Holiday Shenanigans
Oy Vey! Pop Culture
The Torah as a Reality Show
Is it Kugel or is it Cake?
Holy Hardware
100

This holiday, translated to “Head of the Year,” is the official start of the Jewish calendar—and a perfect excuse to eat apples with reckless abandon.

Rosh Hashanah

100

This baseball star famously sat out Game 1 of the 1965 World Series to honor Yom Kippur, proving that faith sometimes beats a home run.

Sandy Kaufax

100

This contestant won “Best Dramatic Exit” for leading a crowd through a parted body of water without smudging his eyeliner of determination.

Moses

100

This fried potato creation is traditionally paired with applesauce or sour cream, yet somehow survives every holiday without shame.

Latke

100

Eight nights of flame-flickering glory—and one shamash doing all the work.

Menorah/Hanukkiah

200

This holiday celebrates Esther and Mordechai’s triumph over Haman and gives everyone permission to dress weird, boo loudly, and eat dessert for dinner.

Purim

200

This Israeli invention lets you turn plain water into fizzy, bubbly magic right in your kitchen.

SodaStream

200

Famous for his chaotic family group chat, this dream-interpreting contestant got a technicolor makeover and immediately got voted off the island by his brothers.

Joseph

200

Known for its gelatinous texture and odd sweet-savory balance, this fish dish is often served cold at Shabbat, leaving newcomers perplexed.

Gefilte Fish

200

This candle marks Shabbat’s dramatic exit, and its braided flames are perfect for Instagram stories.

Havdallah Candle

300

Name this iconic botanical squad: a palm frond, a citron, some myrtle, and willow

Lulav and Etrog

300

This musical based on Shalom Aleichem’s “Tevye Stories” features milkmen, matchmaking, and more shrugging than any other show on Broadway.

Fiddler on the Roof

300

In a niche but unforgettable episode, this contestant wrestles a mysterious stranger at midnight and wins… a new name and a permanent limp.

Jacob

300

This tiny, rolled pastry is filled with nuts, chocolate, or jam, somehow manages to be both buttery and flaky, and convinces everyone it’s sophisticated despite being basically “Jewish cookie sushi.”

Rugelach

300

With knotted corners called tzitzit, this wearable mitzvah is a fashion statement older than your great-grandparents.

Tallit

400

During Passover, this type of food is a big no-no

Chametz

400

Adam Brody played this character who boldly declared, “Why choose one winter holiday when you can stress out over both?”

Seth Cohen

400

Known for her strategic tent-side alliances, this matriarch orchestrates a cooking-based plot twist that ensures her favorite son gets the final rose.

Rebecca

400

This sweet, slow-cooked stew of carrots, sweet potatoes, and sometimes dried fruit is the dish that makes you question whether you’re eating a dessert, a side, or an entire holiday mood.

Tzimmes

400

Worn during weekday prayers, they ensure your morning devotion is literally skin-deep.

T'fillin

500

Marking the end of a 49-day countdown, this holiday finally shows up with cheese, books, and maybe a little dancing.

Shavuot

500

This Jewish comedian from Brookline, MA—whose HBO Max special Just for Us became a breakout hit—has been called the “internet’s favorite nice Jewish boy.”

Alex Edelman

500

In the season finale, this prophet confronts 450 rivals on a mountain, calls down fire from the sky, and delivers the most extra monologue since the dawn of television.

Elijah

500

A Sephardic holiday treat made by layering fried dough with honey and sometimes nuts, then soaking it in syrup—basically baklava’s weirder cousin.

Malabi

500

Sephardic or Ashkenazi, it’s the official finger shield for anyone who can’t resist touching every word.

Yad

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