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(JTA) — Essentially the most notable message Melissa Klapper acquired throughout her four-night run this week on “Jeopardy!” didn’t come as a result of the Jewish research scholar was unable to reply a query about Yom Kippur. It additionally wasn’t an unkind word from a game-show stickler who believed she’d gotten credit score for a mistaken response.
As an alternative, it was an e mail from a previous scholar who acknowledged herself within the story Klapper informed as a part of her self-introductory stage banter — a staple of the sport present. Klapper, who teaches historical past at Rowan College in New Jersey, described accusing a scholar of getting plagiarized her paper.
The scholar then replied, Klapper recalled, that she “didn’t know [it] was plagiarized when she purchased it.” The anecdote yielded laughs from host Ken Jennings and the 2 co-contestants whom Klapper later defeated to notch her third win.
After the episode aired Wednesday night time, Klapper heard from the previous scholar, whose title she had beforehand forgotten.
“She watches ‘Jeopardy!’ and when she was watching that interview, she thought to herself, that is about me,” Klapper informed the Jewish Telegraphic Company. “And she or he wrote to me to apologize. She’s a instructor now and, I believe, is extra understanding of why what she did was actually not good. And I actually appreciated it. It was type of courageous of her to get in contact with me in any case these years.”
The expertise was a becoming spotlight of Klapper’s run on the present, which ended Thursday with a third-place end and whole winnings of $60,100. She stated it was her coaching as an educator — not her training in Trendy Orthodox faculties or her scholarship on Jewish ladies, immigrant kids and extra — that ready her for fulfillment on the present.
“I’m up in entrance of individuals on a regular basis,” stated Klapper, who’s energetic within the Affiliation for Jewish Research and whose most up-to-date e book, “Ballet Class: An American Historical past,” was revealed in 2020. “I don’t have stage fright.”
Klapper spoke with JTA about her Jewish background, her analysis pursuits and the way her most religiously observant associates managed to observe her on TV.
This interview has been condensed and calmly edited for readability.
JTA: First, I’ve to ask: Final night time, did you find yourself with $1,800 on function? That’s a really Jewish quantity.
Klapper: No! That’s so humorous. It didn’t even happen to me.
How are you feeling this morning? Any preliminary reflections in your look now that it’s over?
These exhibits had been recorded in January, so I’ve had time to come back to peace with what occurred. I used to be disenchanted to not win one other sport — or two. However Alec, the man who gained final night time, was simply unstoppable on the buzzer. Realizing the solutions shouldn’t be sufficient to do nicely in “Jeopardy!” You additionally must have good hand-eye coordination, which I don’t. I might say I knew the overwhelming majority of solutions however I typically simply couldn’t get the buzzer in time. As soon as I knew I used to be going to be on the present, I did form of sit at dwelling and observe with a ballpoint pen, but it surely’s not the identical.
I’ll say the truth that I couldn’t be quick sufficient to reply the Yom Kippur clue was fairly irritating. [The clue was about a Jon Stewart quip about the Jewish day of atonement.] And I heard about that — I acquired quite a lot of enjoyable teasing from a few of my Jewish associates who had been sending me useful emails with hyperlinks to the dictionary.com definition of Yom Kippur.
Are you able to share a bit bit about your relationship with “Jeopardy!”, the way you got here to be on the present and your basic reflection about your expertise?
I grew up in a family the place we watched “Jeopardy!” once I was child. We had a “Jeopardy!” board sport that I might play with my dad and mom and my sister and I truly tried out for the teenager event once I was in highschool. These had been the times that you simply needed to go in individual, so my dad and mom very kindly drove me into D.C. once we heard that there can be a tryout. I didn’t get previous the primary spherical — I didn’t know something about sports activities, and I nonetheless don’t know that a lot, though I answered a shocking variety of sports activities questions.
In the previous few years I began to observe extra frequently and it occurred to me, , I actually assume I may do OK on this present. I made it into the contestant pool the primary time I took the web check, however I didn’t get referred to as. The day after my 18 months [in the pool] ended, I began the method once more, however I form of assumed I might by no means hear from them once more — particularly as a result of they requested you to write down down dates when you’ll be able to’t come and I needed to write that I used to be not out there through the semester — and, oh, additionally on Jewish holidays. However they referred to as me for winter break.
They document 5 exhibits in a day, and all of mine had been on someday. There’s about 10 minutes between exhibits while you change your high and might have a drink after which go proper again onstage. It was simply — actually, it was all a blur. Should you’d requested me originally of this week what any of the classes had been I might have been very hard-pressed to inform you.
You bought some clues that appeared ready-made for a Jewish contestant akin to one about Philip Roth’s “Portnoy’s Criticism” and one other about Jack Antonoff, the Jewish musician and producer. What’s your Jewish background like and had been there moments the place you felt like that gave you some type of benefit?
Now I reside in Decrease Merion, Pennsylvania, which has a big observant Jewish neighborhood. My husband and I belong to a Trendy Orthodox synagogue and we’re concerned in a partnership minyan, Lechu Neranena.
I went to Jewish day faculty my complete life, kindergarten by way of twelfth grade, first at Akiba Academy of Dallas after which Bais Yaakov of Baltimore, which was the one ladies highschool and the place I acquired a really stable training and was inspired to pursue my mental ambitions. I went to Israel proper after highschool earlier than I began faculty. So I’ve a really intensive Jewish academic background, and all through my training and all the faculties that I went to, I discovered quite a lot of encouragement for my innate nerdiness.
