Rosh Hashana
What is a pomegranate?
On Yom Kippur, Jews wear this color. Some say it is to remind us of reaching toward purity on this holy day. Other say it reminds us our mortality (Jews are traditionally wrapped in a shroud of this color when they die.)
What is white?
Sukkot begins on the 15th of Tishrei. To know the holiday has arrived, look up in the sky and search for this.
What is the full moon?
The word Simcha as in Simchat Torah means this.
What is happiness/joy?
This famous showgirl has 3 cats - Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson, and Benjamin Button. She features them occasionally on her social media. Guess they quite the “reputation.”
Who is Taylor Swift?
This is the name of the ceremony for casting away sins. People will throw bread or bird seeds into a body of water to release themselves of things for which they feel guilt or regret.
What is tashlich?
On Yom Kippur afternoon, we read about this prophet. He had to tell the people of Nineveh to repent but decided to run away instead. As a result, he was swallowed by a fish before he repented a bit himself.
Who is Jonah?
This is the name for the material used for the roof of a sukkah. Remember it has to be all natural!
What is schach?
Usually this last book of the Torah is read aloud in a Simchat Torah service, and in one breath we continue to the first book Genesis/Bereshit.
What is Deuteronomy?
This film received 325 million views within its first 91 days of release, making it the most-watched Netflix film.
What is K-Pop Demon Hunter?
The Akeidah is a famous (infamous?) Torah story that is traditionally read on Day 2 of Rosh Hashana. In it, Abraham is asked to sacrifice this son.
Who is Isaac?
The final shofar blast - the very long one that signals the end of the holiday is called this.
What is the tekiyah gedolah?
An etrog is a yellow citrus fruit. A lulav contains these 3 species (300 points if you get 1 of 3, 400 if you get 2, 500 if you get all 3).
What are myrtle, palm, and willow branches?
Usually on Simchat Torah there are 7 of these - rotations/marches/dances around the Torah. At SAJ, Mets and Yankees fans each get one.
What is a hakafa?
Based on daily ridership data, this subway train is the busiest in the New York City system. No wonder J-Lo wrote a song about it!
What is the 6 train?
At a Sephardic seder, people eat the head of one of these to embrace getting ahead in the new year. It comes from a verse in Deuteronomy that says that Israelites will receive "the head, not the tail."
What is fish or sheep's head? (Both are correct.)
This is the name of the Erev Yom Kippur service. It is named after a prayer annulling vows.
What is Kol Nidre?
On Sukkot, we read from this book of wisdom sayings. They were supposedly written by King Solomon and include the famous sentiment, “for everything there is a season, a time for everything under heaven.”
What is Kohelet/Ecclesiastes?
Simchat Torah/Shemini Atzeret observance includes a special prayer for this. Do the ducks join in?
What is rain?
After the United States and Israel, this country has the third most Jews of any country in the world.
What is France?
On Rosh Hashana Day 1, we traditionally read from the Torah about this woman and her son Ishmael. Due to Sarah’s jealousy, she is abandoned by Abraham, but God shows compassion upon her.
Who is Hagar?
Some people perform this rite in preparation for Yom Kippur, where they wave a chicken over their head three times while reciting Isaiah 1:18 before slaughtering the fowl and donating the bird, or its monetary value, to a charitable cause. (The poor chicken!)
What is kapparot?
Chag or Yom tov refers to the festival days of Sukkot when no one is supposed to work and when festival services are held. This is the name for the intermediate days when some activities are allowed but it is still expected to sing partial Hallel and eat in the sukkah.
On Simchat Torah, we unroll the entire scroll. It is a day to show off the scribe’s handiwork, which takes over a year to complete. A Torah scroll scribe is called this in Hebrew.
What is a sofer?
This Jewish man grew up on the corner of West 98th Street and West End Avenue. He later went on to create famous characters including Spiderman, X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and Black Panther.
Who is Stan Lee?