Mark D. Zimmerman

By Mark D. Zimmerman MELVILLE, New York — Canada has been dealing with a growing truckers’ protest over the last few weeks, which began in response to a vaccine mandate for drivers entering from the United States. The truckers have been disrupting traffic across the country by parking their rigs on major streets and blocking large intersections, […]

By Mark D. Zimmerman MELVILLE, New York — Jason Brown is a Jewish figure skater who will be representing the United States at the Beijing Olympic Games. He has won numerous events in the past, including 9 medals at Grand Prix international events, the 2015 United States National Championship, and a bronze medal in a team event

By Mark D. Zimmerman MELVILLE, New York — The East Coast was hit with up to 2-1/2 feet of snow as part of a “bombogenesis” snowstorm. A bombogenesis is a storm that intensifies rapidly, yielding blizzard-like conditions. In simple terms, bombogenesis describes a storm bursting into existence like a bomb! The term evokes the Jewish

By Mark D. Zimmerman MELVILLE, New York — It was just announced that Jon Stewart will be the recipient of the 2022 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. The award program will take place at the Kennedy Center on April 24, and will later be broadcast on television. Stewart joins a distinguished list of past recipients,

By Mark D. Zimmerman MELVILLE, New York — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in political trouble, as he once again was caught violating governmental COVID restrictions. Since the pandemic began, there have been numerous incidents where the Prime Minister and his staff were found to have been partying at his official residence. Among the

By Mark D. Zimmerman MELVILLE, New York — Former policeman and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams was recently installed as the new mayor of New York City. The inauguration traditionally takes place at noon on New Year’s Day. But because New Year’s Day was on a Saturday, Adams had rescheduled the ceremony to New Year’s

By Mark D. Zimmerman MELVILLE, New York — The American division of the Israeli company Teva Pharmaceuticals was found liable in a lawsuit alleging responsibility for aspects of the opioid crisis in this country. “Teva Pharmaceuticals USA…misled the American people about the true dangers of opioids,” said New York’s attorney general Letitia James. In 1901 Chaim Salomon,

Speaking in 2013, Joe Biden said of the Jewish people, “You make up 11 percent of the seats in the United States Congress. You make up one-third of all Nobel laureates. So many notions that are embraced by this nation that particularly emanate from over 5,000 years of Jewish history, tradition and culture: independence, individualism, fairness, decency, justice, charity.” He concluded by saying what? [Mark D. Zimmerman]

Because of Covid, the Radio City Rockettes announced that they have canceled the remainder of their Christmas Spectacular season, which had been scheduled to run through January 2. Which of the following is part of the Jewish history of the Rockettes? [Mark D. Zimmerman]

Five years ago Israel purchased a used jet with the intention of customizing it for the use of the Prime Minister and the President for official travel. Prior to that these officials had been renting commercial planes. While the aircraft’s upgrade has been completed, the plane is still sitting in a hangar and it is not clear if or when the current Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, or Israel’s president Isaac Hezog will use the craft… (Mark D. Zimmerman)

Supply chain problems have led to shortages of many consumer products, including computer chips, breakfast cereal, running shoes, paint and more. What product has been in short supply recently which has affected the Jewish community? [Mark D. Zimmerman]

Stephen Sondheim’s upbringing included attendance at summer sleepaway camp with many other Jewish campers. Where did Sondheim go to summer camp?

The great 20th century Orthodox authorities Rabbi Moshe Feinstein and Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik agreed that the holiday is secular, not Christian, and therefore celebration by Jews is not religiously prohibited. There has been another controversy around the holiday, however. What past Thanksgiving event led a group of rabbis to protest? [Mark D. Zimmerman]

What problem arose when Britney Spears performed in Tel Aviv in 2017? [Mark D. Zimmerman]