Free Pesach trivia questions enhance seders

By Donald H. Harrison

Donald H. Harrison
Mark D. Zimmerman

SAN DIEGO — Humor columnist Mark D. Zimmerman, who authors the Jewish Trivia Quiz that normally appears weekly on San Diego Jewish World, is offering a free, humorous Haggadah supplement for readers to download on their electronic devices, and then print out if desired.

Titled Rashi, Rambam and Haggadah-Lamadingdong, this Hagaddah contains 25 questions about Passover, each with a series of answers that may be true or simply examples of Zimmerman’s zany humor.  It may be downloaded at the following website:  http://rrrjewishtrivia.com/rashi-rambam-and-haggadah.html.

With this supplemental Haggadah, he says,  “You can do whatever you always do at your seder, with the added value of learning, laughing and embarrassing yourself with your lack of knowledge about Passover.”  The e-booklet contains 25 trivia questions “about the time of our constipation…about heavy murrains that stay on the plains…about scallion whipping… [and] about the beer that made Monsey famous.”

For example, one question is: “What is Karpas?”

Possible answers * are (1) The blessing recited before eating meat; (2) The ceremonial slaying of the carp prior to the preparation of the gefilte fish; (3) the green vegetable served during the Passover seder, symbolizing rebirth and spring; (4) A toll tag system for Israeli cars to avoid stopping to pay tolls on the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway; (5) The meal which breaks the fast after Yom Kippur.

Zimmerman, who lives in the town of Melville on Long Island, New York, grew up in New Orleans, where his synagogue, B’nai B’rith, and the Jewish Community Center were major venues of his life.  He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of New Orleans and his master’s degree in social work from Tulane University, returning to the JCC as a director of youth programs.  He met his wife, Janet, at that JCC, where she worked as director of adult programming, having earned her MSW at Yeshiva University in New York City.

The couple moved from New Orleans to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and then to Long Island, where Janet’s family had a business manufacturing aluminum and steel tubing for the window industry, and for which Zimmerman went to work.  The couple has two daughters, Meryl and Melissa, whom they sent to the Solomon Schechter Day School.  Zimmerman served on the board of the school as well as that of the Huntington Jewish Center.  The daughters today are adults.

Both Janet and Mark sing and play the guitar and they have performed Jewish and American folk songs together.  Mark has composed musical shows for children; has written a guide book for children’s activities on Long Island; worked as director of M’Yad L’Yad—Helping Hands; a social service agency that matches anonymous donors with anonymous needy clients; and since 2003 has been writing Jewish trivia columns and books, such as the Passover book now being offered free to our readers.

Zimmerman says he has been a life-long fan of the Marx Brothers, even organizing a Marx Brothers Film Festival while in college.  While many comedians and comedy writers have influenced his work, he said, the Marx Brothers perhaps have been the greatest influence.

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The correct answer is (3).  Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World.  He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com