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Passover Seder Trivia -- 5786 / 2026 edition

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At our synagogue's congregational seders for the last several years, we have played the following game: I have collected unusual Pesach stories, and shared three such stories with the community: two true stories, and one fictional story. Participants then have to guess which two stories are true and which one is false. (If you listen to Wait, wait, don't tell me, you get the idea, except that only one story is false.) You can see previous editions of this game here http://rabbischeinberg.blogspot.com/search?q=trivia . This is what was presented at our congregational seder in 2025. Two stories are true; one is fictional. Answers at the bottom!  (Note:  All photos were created by AI, so the photos will not help you determine which questions are true or false.)  STORY  #1: You can find Israeli tourists almost anywhere in the world, as well as businesses that provide for the needs of Israeli tourists.  Take, for example, Moshe Abutbul and his cousin Yaniv Cohen....
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“Polarization, conflict…. and dishwashers” (1st day of Rosh HaShanah, 5786 / 2025)

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  “Polarization, conflict…. and dishwashers” Rabbi Robert Scheinberg, Ph.D. 1st day of Rosh HaShanah, 5786 / 2025 United Synagogue of Hoboken, NJ “In every relationship, there’s one person who loads the dishwasher like a Scandinavian architect, and one person who loads it like a rabid raccoon.”  This is, believe it or not, a quotation from one of the more fascinating and provocative articles I read this year.  It was about dishwashers and their role in couple and family conflict.  (In case you’re wondering, in my family I’m the raccoon.)  A pparently, this saying resonates in part because of how couples counselors report that a surprising amount of tension and conflict emanates from disagreements about how to load the dishwasher. Including:  Who does it and when?  What goes in the top, what goes in the bottom?  What direction do items face? How do you do cutlery - up or down?  How empty is too empty, and how full is too full?  Does it ...
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