What’s With the Two Dishwashers?

Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
SHORT, SERIOUS ANSWER: “Having two sets of dishes and two dishwashers keeps anything that touches meat and milk products separate.”
MORE EFFECTIVE RETORT: “There’s a part of me that wonders about it too, and yeah it was an extra $400 for a dishwasher, but the world is not going to end. Some people buy shoes for twice that much.” Nemko believes even conversations that begin with a strange assertion can build bridges; in this case respectfully and humorously pointing out that everyone makes buying choices that seem bizarre to others.
CONCISE RETORT: It’s like two months of cable. “No big deal.”
We have left out the obvious: answering with a question. You know the joke: A man asks his rabbi: “Why do Jews always answer a question with a question?” The rabbi answers: “Do we?”
Nemko’s version goes something like this: “Is there a practical reason for Easter egg hunts at this point?”
Do you have any stupid questions and/or smart answers to share? If so, let us know.
Amy Atkins Sawyer is a bicoastal print and video journalist.
Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
