Lost in Translation
This primary language of modern Israel was revived into a daily spoken language in the late 19th century by Eliezer Ben-Yehuda.
What is Hebrew?
This braided bread is traditionally eaten on Shabbat and major Jewish holidays, except during Passover.
What is Challah?
He developed the special theory of relativity in 1905 and won the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Who is Albert Einstein?
The First Temple in Jerusalem was built by King Solomon and destroyed by this ancient Mesopotamian empire in 586 BCE.
What is the Babylonian Empire (or Babylon)?
Known as the Jewish New Year, this high holy day features the blowing of the Shofar.
What is Rosh Hashanah?
Originating among Ashkenazi Jews in Central and Eastern Europe, this Germanic-based language is written using the Hebrew alphabet.
What is Yiddish?
Floating in chicken soup, these fluffy or dense unleavened meal balls are a Passover Seder staple often dubbed "Jewish penicillin."
What are Matzah Balls?
This U.S. Supreme Court Justice, appointed in 1993, was the second woman and the first Jewish woman to serve on the U.S. High Court.
Who is Ruth Bader Ginsburg?
In 73 CE, Jewish rebels made a famous final stand against Roman forces atop this mountain fortress near the Dead Sea.
What is Masada?
Considered the holiest day of the year in Judaism, this Day of Atonement is observed with a 25-hour fast and intensive prayer.
What is Yom Kippur?
From Yiddish for "a block of wood," this common English word describes a clumsy person who is always tripping or dropping things.
What is a Klutz?
Potato pancakes fried in oil to commemorate the miracle of the oil during Chanukah are known by this name.
What are Latkes?
Before becoming the first Prime Minister of Israel in 1948, this leader served as executive head of the World Zionist Organization.
Who is David Ben-Gurion?
Issued in 1917 by the British Foreign Secretary, this famous official statement declared support for the establishment of a Jewish national home.
What is the Balfour Declaration?
During this week-long autumn holiday, meals are traditionally eaten in temporary outdoor huts topped with natural foliage.
What is Sukkot?
Also known as Judeo-Spanish, this language developed among Sephardic Jews following their expulsion from Spain in 1492.
What is Ladino?
This flaky pastry, whose name means "little hats" or "pockets" in Yiddish, is traditional for Purim and often filled with poppy seeds or jam.
What are Hamantaschen?
This iconic filmmaker directed Schindler's List, E.T., and Jurassic Park.
Who is Steven Spielberg?
The 164 BCE rededication of the Second Temple following the victory of Judah Maccabee over the Seleucid Empire is commemorated during this holiday.
What is Chanukah?
This festive spring holiday celebrates the saving of the Jewish people from Haman in the ancient Persian Empire, complete with costumes and groggers.
What is Purim?
From the Hebrew word for "between," this ancient Aramaic translation and commentary on the Hebrew Bible was traditionally read alongside scriptural readings in synagogues.
What is a Targum?
This traditional Ashkenazi Sabbath dish, a slow-cooked stew of meat, potatoes, beans, and barley, simmers overnight so no work is done on Shabbat.
What is Cholent?
Before being elected President of Ukraine in 2019, this Jewish former actor and comedian starred in the satire series Servant of the People.
Who is Volodymyr Zelenskyy?
This 1894 French political scandal involved a Jewish army officer falsely convicted of treason, profoundly shaping modern European and Jewish political history.
What is the Dreyfus Affair?
Occurring seven weeks after Passover, this holiday commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai and is traditionally celebrated by eating dairy foods.
What is Shavuot?