Torah
The first Hebrew word of the Torah, also the name of the first parashah (portion) and sefer (book)
Bereishit
Jews are obligated to say this prayer every morning and evening; the Hebrew titles mean "hear/listen" and "and you shall love"
Shema and Ve-Ahavta
Literally, "The Head of the Year"
What is Rosh Ha-Shanah
This Hebrew word originally referred to the portion of dough which must be separated before baking, and set aside as a tithe for the Kohen, this is now the common name for the special type of bread we eat on Shabbat and holidays
Ḥallah
The State of Israel was founded in this year
What is 1948
The prophetess who led the Israelites in singing and dancing after crossing the Red Sea
Miriam
Said thrice daily, literally "the standing prayer"
The Amidah or Tefillat Ha-Amidah
Some scholars argue that this early-winter Festival of Lights was originally a delayed celebration of Sukkot
What is Ḥanukkah
The type of food we eat on Shavu'ot, representing the nourishing nature of the Torah
Dairy foods
She was the first woman to serve as Prime Minister of the State of Israel
Who is Golda Meir
The only granddaughter of Jacob mentioned in the Torah
Seraḥ bat Asher
The Hebrew phrase for visiting those who are ill
Bikkur Ḥolim
This minor holiday, on which we recite Hallel, happens once a month, for one day or two days in a row
Rosh Ḥodesh
Yiddish word for matzah balls
Kneydlekh (plural) or kneydl (singular)
Common English name for the salt lake known in Hebrew as the Yam Ha-Melaḥ (the Sea of Salt)
What is the Dead Sea
Name of the Torah portion in which a talking donkey appears
Parashat Balak
Ve-Ahavta Le-Rei'akha Kamokha, in English
Love your neighbor as yourself
The only 25-hour fast day other than Yom Kippur, mourning the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem
What is Tish'ah Be-Av or the 9th of Av
Before latkes became popular, Jews in the Middle Ages would eat this food on Ḥanukkah, in honor of the heroine Judith who lulled the Assyrian general Holofernes to sleep by giving him wine and this food item
Cheese
This 0.35-square-mile walled area in Jerusalem has traditionally been divided into four uneven quarters: the Muslim, Christian, Armenian and Jewish Quarters
What is the Old City (of Jerusalem)
The final word of the Torah in the Book of Deuteronomy
Yisra'el or Israel
Hebrew name of the blessing expressing gratitude for the functioning of one's body, recited after using the restroom
Asher Yatzar
According to kabbalistic tradition, this minor holiday on the 18th day of the Hebrew month of Iyyar, during the period of the Counting of the Omer, marks the hillula (yahrzeit and celebration of the legacy) of Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai, a leading figure in the text of the Zohar
What is Lag Ba-Omer (the 33rd day of the Omer)
This Maghrebi (North African) Jewish pancake or crepe is traditionally eaten during the Mimouna celebration, the day after Passover - the JLCMW middle school students cooked it at home last year!
What is moufleta
Nicknames "the first Hebrew city" of Israel, it was founded in 1909 by the Yishuv (Jewish residents) as a modern housing estate on the outskirts of the ancient port city of Jaffa, and was at first called 'Aḥuzat Bayit' (lit. "House Estate")
What is Tel Aviv