Jewish Holidays

2. The shofar is a horn blown on Rosh Hashanah. Traditionally, the shofar is made from the horn of what animal?

• ram
  Correct! 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.
• bull
  Incorrect. 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.
• rhinocerus
  Incorrect. 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.

3. Which of these holidays is the Jewish "Day of Atonement"?

• Hanukkah
  Incorrect. 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.
• Yom Kippur
  Correct! 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.
• Sukkot
  Incorrect. 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.

4. Which of the following holidays requires Jews to fast?

• Hanukkah
  Incorrect. On Yom Kippur, Jews fast from sundown the night before (when the holiday actually starts) to sundown of that evening.
• Yom Kippur
  Correct! On Yom Kippur, Jews fast from sundown the night before (when the holiday actually starts) to sundown of that evening.
• Passover
  Incorrect. On Yom Kippur, Jews fast from sundown the night before (when the holiday actually starts) to sundown of that evening.

5. During which holiday do Jews eat matzah in the place of leavened bread?

• Tu Bishevat
  Incorrect. Matzah is unleavened bread which is eaten on Passover.
• Hanukkah
  Incorrect. Matzah is unleavened bread which is eaten on Passover.
• Passover
  Correct! Matzah is unleavened bread which is eaten on Passover.

6. Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is celebrated for how many days?

• 4
  Incorrect. 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.
• 8
  Correct! 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.
• 12
  Incorrect. 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.

7. Which of the following is not part of the Purim celebration?

• Dressing up in costume
  Incorrect. 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.
• Eating hamantaschen
  Incorrect. 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.
• Lighting a menorah
  Correct! 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.

8. The holiday Simchat Torah marks the completion of what?

• The annual cycle of the reading of the Torah1
  Correct! 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."
• The pyramids the Jews built for the Pharaoh in Egypt
  Incorrect. 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."
• The construction of the Temple in Jerusalem.
  Incorrect. 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."

9. 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?

• To represent the Temple in Jerusalem
  Correct! Sukkot, also known as the "Feast of Tabernacles," lasts for seven days.
• To represent the huts slept in during the harvesting season
  Incorrect. Sukkot, also known as the "Feast of Tabernacles," lasts for seven days.
• To represent the temporary shelters used while the Jews wandered through the desert
  Incorrect. Sukkot, also known as the "Feast of Tabernacles," lasts for seven days.

10. Shavuot commemorates the day when Moses received the Torah from God. On what mountain was he when this happened?

• Mt. Olympus
  Incorrect. 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.
• Mt. Ararat
  Incorrect. 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.
• Mt. Sinai
  Correct! 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.