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About This Quiz
Does a girl have a bar mitzvah? Is 'Hasidic' just another word for Orthodox? Delve into the traditions and terminology of this ancient, yet still vital, faith with our quiz!
Which day of the week is Shabbat?
Saturday
For Christians, the Sabbath is Sunday; for Jews, it's Saturday. But on one thing we can agree: We all hated Rebecca Black's "Friday" (Sorry, RB! Honestly, we know you were just 13!).
Sunday
whichever day the individual finds more convenient
The High Holy Days begin with Rosh Hashanah and end with ____________.
Tisha B'Av
Purim
Sukkot
Yom Kippur
The High Holy Days last for ten days. They are also called the "Days of Awe," referring to the fear of God and the remembrance of death.
One of the most important symbols of Rosh Hashanah is the shofar. What is a shofar?
a cup
a horn
A ram's horn (or that of another kosher animal) is blown at the beginning of services during Rosh Hashanah (except on the Sabbath). The powerful sound acknowledges God's dominion over the world and focuses the attention on prayer and repentance.
a plate
a tapestry
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Which of these is part of a traditional Yom Kippur meal?
gefilte fish
rugelach
unleavened bread
hey, that's a trick question!
While food and drink are central to many Jewish holidays, Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, is marked by fasting.
Which of these is NOT one of the three patriarchs?
Abraham
Adam
You could be forgiven for thinking Adam is one of the patriarchs: He's the father of us all in the Jewish (and Christian) tradition. But the patriarchs are Abraham and his son and grandson.
Isaac
Jacob
Which holiday celebrates the actions of people called the Maccabees?
Tisha B'Av
Hanukkah
The Maccabees were Hebrews who led a rebellion against the ruling Syrians in 175 BCE. Throwing out statues of Hellenic gods, they restored the Temple for the worship of YHWH. The most recognizable symbol of Hanukkah today is the menorah, a nine-armed candelabra on which the Hanukkah candles are lighted.
Sukkot
Simchat Torah
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Is Hanukkah considered to be a major or a minor holiday?
major
minor
Generally speaking, Hanukkah does not have the cultural relevance that Passover, Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur do. But because Hanukkah falls at the same time of year as Christmas, it's sometimes equated with that major Christian holiday, giving it extra prominence.
Does a girl have a bar mitzvah?
yes
no
yes, but it has a different name
A girl has a "bat mitzah." This celebration of approaching adulthood happens when the girl is 12 years old, whereas boys wait until they're thirteen.
Jews descended from Southern European or Near East ancestors are known as ________.
Ashkenazi
Essenes
Sadducees
Sephardim
Sephardim are Jews who trace their roots to Spain, Portugal, North Africa, and other nearby regions. The Sadducees and Essenes were sects, defined by their beliefs, not their geographic origins.
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Ashkenazi are Jews who trace their roots to where?
colonial north America
Germany and Eastern Europe
The Ashkenazi are from Germany and Eastern Europe (sometimes France). They gave the Jewish world the "mame loshen" or "mother tongue" of Yiddish.
Arabia and Egypt
the first residents of modern Israel
The word "Yiddish" refers to a ...
personality trait
language
Yiddish was the language of many central and eastern European Jews -- as distinct from Hebrew, the language of the Bible and religious observances. It has given loanwords to English, like "schmaltzy" (overly sentimental) and "schlemiel" (a hapless or foolish person).
sect
set of rules for behavior
Which of these is not a major branch of Judaism?
Orthodox
Reform
Reconstructionist
Revival
The four branches of Judaism are Orthodox, Reform, Reconstructionist and Conservative. Reconstructionism is the youngest movement, having grown out of Conservatism, but being less strict in its teachings.
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What does a Jewish groom step on at a wedding?
a footstool
the rabbi's foot
a tapestry
a wine glass
There are several explanations for this tradition. One says it reminds the assembled of the destruction of the Temple. Another says it reminds us that the world is broken and we must fix it.
A seder is the meal eaten on ___________.
Shabbat
Shavuot
Passover
It's estimated that more Jews in North America celebrate Passover than do Hanukkah. God's intervention in leading his people out of Egypt is highly meaningful, as are the rituals that commemorate it.
Rosh Hashanah
Which of these is a word for the first five books of the Bible?
Chumash
Pentateuch
Quintach
both #1 and #2
The first five books of the Bible are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. They have great significance to both the Jewish and Christian faiths.
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Pesach is the formal name for which holiday?
Hanukkah
the New Year
Passover
"Pesach" means Passover. One of the rituals of Pesach is getting rid of leavened bread and bread products; some families shut away these items in a special closet until after Passover, rather than literally disposing of them.
