Mark D. Zimmerman

Mark D. Zimmerman

Humorist  Mark D. Zimmerman writes a weekly Jewish trivia column, offering multiple choice answers to challenge and enlighten the reader. Click on the link to see if you’ve guessed correctly.

Zimmerman is the author of a series of Jewish trivia books, under the title RASHI, RAMBAM and RAMALAMADINGDONG: A Quizbook of Jewish Trivia Facts & Fun. The quizzes are designed to challenge, educate, entertain, and make you laugh. Are Tzitzit disease-carrying Mediterranean flies? Are Israeli cherries harvested during the Jubilee year? Is Gefilte Phish one of Ben and Jerry’s best-selling Israeli ice cream flavors?

Raised on the Three Stooges, The Addams Family, Monty Python’s Flying Circus, and most importantly, the Marx Brothers, Zimmerman combines his comedic sensibilities with his background in Jewish Communal Service and synagogue and day school volunteer work to create Jewish trivia guaranteed to stimulate and amuse.

His books, available on Amazon, include:

Jewish trivia question: Bob Dylan

By Mark D. Zimmerman MELVILLE, New York – Bob Dylan recently received the Nobel Prize for Literature, “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition,” as noted by the Swedish Academy which chooses the winners. In 1975, Dylan appeared at a congregational seder at Hollywood’s Temple Israel. What song did he perform at the […]

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Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Jewish trivia quiz: Sephardic Rosh Hashanah

By Mark D. Zimmerman MELVILLE, New York — In many Sephardic communities, Rosh Hashanah is celebrated with a seder meal, a custom which dates to the Talmud (Horayot 12a), when Abaye, a Babylonian rabbi, listed a variety of foods that should be eaten at the New Year. The foods are placed on a “Yehi Ratzon platter,” and

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Jewish Religion, Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Jewish trivia quiz: African- American, Jewish links

By Mark D. Zimmerman MELVILLE, New York — The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture opened this weekend in Washington, D. C. The museum, with more than 36,000 artifacts, tells the story of African American life, history, and culture. One display in the museum contains an item or items with a Jewish connection which

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Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Jewish trivia quiz: Beatles on American tour

By Mark D. Zimmerman   MELVILLE, New York — The Beatles: Eight Days a Week–The Touring Years, a documentary directed by Ron Howard, opened this past Friday. The film covers the years 1962-1966 as the Beatles performed more than 800 live concerts around the world. What Jewish-related event took place during the Beatles 1964 tour of America? A. The Beatles

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Mark D. Zimmerman, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Jewish trivia question: Touro Synagogue

By Mark D. Zimmerman MELVILLE, New York — Tim Kaine, Democratic nominee for vice-president, recently visited the historic Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island. Jeshuat Israel, the congregation that is housed in the Touro Synagogue building, was recently in the news as a result of its winning a lawsuit against Congregation Shearith Israel of New York

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Jewish History, Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

Jewish trivia quiz: Brazil’s First Jews

By Mark D. Zimmerman   MELVILLE, New York — The Summer Olympic Games have begun in Brazil, which is the site of the oldest synagogue in the western hemisphere, founded in Recife, Brazil in 1636. The synagogue, Kahal Tzur Yisrael (Sinagoga Zur Israel in Portuguese), was founded by Spanish and Portuguese Jews who came to Brazil

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International, Mark D. Zimmerman, Travel and Food, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Jewish Trivia Quiz: Hillary and Hippy

By Mark D. Zimmerman MELVILLE, New York — In her acceptance speech at last week’s Democratic National Convention, Hillary Clinton made reference to HIPPY. What is HIPPY? A. HIPPY stands for Health Insurance Program for Parents and Youth, an Israeli program designed to provide health insurance coverage for low income families, and it was the basis for the CHIP program (Children’s Health Insurance

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Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Jewish trivia quiz: Hillary Clinton

By Mark D. Zimmerman MELVILLE, New York — At this week’s Democratic Convention in Philadelphia, Hillary Clinton will officially become the first female candidate to head a major party ticket for president of the United States, despite controversy over her use of a private email server while she was Secretary of State. Among the thousands of emails written

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Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire

Jewish Trivia Quiz: Trump on religious liberty

By Mark D. Zimmerman MELVILLE, New York — Leading up to this week’s Republican Convention in Cleveland, the Republican Platform Committee under RNC Chair Reince Priebus has been finalizing details of the official party platform, covering such issues as reforming government, women in combat, coal as a clean energy source, and religious liberty. According to Michele Bachmann,

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Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire