Norman Lear died last week at the age of 101. Lear was a writer and producer who created dozens of television sitcoms, including All in the Family, Sanford and Son, Maude, The Jeffersons, and One Day at a Time, among others. He received numerous awards for his work, including 6 Emmys, 2 Peabodys, the National Medal of Arts, and the Kennedy Center Honors. Lear was also very involved in progressive politics, most notably as a founder of People for the American Way, whose mission is to fight for equality, pluralism, freedom of thought, and compassion for others. Lear was born to Jewish parents in New Haven, CT, and though he was not religious, he described himself “as culturally Jewish as I could be and proud to be Jewish.” He noted that listening to the antisemitic Father Coughlin on the radio influenced his thinking and led him toward social activism. In 1974, Lear founded a production company whose name was influenced by his Judaism. What was the company called?

Henry Kissinger died last week at the age of 100. Born in 1923 in Germany, Kissinger and his family fled the country in 1938 to escape increasing antisemitism, including beatings he suffered by Hitler Youth gang members. He went to college in New York, studying accounting, until he was drafted into the United States Army, where he served in the intelligence division during the Battle of the Bulge. After the war he received advanced degrees and was a faculty member in the Department of Government at Harvard University. He entered the political realm, working as a foreign policy advisor to Nelson Rockefeller, later becoming National Security Advisor under President Richard Nixon. He then became Secretary of State under Nixon as well as President Gerald Ford. He negotiated the cease fire that led to the end of the Viet Nam War, for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize. But he has also been viewed by many as a war criminal, responsible for the deaths of millions because of his policies in Southeast Asia, South America, the Middle East, and other areas of conflict. Kissinger was criticized for ignoring the plight of Soviet Jews, saying that “The emigration of Jews from the Soviet Union is not an objective of American foreign policy, and if they put Jews into gas chambers in the Soviet Union, it is not an American concern. Maybe a humanitarian concern.” He played a major role during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, facilitating negotiations that eventually led to an end to the war and a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt following the Camp David Accords. But Kissinger has been accused of delaying arms shipments to Israel during that war in order to force Israel into post-war diplomacy, a charge which Kissinger denied. Though raised Orthodox, Kissinger’s religious identity was complicated. He is reported to have said, “Is there a more self-serving group of people than the Jewish community?” What comment did Kissinger make in reference to his being born a German Jew?

Javier Milei was just elected president of Argentina. Milei, an economist, author, politician, former tantric sex coach, and self-described “anarcho-capitalist,” is a right-wing libertarian and populist who supports freedom of choice on issues such as drugs, guns, prostitution, and LGBTQ issues, while opposing abortion. He believes that global warming is a “socialist lie” and has pledged to not raise taxes, noting that “I will never raise a tax, I will never create new taxes,” while also saying that “Jesus didn’t pay taxes.” Upon Milei’s victory in the presidential race, Donald Trump tweeted that  “I am very proud of you. You will turn your country around and truly Make Argentina Great Again!” What connection does Milei have to Judaism?

Javier Milei by Cámara de Diputados de la Nación Argentina is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated 60 years ago this week in Dallas, Texas. Kennedy was the son of Joseph Kennedy, Sr., a wealthy businessman and philanthropist. Joseph Kennedy was a known antisemite who, while he was serving as the United States ambassador to the United Kingdom in 1938, told the German ambassador that President Roosevelt was the victim of “Jewish influence” who was misinformed as to the “philosophy, ambitions and ideals of Hitler’s regime.” John F. Kennedy made many efforts to distance himself from his father’s views, both prior to and while serving as President. Which of the following is an example of John F. Kennedy’s positive connection to the Jewish community?

John F. Kennedy, White House color photo portrait by Cecil Stoughton, White House is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons