Jewish Holidays Quiz
The shofar is a horn blown on Rosh Hashanah. Traditionally, the shofar is made from the horn of what animal?
- The shofar is blown during Rosh Hashanah and at the end of Yom Kippur. It's made from a ram's horn to symbolize the ram that Abraham sacrificed instead of his son Isaac.
Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is celebrated for how many days?
- Every synagogue has an eternal lamp which symbolizes the commandment to keep a light burning in the Tabernacle outside of the curtain surrounding the Ark of the Covenant. When the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Selucid Greeks, the eternal lamp was extinguished. When the Jews relit it, they thought they only had enough oil to last for one day, but miraculously it lasted for eight days. Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days to commemorate this miracle.
Which of these holidays is the Jewish "Day of Atonement"?
- Yom Kippur occurs on the 10th day of Tishri (nine days after Rosh Hashanah begins). The days between these two holidays are called the Days of Awe. During this time Jews are supposed to consider the sins of the previous year and repent.
Which of the following is not part of the Purim celebration?
- On Purim, Jews dress up in costume and listen to a reading of the Megillah (Scroll of Esther). Hamantaschen are triangular-shaped cookies with a fruit or poppy-seed filling. The word hamantaschen means "Haman's pockets" in German, yet there is a debate whether hamantaschen are meant to represent Haman's pockets or his triangular hat. Haman plotted to kill the Jews of Persia, though in the end, he was hanged.
Which of the following holidays is the Jewish New Year?
- In Hebrew, the word Rosh means "head" and Hashanah means "the year." The Jewish New Year begins on the first day of Tishri, which usually occurs in September.
On Sukkot, Jews build a temporary hut called a sukkah, in which they may eat or sleep. Which of the following is NOT a reason Jews build a sukkah?
- Sukkot, also known as the "Feast of Tabernacles," lasts for seven days.
The holiday Simchat Torah marks the completion of what?
- Portions of the Torah are read every week, and the entire Torah is completed in one year—on Simchat Torah. The holiday is celebrated by reading the last portion of the Torah and then immediately reading the first portion. This is to remind the Jews that the Torah is a circle and never ends. It is also customary to sing and dance with the Torah. Simchat Torah translates to mean "Rejoicing in the Torah."
Shavuot commemorates the day when Moses received the Torah from God. On what mountain was he when this happened?
- In the Torah there are actually 613 commandments by which Jews are to live. Moses actually received the entire Torah from God on Mt. Sinai.
Which of the following holidays requires Jews to fast?
- On Yom Kippur, Jews fast from sundown the night before (when the holiday actually starts) to sundown of that evening.
During which holiday do Jews eat matzah in the place of leavened bread?
- Matzah is unleavened bread which is eaten on Passover.
