If this really is a genuine matzo-ball-soup emergency — and I sense from your tone that it is — I have some bad news for you. I’ve lived here more than seven years, and I’ve yet to find a local restaurant that makes matzo ball soup.

As someone who found out he has many Jewish ancestors, where would you start your quest to find out more about your heritage?

For those of you just tuning in: In June of 2016, I wrote an affectionate ode to the phenomenon of rapping clergy. In that piece, I focused the majority of my attention on a music video titled “Rabbi Sid, The Rappin’ Rabbi.” Little did I know that the grandson of Jerry Glantz, who played Rabbi Sid, would contact me in November of the same year and offer to tell me all about his zaida (Yiddish for grandfather).

“’What is one principle related to faith and/or ethical or moral values that is particularly important to you in your work as a public servant?’

I can tell you that in my experience, most Jewish people who wear a chai, a Star of David, or both (some folks alternate between the two) see them as identifiers that tell the world: “I am Jewish” (and, presumably, “I am proud of being Jewish”).

It is possible to find sources from a Muslim perspective that claim the Torah makes reference to Muhammad. However, after an admittedly brief bit of online research, I found it difficult to locate a highly reputable source — e.g., an article by a recognized scholar published in a respected, peer-reviewed journal — asserting this idea.