 1978 Camp David Accords, agreements
Jewish Trivia Quiz: Jimmy Carter Read More »
Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire
LA JOLLA, California — This license plate, spotted by Melanie Rubin in the Lawrence Family JCC parking lot, keeps it in the family. That is, if you drop the extra “A,” which would mean that it spells the Hebrew word for grandfather.
Jewish-Interest License Plate: SABAA Read More »
Melanie Rubin, San Diego County, Trivia, Humor & Satire
SAN DIEGO — Clearly, the owner of this license plate wants to wish good health to fellow drivers and other passersby. (As they say in Yiddish, zei gezunt.)
Jewish-Interest License Plate: GEZUNT Read More »
Melanie Rubin, San Diego County, Trivia, Humor & Satire