Monkeys are in the news after a lab worker at the Alpha Genesis research center in South Carolina left a door open, allowing 43 rhesus macaque monkeys to escape. The monkeys all eluded capture for a few days and seemed to enjoy their lives in the nearby trees. Twenty five have now been caught and authorities say they are in good condition. Efforts continue to recover the remaining escapees.

Monkeys have made appearances in Judaism in a number of ways. They are mentioned numerous times in the Jewish religious texts. For example, it notes in the Gemara that people are allowed to raise monkeys. And the Talmud states that there is a blessing to recite when one sees a monkey: Blessed art thou…Who makes creatures different. (One wonders if any neighbors have made this blessing near the Alpha Genesis research center). Israel is home to the Israel Primate Sanctuary which has provided sanctuary to monkeys and other primates for almost 30 years. What other connections exist between monkeys and Judaism?

Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta mulatta) female by Charles J. Sharp  is  licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

A. In 2016, Shimon Peres wrote a song titled Chinese Melody to celebrate the Year of the Monkey and Israel’s relationship with China.

B. If your pet monkey escapes on Shabbat it is not a violation of Shabbat rules to chase and recapture it (despite general restrictions against capturing on the Sabbath).

C. The Gemara states that Sarah was so beautiful that anyone else compared to her would be no better than a monkey compared to a human.

D. The Jewish Monkeys is a klezmer punk rock band whose music is described as “Yiddish folk with a Balkan tinge and a healthy dose of ska, reggae and afrobeat, running on indie rock energy.”

E. According to the Mishna, kosher slaughtering is permitted to be done by an uncircumcised Israelite or a Samaritan, but not by an idolator or a monkey.

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The New York Times recently published a list of the 17 best bagels in New York City. As the bagel taster/author Becky Hughes noted, “Some of the choices…are true-blue New York versions; others are far from it.” The “far from it” variety includes rainbow bagels, bagels with Sichuan peppercorns, and piña colada bagels. Bagels are also in the news as PopUp Bagels has grown from a Connecticut popup to a brick and mortar store, to a chain with 10 locations in New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut. PopUp Bagels now has plans to expand nationally, and the company has celebrity investors including Paul Rudd and Michael Phelps. Among the most popular bagel flavors is the everything bagel, typically covered with the combination of seeds and spices, including sesame seeds, poppy seeds, flaked sea salt, garlic flakes, and onion flakes. Everything bagel coating can now be found in many other food products, including which of the following?

Bagels, everything - San Francisco by Daderot is  licensed under CC0 1.0 UNIVERSAL via Wikimedia Commons

A. Jeni’s Everything Bagel Ice Cream.

B. Bloody Revolution Everything Bagel Bloody Mary Mix.

C. SkinnyPop Everything Bagel Popcorn Mini Cakes.

D. Field Trip Everything Bagel Beef Jerky.

E. Rhythm Superfoods Everything Bagel Organic Broccoli Bites.

Click here for the answer.

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The New York Yankees trail the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-0 in the World Series, the 12th time that these two teams have competed in Major League Baseball’s Championship Series. The first seven matches were New York Yankees vs. Brooklyn Dodgers, with the Yankees winning 6 of 7 championships. Since the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958, the teams have split 4 World Series matchups. The Yankees currently have one Jewish player, pitcher Scott Effross, while there are no Jewish players on the Dodgers roster. Among the most fabled Jewish players in professional baseball are Sandy Koufax and Hank Greenberg. Early in the 20th century, many Major League baseball teams made an effort to sign players of certain ethnicities based on the population of their home city. The Yankees, for example, sought out Italian players, signing Tony Lazzeri and Joe DiMaggio among others. The New York Giants wanted some Jewish players, and in 1923, they signed Mose Solomon, son of Orthodox Jewish immigrants, following his 49-home run season with the Minor League Hutchinson Wheat Shockers of Kansas City. Upon his signing with the Giants, the Sporting News ran a headline saying Giants scout “Dick Kinsella Finds That $100,000 Jew”, and some referred to Solomon as “the Jewish Babe Ruth.” What other nickname was also given to Mose Solomon?

‍ Mose Solomon is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A. King Solomon.

B. The Rabbi of Swat.

C. The Base-Ballabusta.

D. Holy Moses.

E. The Say Oy Vey Kid.

Click here for the answer.

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There is a proliferation of Sukkot products available for sale. Of course, that includes the lulav and etrog, as well as easy-to-build Sukkah kits. Also available are sukkah decorations, table cloths, t-shirts, temporary tattoos and more. But not surprisingly, that can lead to problems, especially as manufacturers and retailers look to expand their business, while not necessarily knowing about the holiday, its rules and its customs. What product is for sale this Sukkot that is getting attention because the product is flawed?

‍ Sukkah by Mark D. Zimmerman

A. The online retailer Tarps 'R' Us is selling a foldable plastic sheet designed to go over the top and down the sides of your sukkah to prevent rain from coming in. Their ad says, “Why spend another Sukkot shivering and dripping in the rain, when you can own your own SukkahTop Tarp?”

B. A party store in Lakewood, New Jersey is offering a Sukkot seder plate, which has designated spots to place an etrog, myrtle leaves, willow leaves, palm fronds, and a piece of matzah.

C. For those who want to observe the custom of living in the sukkah, but aren’t quite up to the level of “roughing it” required, the online Glamping Depot website offers a glamping sukkah kit that when put together yields a completely enclosed space with a bed, small refrigerator, a wine rack, and blue tooth speakers playing Matisyahu songs non-stop.

D. A deli in Williamsburg, Brooklyn has a sign in their window which includes a picture of a lemon, and the message “Happy Sukkot to our Jewish neighbors. Why pay for an etrog when you can buy our lemons for half the price?”

E. A number of Amazon sellers are offering cardboard Sukkot gift boxes, decorated with the Hebrew word Sukkot. But the word was printed left to right rather than the Hebrew right to left, thus reading Tuchos (Yiddish for rear end).

Click here for the answer.

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