Mark D. Zimmerman

While there have been Christian Bibles printed in English for many centuries, English editions of the Hebrew Bible have only been around for about a century and a half. Which of the following is an English edition of the Hebrew Bible? [Trivia column by Mark D. Zimmerman]

In 1990, journalist Wolf Blitzer joined CNN as a reporter, and he eventually became a news anchor and host of CNN’s Sunday interview show, Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer. He has won numerous honors including an Emmy and the Anti-Defamation League’s Hubert H. Humphrey First Amendment Freedoms Prize. Blitzer’s parents were Auschwitz survivors who emigrated to Buffalo where he was raised. He studied Hebrew at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and one of his first jobs was as a Washington correspondent for the Jerusalem Post. Not everyone is a fan of Wolf Blitzer, however. Which of the following has criticized Wolf Blitzer? [Mark D. Zimmerman]

Honey holds a significant place in Jewish tradition, most prominently at Rosh Hashanah when we dip apples in honey for a sweet new year. There was a question as to whether honey is actually kosher. The Mishna says in Tractate Bechorot, “That which comes from something which is Tameh [non-Kosher] is Tameh, and that which comes of that which is Tahor [Kosher] is Tahor.” Therefore, for example, camel’s milk and stork eggs are not kosher as camels and storks are not kosher animals. Why is honey kosher, when the bees which produce it are not kosher? [Mark D. Zimmerman]

While it is still not clear if there will be an NFL football season this fall, the league is moving forward, having just held their annual draft of college players. The ceremony took place via teleconference, without much of the pomp that normally accompanies the announcements by teams of their selected players. One college player got the attention of the Jewish world in February when he was interviewed during the NFL Combine, the event where prospective players are showcased prior to the draft. The athlete appeared for an interview wearing a Star of David around his neck, and a reporter asked him the significance of the star. Who was the player and what was his explanation? [Mark D. Zimmerman]

One of the complications of the COVID-19 pandemic is a shortage of toilet paper, which is a result of people hoarding, as well as the fact that everyone is using their home bathrooms exclusively, rather than also using bathrooms at work, or at stores, restaurants, and other public facilities. A few years ago an Israeli company, the Gefen Team, worked with Lily, an Israeli toilet paper brand that is a division of Kimberly-Clark, to produce a product to aid in the use of toilet paper. What was this product? [Mark D. Zimmerman]

Bob Dylan just released a new 17-minute song titled Murder Most Foul, which is about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and more broadly about the music and culture of the 1960’s and beyond. Dylan, who has toured almost non-stop for years, recently canceled his current tour because of the coronavirus pandemic. Bob Dylan once offered a promotional blurb that was printed on the back cover of a book by a Jewish author: “Anyone who is either married or thinking of getting married would do well to read this book.” What book did Dylan promote in this way? [Mark D. Zimmerman]