The Netanyahus: An Account of a Minor and Ultimately Even Negligible Episode in the History of a Very Famous Family

Ruben and Ben-Zion are walking in the snow following the interview. Ben-Zion compares Ruben to the quintessential Court Jew. He says he doesn’t care whether Ruben decides to hire him, but he does ask Ruben to make sure he gets paid for his subsequent lecture.

At the Corbindale Inn, they discover that the reservation for Ben-Zion’s room has been canceled. They find their wives waiting in the taproom. Edith is furious with Tzila because she canceled the room when the hotel wouldn’t give them a second room because they are overbooked, and then decided she and her family would stay with the Blums. Tzila also decided that Judy would watch the boys free of charge.

Soon, the others from the committee show up at the hotel. They talk about sports. Dr. Morse has Ruben check his introduction for the lecture. He has simply used Ben-Zion’s cover letter, slightly altered. They have dinner together and then head off to the lecture hall.

Ben-Zion begins his lecture. He begins with a brief introduction to Jewish history in Medieval Iberia. Ruben summarizes his thesis: For the first time in history the Jews came to be seen as a race rather than a religion.