Sukkot
If someone gives you "gelt," is this a good thing?
yes
"Gelt" is the Yiddish term for money. If someone gave you "gelt," they might have literally given you money, or perhaps chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil as a Hanukkah gift.
no
The word for a Jewish divorce is a _____.
bet
get
While divorce is certainly not encouraged under Judaism, religious law provides for the dissolution of a marriage. In the Orthodox and Conservative branches, a legal divorce must be accompained by a get, so that the next marriage is not considered adulterous.
it's just called a divorce
divorce is not sanctioned under Judaism
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In which festival is drinking -- frankly, becoming inebriated -- encouraged?
Hanukkah
Purim
At Purim, one tradition is to drink until you don't remember if you're "cursing Haman or blessing Mordecai" (the villain and hero, respectively, of the Purim story). Purim celebrates the events of the book of Esther, a queen who saved her people through her beauty and cleverness.
Shavuot
drinking is bad -- always!
Jews perform shiva after what event?
the birth of a child
a divorce
a death
"Shiva" is the Hebrew word for "seven." Shiva, sometimes called "sitting shiva," begins on the day of burial and continues for seven days.
the day of atonement
If you are davening, what are you doing?
fasting
giving birth
praying
To "daven" is to recite prayers. You might not hear this term much outside Orthodox or Conservative homes.
mourning the dead
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If someone calls you a "maven," is this a compliment?
yes
A maven is a very knowledgeable person or an expert. It's one of the loanwords that Yiddish has given to English.
no
Is "Hasidic" a synonym for "Orthodox"?
yes
no
This is a common misconception. Hasids have a distinctive and traditional way of dressing, including their signature "earlocks," but not all Orthodox Jews are Hasidim. In fact, the Hasidic approach to Judaism is actually known for stressing the emotional side of faith, or the heart's relationship to God.
What is a shiksa?
a gentile female
The term "shiksa" was popular in the days of Borscht Belt comedians, who used it to refer to a sexy goy seductress, the girl who was fun but couldn't be taken home to Mother. You won't hear it as often nowadays.
a good deed
a prayer
a pastry
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Broadly speaking, a mitzah is a/an __________.
adult
commandment
A mitzvah (plural mitzvot) is a commandment, and Torah lays out 613 mitzvot that observant Jews should follow. The terms "bar mitzvah" and "bat mitzvah" mean a son or daughter of the commandment.
way of thinking
ritual purification
Does the word "kosher" only apply to food?
yes
no
Though gentiles most often think of "kosher" in relation to the Jewish dietary laws, it is a word generally meaning "clean" or "acceptable." Sex, too, can be kosher. meaning it is performed in ways prescribed by Torah.
What is a mikvah?
a bath
A mikvah is a ritual bath. In Orthodox Judaism, women visit the mikvah to cleanse themselves after they are finished menstruating. Biblical scholars have suggested that the bath which Bathsheba was taking on her rooftop, when King David saw her, was a mikvah.
a book
a fruit
a scroll
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A megillah is best defined as a ________.
citrus fruit
garment
law
scroll
Megillah is a Hebrew word for "scroll." The Esther story is referred to as "the megillah" and read in its entirety at Purim.
What is the name for a humanoid figure created by a learned man to do his bidding?
daimon
golem
According to legend, a learned man can shape a golem out of clay and give it life, though the golem is never fully human. Modern fantasy writers have used the idea of the golem in fiction, including TV shows like "The X-Files" and "Supernatural."
leviathan
orc
What is the name of the Jewish mystic tradition that has captivated celebrities like Madonna?
responsa
hasidism
kabbalah
Hasidism is also spiritual, but it was kabbalah that had a vogue among celebrities in the 2000s. Unfortunately, for the casual spiritual seeker, kabbalah study is meant to cap a longtime study of Torah overall. It's not entry-level.
mitnagdism
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The best translation of "Torah" is _______.
book
family
knowledge
law
Torah is considered the Law. The first five books of the Bible are equated with the Torah, followed by the prophets (Nevi'im) and the writings (Ketuvim).
Which book of the Bible does not mention God?
Exodus
Esther
The story of Esther provides some moral problems for modern readers. Esther submits to a beauty contest to become queen and conceals her Jewishness from the king. All of Haman's sons are later hanged, along with their father, for his plot against the Jews -- an outsized and gruesome fate.
Judges
Ruth
Which of these is NOT a book of the Hebrew Bible?
Acts
"Acts" or "Acts of the Apostles" is a book in the Christian Bible; more specifically, the New Testament. It's a faux pas to refer to books in the Hebrew Bible as part of "the Old Testament" -- there is no Old and New Testament in Jewish scripture.
Joshua
Judges
Job
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Is Lilith in the Bible?
yes
no
Lilith is part of Jewish mythology, appearing in the Talmud but not the Bible. She was the first wife of Adam, created from clay like him, not from one of his ribs.
You Got:
/35
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