So I’m unsure I may draw a direct line, however what I’ll say is that within the Jewish academic setting I grew up in, matched by an especially Jewish conventional dwelling, there was simply an enormous, huge worth on studying and books and studying, and I believe that makes a distinction.
I’ll say I don’t assume I knew about Jack Antonoff as a result of he’s Jewish — I knew him due to Taylor Swift.
Had been there Jewish highlights of your expertise, both on the present or behind the scenes?
They don’t pay so that you can exit to L.A. You’re accountable for your individual journey, however they do present lunch. I requested if it will be potential to get me a kosher lunch, they usually instantly stated sure, which I appreciated. There was no query or forwards and backwards about it. I acquired a salad with a ton of protein that would take me by way of the day.
After which it is a little humorous, however I’ve associates from throughout the spectrum of Jewish observe, or lack thereof. A few of my extra historically observant associates don’t personal TVs and wouldn’t have TVs of their homes — however they’ve been watching the present on YouTube day by day as a result of they don’t have any different solution to watch.
Your scholarship in American historical past and Jewish research has been wide-ranging, and also you’ve written books about American Jewish ladies’s activism, American Jewish girlhood and, most just lately, ballet. How did your work as a scholar and a instructor put together you in your look or dovetail with it?
I’m a instructor. I’m up in entrance of individuals on a regular basis. I don’t have stage fright. I give quite a lot of public talks of varied sorts, in tutorial venues or neighborhood settings. And so I didn’t have any issues talking or speaking to Ken [Jennings] through the brief interview interval — that’s not an issue for me. And for some contestants, it truly is. They’re not used to simply talking in public in any respect like that. My skilled background ready me very nicely.
I’ve to ask in regards to the large controversy. [Some viewers believed Klapper offered “Gregor” rather than “McGregor” as the response to a clue about the actor Ewan McGregor.] What did you make of that, and what do you assume it means for the “Jeopardy!” viewership to have such depth of ardour that they referee a professionally refereed present?
First, it’s not an argument. It’s clear to everybody that I stated McGregor on stage, together with to my co-contestants who’ve spoken about this. There shouldn’t have been and there shouldn’t be any controversy.
That stated, I don’t personally form of take part in any type of fandom, so the best way that this form of took off is a bit alien to me. However I do know not simply within the “Jeopardy!” neighborhood persons are actually, I assume, simply very invested. It’s exhausting for me to clarify.
Has the response been exhausting for you?
I’m positive that everybody who seems on “Jeopardy!” will get some nasty emails as a result of sadly fandom could be vicious and I’m very simple to search out. However I do know that ladies who’re on “Jeopardy!”, particularly ladies who do nicely, actually could be focused. And I do assume that’s a part of what occurred. A number of the — many of the emails I acquired from strangers had been extraordinarily good and optimistic and, , full of fine needs. And I appreciated that, however I additionally acquired some actually misogynistic, nasty gendered messages.
It’s disappointing as a result of in my thoughts the “Jeopardy!” neighborhood is likely one of the final good areas that exists. I’ve talked about that with different contestants over time, who’ve stated it’s a congenial area. And I’ve requested them — and now I’ll ask you — what do you assume the Jewish neighborhood can study from the “Jeopardy!” neighborhood?
As a historian, it’s form of not in my nature to touch upon the modern Jewish neighborhood. I do assume there are shared values round data and training.
I do assume there’s a pleasant neighborhood of contestants. Although we had been all one another’s opponents, all people was simply actually pleasant and inspiring. It’d be good if all communities would simply be like that.
You train ladies’s and gender research. You talked about one large gender dynamic associated to being a “Jeopardy!” contestant. Had been there others, or different connections to your scholarship, that jumped out throughout your time as a contestant?
Not a lot gender, however my present analysis undertaking is about American Jewish ladies who traveled overseas between the Civil Battle and World Battle II. It’s a analysis curiosity — I seen as I used to be engaged on all my different initiatives that the Jewish women and girls I used to be writing about traveled rather a lot, far more than you’ll anticipate for the late 1800s and early 1900s — but it surely’s additionally as a result of I like to journey myself. And that’s one other solution to study. There have been positively questions on “Jeopardy!” that I knew as a result of I’ve been there — like in regards to the sculpture within the harbor in Copenhagen of the Little Mermaid. I assumed: I’ve been there and I’ve seen that.
So that you like touring and also you simply gained a bit over $60,000. Do you will have any particular plans for the winnings?
Nicely, first, I’ll must take care of the IRS. I’m concerned with a bunch of various charities and so I’ll actually be giving a few of this cash to them. And my husband and I have already got our large journey for the 12 months deliberate in Could — to the north of England, to Newcastle and Hadrian’s Wall — and so we’re going to improve some elements of that have a bit bit.
After which let’s return to the coed who reached out to you. What do make of that?
No matter they’re instructing, academics actually matter, for higher or for worse, and that’s the place my actual influence is. I train quite a lot of college students quite a lot of various things and I actually worth my relationship with them. And because it says in Proverbs, proper, I’ve discovered rather a lot from my college students, identical to I hope they discovered from me. Seeing how excited a few of my college students have been this week, I do assume that, in a approach, being on “Jeopardy!” was form of a part of my instructing observe and that it simply exhibits, once more, this worth of training and data. Sure, it’s trivia, however nonetheless it simply makes you a better-rounded individual. And it was good to have the ability to exhibit that.
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