Weekly Quiz - Pre 2019
Wimbledon
When Jewish player Angela Buxton and black player Althea Gibson teamed up and won the Ladies' Doubles competition at Wimbledon in 1956, what headline ran in The Times of London?
A. Ebony And Ivory.
B. Advantage: Former Slaves.
C. Very Mixed Doubles.
D. Minorities Win.
E. We Thought Wimbledon Was A Restricted Club!
World Cup
Which of the following statements about the soccer World Cup is true?
A. The only time Israel ever won a World Cup match is when Iran was scheduled to play against Israel in 2010 but defaulted rather than compete.
B. The official World Cup soccer balls are manufactured at the Palram Industries plant at Kibbutz Ramat Yochanan.
C. Superstar Lionel Messi is a Sephardic Jew who competed for Argentina in the 2005 Maccabiah Games in Israel.
D. The Chief Rabbinate of Israel has ruled that playing soccer is halachically acceptable, whereas playing American football is not, because even though both use balls made of pig skin, the soccer ball is not touched by the players' hands so kosher rules are not violated.
E. Max the lemur at the Zoological Center Tel Aviv-Ramat Gan has so far successfully predicted the winner of 7 out of 12 World Cup matches.
Eric Cantor
Which of the following statements about Eric Cantor is not true?
A. Regarding growing up in an area where Jews were a distinct minority, Cantor said, "I think it's given me a real appreciation. You know, we live in a Christian country.”
B. In describing his private school's annual Christmas pageant that Eric and all students participated in, his mother said, "They didn't do a lot of, excuse me, 'Christ-y' things.”
C. Lobbyist Jack Abramoff hosted a fundraiser for Cantor at Abramoff's kosher deli where he introduced a tuna sandwhich which he named after Cantor. Cantor subsequently requested that the eponymous sandwich be changed to a roast beef on challah, which he called "a deli special that exudes Jewish power.”
D. Oswald Gasser, a Richmond political fixture, said about Cantor, “Some people don’t like him because he is a Jewish guy, but look, I’m thoroughbred German on both sides, and if anyone was going to dislike him for that, it would be me. But everyone deserves to be represented. He goes to the Jewish church. I don’t because I’m a Baptist. It’s all right.”
E. Regarding being the only Jewish Republican in Congress, Cantor said, "It’s no big deal. I mean, it can be a bit lonely at lunch time, sitting by myself at the Kosher Republican table in the Capitol cafeteria. I’ve invited Keith Ellison and André Carson, the two Democratic Muslim congressmen, to cross the aisle and eat with me, but so far they haven’t returned my calls.”
The Tony Awards
What "Jewish" moment took place at the 2014 Tony Awards?
A. Harvey Fierstein, writer of Casa Valentina, thanked the Jewish people for allowing one resort in the Catskills to cater to cross-dressing men rather than hungry Jews.
B. Beautiful: The Carole King Musical actress Jessie Mueller thanked her producer for believing that an evangelical Christian from Chicago could play the iconic role of Brooklyn Jewish songwriter Carole King.
C. A Raisin in the Sun actress Sophie Okonedo thanked her producer for believing that a Jewish, Nigerian Brit could play the iconic role of Ruth Younger.
D. Actor Neil Patrick Harris thanked mohel Heshy Goldstein for botching the sex change operation that was the basis for the story of Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
E. Host Hugh Jackman appeared in full beard as he prepares for his opening as Tevye in the upcoming revival of Fiddler on the Roof.
Shavuot
What book is read on Shavuot?
A. The Book of Lamentations.
B. The Book of Ecclesiastes.
C. The Book of Esther.
D. The Book of Ruth.
E. The Weekly Reader.