By Mark D. Zimmerman Singer Tony Bennett passed away just two weeks shy of his 97th birthday. In 2014, Bennett performed in Tel Aviv’s Mann Auditorium, one night after a surprise guest appearance at a Lady Gaga performance in Hayarkon Park. As a United States soldier in World War II, Bennett was among the troops
Jewish Trivia Quiz: Tony Bennett, RIP Read More »
Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire
By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — Donald Trump received a letter from Jack Smith informing him that he is a target of the federal investigation into election inference in the 2020 presidential election. He is also facing a probable indictment from Fani Willis in Georgia later in the summer. Ever the savvy businessman, Trump is
Satire: Truth Justice, Donald Trump’s Reality TV Streaming Service Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireBy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — Ted Cruz has condemned the film Barbie for “pushing Chinese propaganda” because its trailer features a map with dashes around areas in the South China Sea which China claims belong to it. Initially, I dismissed his accusation as the ravings of a paranoid reactionary since that characterizes most of
Satire: Barbie the Betrayer Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
By Mark D. Zimmerman The biographical film Oppenheimer opens this week, telling the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, son of a Prussian-Jewish immigrant, who became a theoretical physicist and director of the Los Alamos Laboratory during World War II. Oppenheimer is credited as the “father of the atomic bomb” for his role in the Manhattan
Jewish Trivia Quiz: Oppenheimer and Israeli Nuclear Weapons Read More »
Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire
By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — The double parasha this week opens with instructions concerning vows, the words one preaches as personal commitments: “If a man makes a vow to Hashem or takes an oath imposing an obligation on himself, he shall not break his pledge; he must carry out all that has
Parshiot Matot-Massei: Personal Commitments Read More »
Michael Mantell, Trivia, Humor & Satire
By Mark D. Zimmerman Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Republican candidate for president, traveled to Israel this past April, having previously visited the country four other times. He is a strong supporter of Israel, and in 2019 he tweeted that he “promised to be the most pro-Israel Governor in America.” He refers to the West Bank
Jewish Trivia Quiz: Ron DeSantis Read More »
Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & SatireBy The Supremes (Melody: Accentuate the Positives) By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — The six conservative judges on the Supreme Court have formed a singing group and named themselves The Supremes. Unlike the famous Motown group, it consists of five white men and one white woman who was invited to join them because she belongs
Satire: Overturn the Precedents Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
By Mark D. Zimmerman Kosherpalooza, a food festival featuring kosher dairy and meat items, cooking demonstrations, wine tastings and more, was recently held for the first time at the Meadowlands Expo Center in New Jersey. Thousands of attendees sampled dried pink pineapple, miniature steak tartares served in crispy tapioca shells, CBD peanut butter cups, and
Jewish Trivia Quiz: Kosher Food Read More »
Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & SatireBy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — You might be experiencing climate change if: You wear an N-95 mask whenever you go outside for reasons other than Covid-19 protection. The city where you live is building swimming pool sized ashtrays in public parks. Your inland house has become beachfront property. You plan to purchase a Tesla
You Might Be Experiencing Climate Change If Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — Last week the Republican candidates for president addressed the Faith and Freedom Coalition Conference. They competed to demonstrate which of them could come up with the most restrictive bans on abortion. Mike Pence pledged to pass a federal ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. For many in
The Anti-Abortion Olympics Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
By Mark D. Zimmerman Sheldon Harnick, lyricist of Fiddler on the Roof, Fiorello!, and other Broadway shows, died last week at the age of 99. Harnick and composer Jerry Bock wrote many songs for Fiddler on the Roof which did not end up in the final version of the show, including We’ve Never Missed a
Jewish Trivia Quiz: Sheldon Harnick, z”l Read More »
Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire
Koufax, a Jewish kid from Brooklyn, an outstanding major-league pitcher, was slated to play a leading role. Specifically, he was scheduled to pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Minnesota Twins in the first game of the best-of-seven series for the World Championship. But due to an accident (?) of fate or faith (religious observance), that was also the day on which Yom Kippur fell that year. [Joel H. Cohen]
Guilt-Edged Good Deeds Read More »
Jewish History, Joel H. Cohen, Sports & Competitions, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
This editor just learned today that “maven” is derived from the Yiddish word “meyvn” (one who understands). Perhaps I’m not a Yiddish-language expert, after all. But for those who appreciate the San Diego Jewish World series of Jewish-interest license plates, this one’s for you.
By Mark D. Zimmerman Daniel Ellsberg, the military analyst who leaked the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times in 1971, died last week at the age of 92. Ellsberg’s parents were of Russian Jewish descent, but they had embraced Christian Science and raised him in that tradition. However, he noted that “My parents always
Jewish Trivia Quiz: Daniel Ellsberg, z”l Read More »
Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire