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Last update - 19:50 10/05/2008 Hunt for kosher chicken causes headache for Apprentice 'Jewish' contestant By Sara Miller, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Sir Alan Sugar  A task to find a kosher chicken in Marrakech caused a stir on the BBC's version of The Apprentice this week, when the self-declared Jewish contestant headed straight for a halal butcher to procure the poultry. The luckless Michael Sophocles came in for a blasting from the competition's businessman overlord, Sir Alan Sugar, himself Jewish, who questioned Sophocles' religious background after the contestant said that he did not know the meaning of the word "l'chaim." "In your CV, what's the first thing you wrote on it?" Sugar demanded of Sophocles. "What did you say in there, you're a good Jewish boy? Is that right?" Advertisement Upon receiving an ambiguous response, Sugar told him: "If you're unsure you can always pull your trousers down and we can check." "Is it right you went to a Muslim halal butcher and asked him to get you a kosher chicken? and he actually made a prayer over it?" Sugar asked. When Sophocles replied in the affirmative, Sugar continued: "Are you having a laugh or what? I don't know why you didn't go the whole hog and find a Roman Catholic priest to take the butcher to confession." Sir Alan then asked Sophocles if he knew the meaning of "l'chaim" - a Hebrew expression meaning "to life," which is frequently used by Jews in toasts. Sophocles admitted that he did not know what the word meant, but did know "what the word schmuck means." Sugar's amazement at this gap in knowledge of Jewish custom elicited Sophocles' admission that he was in fact half-Jewish, which led Sugar to question the contestant whether he had included his religious background as "some kind of thing for me to sympathize with you, treat you a little bit differently." Sophocles denied the charge, and Sugar let the issue go as he continued to lambaste the team for their poor performance. Sophocles narrowly missed dismissal from the competition, whose prize is six-figure salary and a job in Sugar's organization, as task leader Jennifer Maguire was ousted. In the discussion Sugar had with his two associates prior to the final elimination, Sophocles was branded a "waste of space" by one, while the other marveled that even he, as a Catholic, knew what kosher was. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Animated massacre Animated Israeli film at Cannes explores Sabra and Shatila massacre. Kowtowing to funders When papers are sponsored, can their reporting be truly independent?   1.   This article never mentioned that he CROSSED himself in one scene 00:33  |  Alan 10/05/08   2.   Sounds as though the program should be thrown out with the scraps 01:38  |  Maureen Ann 10/05/08   3.   Chicken converts to Judiasm to attend Apprentice 05:58  |  Zev 10/05/08   4.   what`s the big deal? 06:36  |  Jeff 10/05/08   5.   Maureen Ann: Are you having a laugh? 09:09  |  DB 10/05/08   6.   Maureen Ann: Are you having a laugh? 09:16  |  DB 10/05/08   7.   #4 Jeff 09:17  |  Boycott 10/05/08   8.   No big deal 09:37  |  Palestinian Brit 10/05/08   9.   People saying "no big deal" probably didn`t watch it 12:25  |  Hannah 10/05/08   10.   #6DB No I am not laughing and I couldn`t care less... 12:28  |  Maureen Ann 10/05/08   11.   Palestine Brit, I love Arab food too; Libnan hummus and akbar 12:35  |  Yaakov Sullivan 10/05/08   12.   # 3 yes...but was the chicken actually willing to convert? 15:46  |  eric 10/05/08   13.   It sounds to me like the kid was right 15:51  |  MIKE 10/05/08   14.   #8 Palestinian Brit 16:43  |  * BEN JABO 10/05/08   15.   #13 MIKE 16:48  |  * BEN JABO 10/05/08   16.   Maureen Ann: Not having a laugh 17:37  |  DB 10/05/08   17.   Ben Jabo 17:41  |  Palestinian Brit 10/05/08   18.   He was a Jew wasn`t he? 17:44  |  Palestinian Brit 10/05/08   19.   Ben Jabo - It Makes no Difference Who Does the Slaughtering 18:56  |  MIKE 10/05/08   20.   I remember that episode. It was hilarious! Here are the CLIPS.... 19:40  |  JustMe 10/05/08   21.   Mike in NYC 19:45  |  rich 10/05/08   22.   Kosher chicken=organic, free range and humane treatment and death 20:04  |  Avram 10/05/08   23.   #18 He was not a Palestinian 20:07  |  Urani Diot 10/05/08   24.   #10 Maureen Ann if you care less... 20:12  |  A Choo! 10/05/08   25.   Mike #19 20:57  |  Physicist 10/05/08   26.   MIKE - as ignorant as the "good Jewish boy" 21:44  |  Hannah 10/05/08   27.   Physicist 22:05  |  MIKE 10/05/08   28.   Mike #27 23:24  |  Physicist 10/05/08   29.   Mike is WRONG! A Shochet(שוחטa) is a highly trained Pious Jew 00:37  |  Avram 11/05/08   30.   #17 Palestinian Brit 03:37  |  * BEN JABO 11/05/08   31.   #18 Palestinian Brit 03:42  |  * BEN JABO 11/05/08   32.   #19 MIKE - Of course you`re right 03:46  |  * BEN JABO 11/05/08   33.   Mike tell me - Let`s assume you`re Catholic 03:49  |  * BEN JABO 11/05/08   34.   #19-2 Mike 03:54  |  * BEN JABO 11/05/08   35.   Avram - You prove my point 04:14  |  MIKE 11/05/08   36.   MIKE is going to buy Dental & Medical Supplies 18:46  |  * BEN JABO 11/05/08   37.   Mike is 100% correct 08:11  |  leven5 14/05/08   38.   Palestinian Brit 21:59  |  danite 15/05/08   39.   As a secular muslim I hate Halal and Kausher 14:07  |  kia 16/05/08

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