Dreidel
Complete the sentence: "I have a little dreidel. I made it out of ____"?
Clay.
What is the name of the (main) hero of the Hanukkah story?
Judah the Maccabee.
What are the number of candles lit on the first night of Hanukkah?
One: the shamash, the helper candle, and the first candle on the right.
Acceptable answers: latkes (potato pancakes), sufganiyot (donuts).
"light the menorah."
What are the four letters written on dreidels outside of Israel?
Nun, gimel, hey, and shin (נ،ג،ה،שׁ).
What is the name of the villainous Greek leader in the Hanukkah story?
Antiochus.
What are the number of candles lit on the LAST night of Hanukkah?
Eight: the shamash and all eight candles.
Name a traditional Hanukkah song. (That isn't "I Have a Little Dreidel"!)
Acceptable answers: Ner Li, Maoz Tzur, Mi Yimalel, Ocho Kandelikas, Sivivon (Sov Sov Sov), "Hanukkah O Hanukkah."
What is a topping that we eat with latkes?
Traditionally, applesauce or sour cream.
What are the four letters written on dreidels made IN Israel?
Nun, gimel, hey, and pey (נ،ג،ה،פּ).
The candles represent the small amount of oil that lasted for eight nights instead of just one.
What is the difference between a hanukkiah and a menorah?
A menorah has seven branches, and a hanukkiah has eight branches and the shamash.
Why do we typically eat foods fried in oil on Hanukkah?
It's traditional to eat foods that are fried in oil to remind us of the miracle of Hanukkah; the oil that lasted eight days instead of just one.
What does each letter mean in the game of dreidel? (i.e., what happens when you land on that letter when you spin the dreidel?)
Nun (נ) = none, Gimel (ג) = you get everything in the pot , Hey (ה) = you get half what’s in the pot, Shin (שׁ)= put one in the pot.
What Hebrew words do the four letters on the dreidel represent and what do they mean in English? For both types of dreidels.
"Nes gadol hayah sham"- it means "a great miracle happened there." And "nes gadol hayah po"- it means "a great miracle happened here."
What is the main reason the small group of Jewish fighters rebelled against the Greeks?
The Greeks wouldn't let Jews practice our religion and they insisted that we worship the Greek gods.
The 'shamash' (שַׁמַשׁ).
Is giving presents a true Hanukkah tradition?
Yes AND no. Originally, Jews gave gelt (money) on Hanukkah. But as Jews became more aware of the Christian tradition of giving gifts for Christmas in the late 19th century, American Jews adopted this tradition as our own.
What is the name of Judah the Maccabee's father, who began the uprising?
Mattathias.
What is the Hebrew word for 'dreidel'?
Sevivon, (סְבִיבוֹן).
What is the meaning of the word 'Hanukkah'?
Dedication, referring to the Maccabees rededication of the Temple after driving out the Greeks.
What is the number of blessings we recite when lighting the hanukkiah on the first night of Hanukkah?
Three: the two traditional Hanukkah blessings and the shechechiyanu.
What is the Hebrew date of Hanukkah (Hebrew month and the number of the day)?
Did the Hanukkah story take place during the Common Era (C.E.) or Before the Common Era (B.C.E.)?
B.C.E., around 168 B.C.E.