Founding & Early Statehood
What year was Israel founded?
1948
This day of rest, beginning at sundown on Friday, is observed throughout Israel as a time for family, prayer, and refraining from work.
What is Shabbat
This chickpea-based dip, often served with pita and olive oil, is a staple in Israeli meals.
What is hummus?
Considered holy to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, this city is Israel’s capital and spiritual center.
What is Jerusalem?
The primary official language of Israel, revived from an ancient tongue, is this.
What is Hebrew?
What international body voted for the founding of Israel?
The United Nations (UN)
This spring holiday commemorates the Exodus from Egypt and is celebrated with a special meal called a Seder.
What is Passover (Pesach)
A popular street food made from deep-fried chickpea balls, typically served in pita bread.
What is falafel?
Known as the “Start-Up City,” this coastal metropolis is Israel’s economic and technological hub.
What is Tel Aviv?
Alongside Hebrew, this language is also an official language in Israel, reflecting its diverse population.
What is Arabic?
The national movement for the return of the Jewish people to their homeland and the resumption of Jewish sovereignty in Israel is known by this term.
Zionism
Occurring in the autumn, this holiday is known as the Day of Atonement, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
What is Yom Kippur
This Middle Eastern chopped salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, and parsley is often included in Israeli mezze spreads.
What is Israeli salad (or Salat Yerakot)?
Located on the Red Sea, this southern port city is known for its coral reefs and marine life.
What is Eilat?
Jews from this North African/Middle Eastern community, with roots in Arab and Islamic lands, contributed many Mizrahi traditions to Israeli culture.
What are Mizrahi Jews?
Before independence, this paramilitary organization, later integrated into the Israel Defense Forces, played a key role in protecting Jewish communities in the Yishuv.
Haganah
The holiday commemorating the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem and the miracle of the oil lasting eight days.
What is Hanukkah
A flaky filled pastry, originally from Eastern Europe, that became a common bakery item in Israel, often filled with chocolate or cheese.
What is a bourekas?
This freshwater lake, also known as Lake Kinneret, is Israel’s primary water reservoir.
What is the Sea of Galilee?
This Jewish community, originally from Ethiopia, brought their distinct cultural and religious traditions when they immigrated to Israel.
What are Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jews)?
The founding document of Israel, proclaimed on May 14, 1948, is commonly referred to as this.
What is the Israeli Declaration of Independence?
Also known as the Jewish New Year, this holiday’s traditions include sounding the shofar and a prayerful reflection on personal deeds.
Rosh Hashanah
This slow-cooked stew, traditionally eaten on Shabbat, can include meat, barley, beans, and eggs cooked overnight.
What is cholent (or hamin)?
The desert in southern Israel, comprising more than half of the country’s land area.
What is the Negev Desert?
Formerly dispersed worldwide, the global Jewish diaspora contributed diverse linguistic heritages, including Yiddish from Europe and Ladino from communities originally in this empire.
What is the Ottoman Empire?