Jewish Vocabulary Jewish Historical Figures Jewish Holy Writings

Jewish Vocabulary Jewish Historical Figures Jewish Holy Writings Miscellaneous 10 10 20 20 20 30 30 30 40 40 40 50 50 50 Jewish Holidays 10

Category 1 questions follow

Question Category 1 What is Rosh Hashanah (hashawna)? 10

Answer Rosh Hashanah is the celebration of the Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashanah is two days long, and it usually occurs during the month of September. Category 1 10

Question Category 1 What is Passover Seder? 20

Answer The Passover Seder is a Jewish ritual feast that marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. The seder meal consists of recited benedictions and explanations, wine, and symbolic foods. Eating, drinking, and other rituals occur at specified intervals. Category 1 20

Question Category 1 What is Yom Kippur (kip-pour)? 30

Answer Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Yom Kippur falls 10 days after Rosh Hashanah. Category 1 30

Question Category 1 What is Passover? 40

Answer Passover is a spring holiday commemorating the Exodus, one the most important events in the history of Judaism and an important foundation for all Jewish beliefs. Category 1 40

Question Category 1 What is Hanukkah? 50

Answer Hanukkah commemorates a post-biblical event: the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrian-Greek rulers of Jerusalem and the subsequent rededication of the Temple in 164 BC. Category 1 50

Category 2 questions follow

Question Category 2 What is a phylactery? 10

Answer One of two small, square leather boxes containing slips inscribed with Scripture passages, traditionally worn on the left arm and forehead by Jewish men during weekday morning prayers. Category 2 10

Question What is Haggadah? 20

Answer The book containing the story of the Exodus and the ritual of the Seder, read at the Passover Seder. Category 2 20

Question Category 2 What does the ark in the synagogue contain? 30

Answer Category 2 The ark holds the Torah scrolls. 30

Question Category 2 What is a bar mitzvah? 40

Answer A boy who has reached the age of 13 and is thereafter expected to obey the commandments. Term also used for the ceremony marking this occasion. Category 2 40

Question Category 2 What is matzah? 50

Answer Unleaved (non-yeast) bread used during Passover, in which the Israelites fled Egypt with only unleavened bread because they could not wait for the dough to rise. Category 2 50

Category 3 questions follow

Question Category 3 Who was Abraham? 10

Answer Abraham was the founder of Judaism. From the time Abraham was born he only believed in one God. Category 3 10

Question Category 3 Who was Moses? 20

Answer Moses was a Jew born and raised in Egypt. As an adult, God told Moses to lead the Jews out of Egypt and Moses obeyed God's orders. God gave Moses the Ten Commandments which became the basis of civil and religious laws in the Jewish faith. Category 3 20

Question Category 3 Who was Solomon? 30

Answer Solomon was the son of King David and built the Great Temple, where people could worship God. Category 3 30

Question Category 3 Who was David? 40

Answer David was the first king of Jerusalem. He established Jerusalem as the capital of the nation, as well as the place where the Ark of the Covenant was Category 3 40

Question Category 3 Who was Isaiah? 50

Answer Isaiah is widely regarded as one of the greatest prophets of the Bible. His name means “YHWH (the LORD) is salvation. ” He lived in Jerusalem and the prophecies God gave him were directed toward Israel, Judah and other nations. Category 3 50

Category 4 questions follow

Question Category 4 What is the Torah? 10

Answer The Law in Hebrew. The first five books of the Jewish Bible. Also known as the Five Books of Moses or the Pentateuch. Category 4 10

Question Category 4 What is the Tanakh? 20

Answer Jewish sacred text whose name is an acronym of Torah, Nebi'im and Ketuvim (Law, Prophets and Writings). It consists of the same books as the Christian Old Testament, although in a slightly different order and with other minor differences. Category 4 20

Question Category 4 What is the Talmud? 30

Answer A collection of rabbinical writings that interpret, explain and apply the Torah scriptures. Orthodox Jews believe it was revealed to Moses along with the Torah and preserved orally until it was written down. The Talmud is thus known as the "Oral Torah“. Category 4 30

Question Category 4 What is midrash? 40

Answer A large body of rabbinical material derived primary from sermons (the Hebrew word for "sermon" is d'rash). Category 4 40

Question Category 4 What is the Septuagint? 50

Answer An ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible dating to before the time of Jesus. Category 4 50

Category 5 questions follow

Question Category 5 What is a synagogue? 10

Answer The synagogue is the Jewish place of worship, but is also used as a place to study, and often as a community centre as well. Category 5 10

Question Category 5 What is the idea of the Messiah in Judaism? 20

Answer The idea of mashiach (messiah) is an ancient one in Judaism. The Jewish idea of mashiach is a great human leader like King David, not a savior. Category 5 20

Question Category 5 What is a rabbi? 30

Answer A teacher and decider of matters of religious law. Category 5 30

Question Category 5 What is Shabbat? 40

Answer The Jewish Sabbath. It is the seventh day of the Jewish week and is the day of rest and abstention from work as commanded by God. Category 5 40

Question Category 5 Who is Yahweh? 50

Answer The Hebrew name for God, whose name was revealed to Moses as four Hebrew consonants (YHWH) called the tetragrammaton. Category 5 50