Judaism is one of the oldest monotheistic religions in the world and has a rich cultural and historical heritage. It originated in the Middle East over 3,000 years ago and today, there are over 14 million Jews worldwide. The central text of Judaism is the Torah, which contains the laws and teachings that guide Jewish beliefs and practices.
Judaism places great emphasis on the importance of family, community, and ethical behavior. Jewish holidays such as Hanukkah, Passover, and Rosh Hashanah are celebrated with prayers, rituals, and feasts. The Jewish people also follow dietary laws, known as kosher laws, which regulate what foods can and cannot be consumed.
Judaism has been shaped and influenced by events throughout history, including the Babylonian Exile, the Roman Empire, and the Holocaust. Despite these challenges, the Jewish people have maintained their traditions and beliefs and have made significant contributions to the world in fields such as science, literature, and politics. Today, Judaism continues to play an important role in the lives of millions of people and continues to evolve and adapt to changing times and circumstances.
22 Judaism Trivia Questions Ranked From Easiest to Hardest (Updated for 2024)
- Located at 263 Prinsengracht in Amsterdam is the house where what wartime Jewish diarist hid with her family from Nazi persecution?
Answer: Anne Frank
- The celebration of Passover commemorates the Exodus of the Jewish people from the pharaoh’s subjugation in which ancient land?
Answer: Egypt
- What "seafaring" sandwich of pastrami, knackwurst, Swiss cheese, and hot mustard on rye bread was invented in Richmond's Jewish delis?
Answer: Sailor Sandwich
- A bar mitzvah, literally meaning "son of the commandment," is traditionally celebrated when Jewish males turn what age?
Answer: 13
- The oil was only supposed to last one night, however the oil in the Temple lasted how many nights leading Jews to celebrate Hanukkah for that period of time?
Answer: Eight
- E.Y. Harburg was a successful Jewish-American lyricist of the first half of the twentieth century, who wrote the lyrics to “Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?” and all the songs from “The Wizard Of Oz.” He was better known by what three letter nickname, also the bark a small dog makes?
Answer: Yip
- Chametz are foods with leavening agents that are forbidden on which Jewish holiday that celebrates the exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt?
Answer: Passover
- What "K" man served as the Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under the presidential administrations of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford? He was a Jewish refugee who fled Nazi Germany with his family in 1938, and he later received a controversial Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 after negotiating a ceasefire in Vietnam.
Answer: Henry Kissinger
- What holiest day of the Jewish year focuses on atonement with a fast, confession, and prayer? It lent its name to an armed conflict between Israel and a coalition of Egypt and Syria in 1973.
Answer: Yom Kippur
- Literally meaning “head of the year”, what three day holiday celebrates the Jewish New Year? In English it is sometimes referred to as the Feast of Trumpets.
Answer: Rosh Hashanah
- Located in Los Angeles, Beth Chayim Chadashim became the first LGBT place of worship for followers of which religion when it opened in 1972?
Answer: Judaism
- A historic Cincinnati synagogue, designed after the famous Alhambra in Granada, Spain, is named for what influential rabbi, one of the founders of Reform Judaism?
Answer: Isaac M. Wise
- Also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, what week-long Jewish holiday starts five days after Yom Kippur and involves dwelling in a foliage-covered booth?
Answer: Sukkot
- In the Bible, what four-letter name for the City of David is today used by people who support the existence of a Jewish state?
Answer: Zion
- What title character of a Bible book, the wife of King Ahasuerus, foils the plot of the king's evil adviser Haman to murder the Jewish people?
Answer: Esther
- A museum in Kaunas, Lithuania, features artistic depictions of what “D” chief evil spirit in Christian and Jewish philosophy, a classification of Satan?
Answer: Devils Museum
- What speculative novel by Michael Chabon imagines what a modern-day Sitka would look like if a plan to resettle Jewish refugees there after World War II had actually taken place?
Answer: The Yiddish Policemen's Union
- What word of Romanian origin refers to the highly seasoned smoked beef, typically served in thin slices, that is associated with Jewish cuisine?
Answer: Pastrami
- Gribenes, a delicacy from Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine, are made from the solid material that remains when rendering the fat of a goose (or chicken). What English word is usually used for this type of crispy meat snack?
Answer: Cracklings
- What celebratory Jewish festival, which celebrates the victory of Esther and her cousin Mordecai over the royal vizier Haman, is based on a story told in the Book of Esther?
Answer: Purim
- What seven-letter word means an Orthodox rabbinical seminary, and is also sometimes used to describe Jewish day schools providing both secular and religious instruction?
Answer: Yeshiva
- The Jewish holiday Purim commemorates the Jewish people being saved from what Achaemenid Persian Empire official who had planned to kill all Jews?
Answer: Haman
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About the Author
Eli Robinson is the Chief Trivia Officer at Water Cooler Trivia. He was once in a Bruce Springsteen cover band called F Street Band.
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