South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol imposed martial law claiming that others were attempting to overthrow democracy. Chaos ensued with other lawmakers opposing the action, leading to a quick end to martial law followed by a failed attempt to impeach the president. The first Jews to settle in Korea included Jewish soldiers who fought there during the Korean War in the early 1950’s. A Chabad House was established in 2008, and a mikveh was opened in 2019. What book that is connected to Judaism or Israel is a best seller in South Korea?

Korea south map-pl by Kokiri  is  licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

A. The Talmud. South Koreans admire the Jewish people for their commitment to education, so they have taken to reading the Talmud for its lessons and inspiration.

B. Moshe Dayan: Story of My Life: An Autobiography. In 1962, South Korea and Israel established official diplomatic relations. Moshe Dayan served in the embassy in Seoul, and became somewhat of a cult hero as the Koreans admired him for his bravery and service, despite having lost an eye to a sniper while he served in the pre-state Haganah.

C. The BimBam Bibimbap Cook Book by Shifrah Devorah Witt and Zipporah Malka Heller, who had previously authored the highly successful The Complete Asian Kosher Cookbook. The book focuses on Korean foods with appropriate substitutes for non-kosher ingredients such as Korean pork belly and some Korean fish sauces that include non-kosher fishes.

D. The Book of Lights, by Chaim Potok. The book is about a rabbi who served in the United States military in Korea (based on Potok’s actual military service as a chaplain in South Korea).

E. Seder Kriah. This is a series of books designed to teach children how to read Hebrew (the title translates as The Order of Reading). A Korean guest at a Passover Seder at the Chabad House in Seoul loved the dinner and ceremony. He had heard the rabbi mention the book and thought he said Seder Korea, so he misinterpreted that it was a Passover Seder booklet designed for Korean people. He told all of his friends about it and it quickly became a best seller.

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President-elect Donald Trump announced plans to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian imports on his first day in office. In response, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau flew to Mar-a-Lago last week for a meeting with Trump, hoping to dissuade him from this plan. Trudeau has been a supporter of the Canadian Jewish community and a strong voice against antisemitism, noting that “Antisemitism has no place in Canada—or anywhere else...we reaffirm our commitment to continue to take concrete action to combat antisemitism in all its forms.” He has also said that “Israel has the right to defend itself and its people.” Why did Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issue an apology to the Canadian Jewish community in 2018?

Justin Trudeau - Icebreaker Collaboration Effort - 2024 by Adam Schultz / The White House  is  in the public domain  via Wikimedia Commons

A. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid a visit to Canada, a trip which included an official state dinner at Rideau Hall, the official residence of the governor general of Canada. Arrangements were made to kosher the kitchen for the meal, but at the end of the meal, in addition to the kosher apple pie dessert, Trudeau surprised his guests by presenting Tim Horton doughnuts. Trudeau did not realize that he was violating kosher laws by including this famous Canadian food product. The Prime Minister’s office issued a statement noting that “Tim Hortons products are the pride of all Canadians, and we love to show them off to our world visitors. Prime Minister Trudeau apologizes to Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu and his entire delegation, as well as all Canadian Jews, for this inadvertent slip in disregarding the kosher issue when serving those treats.”

B. Following an antisemitic vandalism attack on a Toronto synagogue, Trudeau spoke on national television. He apologized to the Jewish community that such an incident could occur in Canada, and he decried the incident in the strongest terms. Trudeau stated that “I will never be silent in the face of hatred and intolerance, nor will our government. Diversity is our greatest strength, it enriches our lives, it strengthens our society, and it unites us as a country. It is our most cherished value.”

C. In 1939, the ocean liner St. Louis set sail from Hamburg, Germany to Havana, Cuba, carrying more than 900 Jewish refugees attempting to escape Nazi Germany. The vessel was turned away by the Cuban government, and then it sailed to the United States, where it was also denied entry. An effort was then made to receive permission to sail to Halifax, Nova Scotia, but Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King refused to provide sanctuary to the passengers, many of whom ultimately were killed when the St. Louis returned to Europe. Prime Minister Trudeau issued a statement saying that “the [Canadian] government chose to turn its back on these innocent victims of Hitler’s regime...We are sorry for the callousness of Canada’s response. And we are sorry for not apologizing sooner.”

D. When Trudeau paid a visit to New York, he ate breakfast with Mayor Bill de Blasio at Zabar’s, where they had lox and bagels. Trudeau remarked on how they were the best bagels he ever ate. This provoked a huge outcry from the Canadian Jewish community who consider Montreal-style bagels (typically smaller, denser, and sweeter) to be superior to New York bagels. Said Trudeau, “I truly misspoke and apologize to the Jewish community of Canada, whose bagel is a wonder of baking. I only meant that those were the best New York bagels I had ever eaten. And I welcome Mayor de Blasio on a future trip north to give a taste to our wonderful bagels.”

