The annual Latke-Hamantaschen debate, which originated at the University of Chicago in 1946, remains a lively and humorous tradition on college campuses, engaging prominent academics in arguments over whether latkes or hamantaschen are superior in Jewish cuisine.

In "Up in Smoke," Shalom Auslander humorously recounts a surreal encounter with an ultra-Orthodox rabbi who informs him that he is no longer considered Jewish due to his perceived irreverence and lack of observance.