Weekly Quiz 2022
Marine Le Pen
French President Emmanuel Macron won reelection in a closely contested contest against Marine Le Pen. Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally Party, has been a controversial figure in French politics for many years, following in the footsteps of her father Jean-Marie Le Pen. She has alarmed many French Jews for a number of her views. She supports the banning of ritual meat slaughter (though she says kosher meat could be imported). And she has argued that France was not responsible for the round up and deportation of thousands of French Jews to Auschwitz. She claims that the French Vichy government did not represent France but rather was part of German authority, a position that French Jews, and Emmanuel Macron, reject. During the recent campaign, Le Pen was criticized for sending a “dog whistle” to supporters that led to criticism from the Jewish community, even including a Jewish group affiliated with her National Rally Party. What action did she take that provoked criticism?
Marine Le Pen, Leader of the French National Front by Global Panorama is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
A. Le Pen raised her arm to the sky in what looked like a Nazi salute at a rally in the French city of Troyes, one of her strongholds. Le Pen claimed that she was only pointing to the people sitting in the balcony, but many in the audience responded with the same arm gesture.
B. Le Pen spoke at a meeting of the National Rally Party. In her talk she espoused support for the state of Israel. But following her comments, she raised her hand with fingers outstretched and her thumb closed across her palm, after which she closed her fingers over the thumb. This represents the international symbol for danger, a discreet code that originally developed as a way for women to call for help subtly when in a dangerous situation. But the Jewish community felt that this was a "dog whistle" to anti-Semites, telling them she was “too afraid” to publicly state her real views on Israel. Le Pen claimed she was simply waving goodbye to the meeting attendees.
C. Le Pen issued campaign posters in which she is shown to be offering the “OK sign” with her left thumb and finger. The gesture, which she claimed was innocuous, is in fact considered to be a white supremacist signal by the Anti-Defamation League among others, as the fingers are seen to be presenting as a “W” and a “P,” standing for White Power.
D. At a rally in Marseille, Le Pen raised her arm with her first finger and pinkie raised upward in what is known as the Hook’em Horns symbol. This was seen by some in the Jewish community as a reference to the anti-Semitic trope that Jews have horns, meant to incite anti-Semitic feelings among her right-wing supporters.
E. Le Pen addressed a Star Trek convention in Lyon, where she raised her hand with spread fingers in a Spock-like Vulcan salute. But many observers claimed that she was sending a “dog whistle” championing the Kohanim, the Jewish Priestly community. Many Jews fear that this signal indicated her support for reinstituting the duchaning ceremony, where the Leviim must wash the hands and feet of the Kohanim.
Passover
Jews world-wide celebrated Passover this weekend. Many held family seders, some joined with friends, and others participated in larger events with their synagogues or other Jewish organizations. Some Jews are celebrating the holiday in more luxurious ways, such as at Magical Passover in Orlando, the Luxury Pesach at Paradisus Isla Mujeres in Cancun, and Amazing Pesach Spain Olam. At what Passover event was it once noted in the press that “It was estimated that the diamonds worn… were worth hundreds of thousands of dollars”?
A. A community Passover seder held at the Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles in 1961 which was attended by, among others, Samuel Goldwyn, David Sarnoff, Adolph Zukor and Laurence Tisch.
B. A Passover seder hosted in 1953 by Dorothy Schiff at the Plaza Hotel in New York. Schiff, granddaughter of financier Jacob Schiff, was the owner and publisher of the New York Post. Guests included Caroline and Harry Frank Guggenheim, Marian and Jacob Javits, and actress Shelly Winters.
C. A community dinner held at Congregation Beth Sholom in Long Island’s Lawrence, New York in 1967. The Orthodox synagogue held the event a couple of weeks before Passover to raise money for Tomchei Shabbos of the Five Towns which provided free matzah and other Passover food for needy residents.
D. Comedian and actress Tiffany Haddish is half-Jewish through her father, an Eritrean Jew. In 2019 she celebrated her bat mitzvah prior to the release of her Netflix special, Black Mitzvah. Last week Haddish held a pre-Passover seder, including her Girls Trip co-stars Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, and Jada Pinkett Smith.
E. The news story was about the annual Lower East Side Passover Parade, in this case specifically referencing the 1904 event which some said outshone New York’s 5th Avenue Easter Parade.
Madison Cawthorn
Congressman Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina is in the news for his recent comments that he witnessed leaders in his party using cocaine, and that he had been invited to orgies by older prominent Republicans. Cawthorn has been a major supporter of President Donald Trump and Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Cawthorn spoke at Trump’s January 6 rally before the insurrection and he later said to a Republican Party group that “if our election systems continue to be rigged and continue to be stolen, then it’s going to lead to one place—and it’s bloodshed.” Cawthorn recently attended the American Friends of Lubavitch event honoring the 120th anniversary of the birth of the Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson. At that event Cawthorn referenced Queen Esther and quoted from Proverbs, and also stated that “it is the duty of America to help provide assistance and protect the nation of Israel because I truly believe you are the chosen people of God.” Cawthorn previously tweeted about a place he visited, saying, it “has been on my bucket list for a while, did not disappoint.” What place was he referencing?
Madison Cawthorn by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
A. The Western Wall in Jerusalem.
B. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC.
C. The North Carolina Museum of Art Judaic Art Gallery in Raleigh.
D. The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum in Poland.
E. Eagle’s Nest, which was Adolf Hitler’s vacation residence.
Will Smith
Will Smith remains in the headlines following his smack of comedian Chris Rock at the Academy Awards. Smith announced that he has resigned from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences as he awaits the Academy’s review of his actions and possible disciplinary measures. Smith was the winner of the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s 2009 Humanitarian Award. He has been to Israel on a number of occasions, most recently in 2017 when he was filming scenes for the movie Aladdin. On a trip in 2016 Smith referenced Israeli actress Gal Gadot when he said of Israeli women, “Those are all over Tel Aviv... Wonder Women everywhere.” Whom did Will Smith meet with in Israel on another visit to the country?
TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco 2019 - Day 1 by TechCrunch is licensed under CC BY 2.0
A. He met with Menachem Begin’s son Benny, and visited the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem. After watching a film about Begin and Anwar Sadat, Smith said, “Now I know what and who I want to be...someone who can reach across the aisle to my enemies and offer my hand in peace.”
B. He met with David Ben-Gurion’s grandson Yariv Ben-Eliezer, and visited the Ben-Gurion House in Tel Aviv. After watching a film about Ben-Gurion and the founding of Israel, Smith said, “Now I know what and who I want to be...an inspiration to my people as he was to his people.”
C. He met with Yitchak Rabin’s daughter Dalia, and visited the Yitchak Rabin Center in Tel Aviv. After watching a film about Rabin’s life, Smith said, “Now I know what and who I want to be...a soldier for peace.”
D. He met with Moshe Dayan’s daughter Yael, and visited the Moshe Dayan exhibit at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. After watching a film about Dayan and the Six Day War, Smith said, “Now I know what and who I want to be...a hero for my people.”
E. He met with Benjamin Netanyahu, and visited the jail cell that many Israelis expect to see Netanyahu living in. After the meeting, Smith said, “Now I know what and who I want to be...a man who is the leader of his people for most of his adult life and then goes on trial for doing some terrible things, whether it’s fraud, breach of trust, bribery, or simply slapping someone.”