E. Prime Minister Trudeau attended a Passover seder at the Beth Tzedec Congregation in Toronto. When it was time to eat the maror, Trudeau pulled out a bottle of maple syrup and poured some on the bitter herbs. When asked what he was doing, Trudeau replied, “Maple syrup can make anything taste good.” He later apologized to Canadian Jews, saying “On all other nights I eat maple syrup. I promise that on next year’s seder night I’ll eat only matzah and bitters.”

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Donald Trump has named former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee, a Baptist minister, is a strong supporter of Israel. He first led trips to Israel with his congregants in the early 1980’s, eventually becoming highly popular pilgrimages nearly every year, visiting Yad Vashem and the Israel Museum along with many Christian sites including the Garden of Gethsemane, the Via Dolorosa, and St. Anne’s Church. He views the Israel-Palestine conflict not as a geopolitical problem, but a spiritual conflict between good and evil. He expanded on that concept following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, referring to “the worst level of evil that exists on our planet today.” Many of his views are controversial, appealing to strong supporters of Israel but concerning to many who support Palestinian rights and believe in a two-state solution. For example, he has said “There is no such thing as a West Bank—It’s Judea and Samaria…There’s no such thing as a settlement—They’re communities, they’re neighborhoods, they’re cities. There’s no such thing as an occupation.” He has also said there is “no such thing as  a Palestinian.” Prior to Mike Huckabee’s 2015 trip to Israel, he criticized President Obama for spending “more time berating Israel for building bedrooms for its families than he has spent bothering Iran for building nuclear bombs.” He then went on to draw a contrast between his and Obama’s relationship with Israel, invoking what musician?

Mike Huckabee (22947800910) by Gage Skidmore  is  licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

A. “Israel is a friend. While I’m here for the umpteenth time in 42 years, I will tell them, ‘you got to have friends. The feeling’s oh so strong.’ And I won’t even need to take Bette Midler to sing it.”

B. “Israel is so special to me. While I’m here for the umpteenth time in 42 years, I will tell them, ‘There was a moment that I spent, oh, just loving you, yeah, ‘Cause you're the best thing that ever happened to me.’ And I won’t even need to take Gladys Knight to sing it.”

C. “Israel is my friend. While I’m here for the umpteenth time in 42 years, I will tell them, ‘Oh, I get by with a little help from my friend.’ And I won’t even need to take Ringo Starr to sing it.”

D. “Israel is a friend. While I’m here for the umpteenth time in 42 years, I will tell them, ‘you’ve got a friend.’ And I won’t even need to take James Taylor to sing it.”

E. “Israel is my special friend. While I’m here for the umpteenth time in 42 years, every time feels like my first time. I will tell them, ‘Like a virgin, hey, Touched for the very first time.’ And I won’t even need to take Madonna to sing it.”

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Former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as the United States attorney general. Gaetz is a controversial figure, and in fact just resigned his Congressional seat in an effort to prevent the completion of his investigation by the House Ethics Committee. The investigation was based on reports of Gaetz’s illicit drug use, misuse of campaign funds, sharing of inappropriate images on the House floor, and sexual misconduct, including charges that he engaged in sexual relations with an underage girl, all charges which Gaetz denies. Gaetz has been criticized by many in the Jewish community for a number of reasons, including his invitation to Holocaust denier Charles C. Johnson to attend Donald Trump’s 2018 State of the Union address. He also attended rallies which included members of the neo-Fascist Proud Boys organization. Gaetz’s nomination for attorney general has been criticized or opposed by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the American Jewish Committee, and the ADL. What else did Matt Gaetz do that has led to criticism by Jewish organizations and individuals?

Matt Gaetz - Caricature (46701167184) by DonkeyHotey  is  licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

A. After the ADL criticized Tucker Carlson’s promotion of the Great Replacement Theory (that Jews are behind the effort to replace white America with non-white immigrants), Gaetz called the ADL racist and stated that Carlson “is CORRECT about Replacement Theory.”

B. Inspired by Louisiana’s new rule requiring the posting of the Ten Commandments in public schools (which is on hold while being litigated in the courts), Gaetz has advocated for the posting of the Ten Commandments in all public schools, government buildings, and university buildings (if the university accepts any public funding).

C. Referencing Jared Kushner, Ye (formerly Kanye West) stated in an interview with Tucker Carlson that “I just think that’s what they’re about, is making money.” Many were critical of this and other antisemitic comments made by Ye, but Gaetz said, “It's not antisemitic. It just happens to be true about Jared Kushner. And Ye is totally dope. I am totally crunk on Ye.”

D. Gaetz opposed the Antisemitism Awareness Act because he said the bill would even make the Gospels antisemitic based on the Gospels’ claim that Jews were responsible for the killing of Jesus. Said Gaetz, “The Bible is clear. There is no myth or controversy on this.”

E. Gaetz has a history of crashing bat mitzvahs.

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