American education was like the story that David’s old friend Lee Shulman told about a rabbi mediating a dispute between two men over the ownership of a chicken. After the first man explained why the chicken was his, Lee said in a talk recounting the story, “the rabbi nodded sagely and stated, ‘You are right. The chicken is yours.’ ” When the second man gave his testimony, the rabbi nodded again. “You are correct. The chicken must be yours,” he said. Confused, the rabbi’s wife spoke up. “My dear, it is impossible for this one to be right, and that one too,” she said. “That’s correct,” the
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