Holidays1
What does "רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה" literally mean?
"Head of the Year."
When do all Jewish holidays begin?
At sundown/ at night. Jewish "days" start at night.
What is the name of the first book and first parsha ("portion") of the תּוֹרָה? Bonus: what does it mean?
בְּרֵאשִׁית
"in the beginning"
What does the "chatzi" of "Chatzi Kaddish" mean? Bonus: what language is this prayer in?
"Chatzi" means half. This is the shorter version of the Kaddish. Bonus: the Kaddish is in Aramaic, though written in Hebrew letters.
שָׁבוּעַ
sha-voo-ah (week)
What are the four Hebrew letters on the dreidel and what do they stand for? Bonus: what are they in Israel?
נֵס גָּדוֹל הָיָה שָׁם נ,ג,ה,שׁ
nes gadol haya sham ("a great miracle happened there")
נֵס גָּדוֹל הָיָה פֹּה נ,ג,ה,פּ
nes gadol haya po ("a great miracle happened here")
What is the name for the service that separates שַׁבָּת from the rest of the week?
הַבְדָּלָה
What are the names of the three patriarchs and four matriarchs? Bonus points in you get them in order.
Patriarchs: אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק יַעֲקב
Matriarchs: שָׂרָה רִבְקָה לֵאָה רָחֵל
Recite the prayer said over wine.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן
פָלָאפֶל
falafel
What is the name of the holiday on which we finish reading the תּוֹרָה for the year and immediately begin reading it again?
שִׂמְחַת תּוֹרָה
Name three of the main characters in the פּוּרִים story.
Bonus: what is the name of the scroll from which we read the פּוּרִים story?
Queen Esther, Mordechai, Ahaseurus, Haman
Vashti is also acceptable.
Bonus: מְגִלַּת אֶסְתֵּר
How do the Israelites end up in Egypt at the end of the first book/ beginning of the second book of the תּוֹרָה?
Through יוֹסֵף. His brothers sell him into slavery and he's taken to Egypt, where he ends up first in prison, and then in a high position in the Pharaoh's household because of his ability to interpret dreams. When his brothers come to get food for their families, they're reunited with יוֹסֵף and he invites them to come to Egypt with their father and wives and children.
"Modeh ani" is a prayer said upon waking, thank God for returning our souls to our bodies. How is it said differently if you're a woman?
It's "modAh ani", not "modEh ani."
סִפְרִיָה
seef-ree-ah (library)
How many days do we count the עֹמֶר? Bonus: what are we counting between?
49 days of the Omer. We're counting between the second day of פֶסַח (when the Israelites left Egpyt) and שָׁבוּעוֹת, when the Israelites received the תּוֹרָה.
What is the Hebrew word that's often translated as "repentance," though it really means "to return"? It's something we're supposed to do between רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה and יוֹם כִּפּוּר.
Teshuvah (תְּשׁוּבָה). it represents a return to God, one's true self, or the right path, rather than just repentance or guilt. It is a 4-step process of repairing one's relationship with God: regret, stopping the sin, confession, and resolving not to sin again
Who does מֹשֶׁה bring with him to speak to Pharaoh? Bonus: why?
He brings his brother, אַהֲרֹן.
Bonus: Because he is said to be "heavy of tongue," which the rabbis interpret as a speech impediment.
Chant the V'ahavta.
וְאָהַבְתָּ, אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁךָ, וּבְכָל-מְאֹדֶךָ. וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם--עַל-לְבָבֶךָ. וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ, וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם, בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ, וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ. וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת, עַל-יָדֶךָ; וְהָיוּ לְטֹטָפֹת, בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ. וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל-מְזֻזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ, וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָ.
מִכְנָסַיִים
meech-na-sa-yeem (pants)
Which three holidays are known as the three "pilgrimage" festivals, or shalosh regalim?
סֻכּוֹת (the festival of booths)
פֶסַח
שָׁבוּעוֹת (the festival of weeks)
What is the Hebrew date for the "birthday of the trees"?
the 15th of שְׁבָט
ט"וּ בִּשְׁבָט
What is the name of the other son of אַבְרָהָם and what happens to him? Bonus: what is the name of his mother?
יִשְׁמָעֵאל
He and his mother are kicked out of the household and left to fend for themselves in the wilderness. God saves them and tradition holds that Islam comes from their descendants
הָגָר
Please lead the class in the "barchu"
בָּרְכוּ אֶת יְיָ הַמְבֹרָךְ
בָּרוּךְ יְיָ הַמְבֹרָךְ
לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד
Barchu et Adonai hamvorach!
Baruch Adonai hamvorach l'olam va'ed!
לְהִתרָאוֹת
l'heet-ra-oat (see you later)