Foods
What is a traditional fried food eaten during Chanukah?
Sufganiyot (jelly donuts)
What does the word “Chanukah” mean?
“Dedication”
What is another name for Chanukah?
The Festival of Lights
Which group of people did the Maccabees fight against?
The Seleucid Greeks
What is the name of the candelabra lit each night of Chanukah?
Menorah
What are potato pancakes commonly eaten during Chanukah called?
Latkes
What is the Hebrew term for the candle used to light the others on the menorah?
Shamash
What was the original purpose of the menorah in the Temple?
To symbolize God’s eternal presence
Which book of Jewish history tells the story of Chanukah?
The Book of the Maccabees
How many candles are lit on the last night of Chanukah, including the shamash?
nine
What is the name of the chocolate coins given during Chanukah?
Gelt
What does the word "dreidel" mean in Yiddish?
To spin
What is the origin of the game of dreidel?
It was used as a cover for Torah study when it was banned by the Greeks.
Who was the leader of the Maccabees?
Judah Maccabee
What do the Hebrew letters on the dreidel (Nun, Gimel, Hei, Shin) symbolize?
"A great miracle happened there"
Why are fried foods such as latkes and sufganiyot eaten during Chanukah?
To commemorate the miracle of the oil that lasted eight days in the Temple.
What is the name of the small jug of oil that miraculously lasted for eight days?
The cruse of oil
Which Jewish month does Chanukah begin in?
Kislev
What miracle occurred in the Holy Temple after it was rededicated by the Maccabees?
A small amount of oil, enough for one day, lasted for eight days.
Why is the shamash candle positioned differently from the other candles on a Chanukah menorah?
Because it is used to light the other eight candles
What alternative ingredient was commonly used for latkes in Eastern Europe before potatoes became widespread?
Cheese (specifically fried cheese pancakes).
What does the phrase “Nes Gadol Haya Sham” mean?
“A great miracle happened there”
In what year was the first Chanukah celebrated?
165 BCE
What oppressive ruler outlawed Jewish religious practices and desecrated the Temple?
Antiochus IV Epiphanes
What is the significance of spinning a dreidel in relation to the Chanukah story?
It represents how Jews used dreidels as a decoy to hide their Torah study from the Greeks, who had outlawed Jewish religious practices.