By Laura Seymour

Dear Families,
How about a little Jewish trivia to play at the dinner table? Asking questions is a Jewish thing — we are known to answer a question with a question. Trivia gives us the opportunity to test our knowledge of Jewish details. After you can answer these, make up your own — get deeper than one-word answers. Try to stump your family members. After Purim, I am still hearing our preschoolers talk about Zeresh (do you know who that is?) — they will definitely win the Jewish trivia contest! Good luck!
1. Which holiday celebrates the Jewish New Year?
2. With which “helper candle” do you light the other candles on a Chanukah menorah?
3. In which garden did Adam and Eve live?
4. According to the story in the Book of Genesis, how many days did it take G-d to create the world?
5. Which prophet was swallowed by a large fish?
6. Who was the young shepherd who killed a giant named Goliath?
7. To whom did G-d speak from a burning bush?
8. What was the departure of Moses and the Israelites from Egypt called?
9. Which holiday comes from the Hebrew word meaning “booths” or “huts”?
10. Where did Moses receive the Ten Commandments?
11. Who had his hair cut by Delilah while he slept?
12. Who was given a coat of many colors by his father, Jacob?
13. What was the name of Adam and Eve’s third son?
14. What do you call the pointer used to read the Torah?
15. In English, what is the first word of the Sh’ma?
16. What word is said after a blessing?
17. Who was Moses’ sister?
18. Near the end of the Passover seder, for whom is a door opened?
19. How many stars must appear in the sky as a sign that Shabbat has ended?
20. What is the first book in the Torah?
21. What is the Hebrew word for charity?
22. What does the word “rabbi” mean?
23. In the Book of Genesis, whose wife turned into a pillar of salt?
24. What is the word for the seven days of mourning after a funeral?
25. What is the Hebrew name given to a Jewish prayer book?
26. What is the Hebrew word for the canopy used in marriage ceremonies?
27. What does the word Havdallah mean?
28. Which holiday is known as “The Feast of Weeks” and comes seven weeks after Passover?
29. Who was Abraham’s wife and Isaac’s mother?
30. On which Jewish holiday do people plant trees?
31. The ancient walls of which city fell down when Joshua shouted and people blew shofars?
32. Which person in the Bible was also known as Israel?
33. Who succeeded Moses and led the Jewish people back to Canaan?
34. What are the two official languages of Israel?
35. Which book of the Bible is read during Shavuot?
36. What other name was Esther known by?
37. What is Israel’s basic unit of money?
38. What was the name of Moses’ wife?
39. How many daughters did Jacob have?
40. What was the language spoken by many Eastern European Jews?
Laura Seymour is director of camping services and Jewish life and learning at the Jewish Community Center of Dallas.