Yiddish Words
Often shouted while clinking glasses, this Hebrew toast literally means "to life."
What is L'chaim?
Born in Jerusalem, this Oscar-winning actress starred in Black Swan and played Padmé in Star Wars.
Who is Natalie Portman?
At the end of a Jewish wedding ceremony, the groom stomps on this object, and everyone shouts "Mazel tov!"
What is a glass?
This holy city is home to the Western Wall.
What is Jerusalem?
In the story of Noah, it rained for this many days and nights.
What is 40?
Asking for a discount at a bakery after you've already eaten the cookie is an example of this word, meaning audacity or nerve.
What is chutzpah?
This former Degrassi actor and Toronto rapper had a bar mitzvah, his mom is Jewish, and he sang "Hotline Bling".
Who is Drake?
The four-poled canopy a Jewish couple stands under to get married.
What is a chuppah?
This body of water is so salty you can float effortlessly, and its shore is the lowest point on Earth.
What is the Dead Sea?
Jonah spent three days inside one of these.
What is a (big) fish or whale?
Said at every simcha, "mazel tov" literally translates to this.
What is "good luck" (or "good fortune")?
These two Jewish friends started an ice cream company in a renovated gas station in Vermont.
Who are Ben & Jerry?(Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield)
At the wedding party, guests circle the couple and lift them on chairs while dancing this circle dance.
What is the hora?
This Mediterranean city, Israel's tech and nightlife hub, is famous for its beaches and Bauhaus "White City" architecture.
What is Tel Aviv?
Jacob gave his son Joseph this fancy, multi-colored piece of clothing that made his brothers jealous.
What is the coat of many colors?
Your bubbe does this when the soup is too cold, the weather is too hot, or you don't call enough.
What is kvetching?
Nicknamed "The Notorious R.B.G.," she was the second woman ever to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Who is Ruth Bader Ginsburg?
This decorative document, often framed and displayed at home, is the Jewish marriage contract signed before the ceremony.
What is a ketubah?
Millions of Jewish immigrants settled in this Manhattan neighborhood, now home to Russ & Daughters and the Tenement Museum.
What is the Lower East Side?
This biblical strongman lost his power when Delilah cut his hair.
Who is Samson?
This Yiddish word describes a clumsy person who always spills their soup.
What is a schlemiel?
This actor won a Tony for Dear Evan Hansen and starred in Pitch Perfect and The Politician.
Who is Ben Platt?
This ritual bath is used for conversion and traditionally before weddings.
What is a mikveh?
Sephardic Jews trace their roots to this peninsula, which they were expelled from in 1492.
What is the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal)?
After wrestling with an angel, Jacob received this new name, meaning "one who struggles with God," which became the name of the Jewish people and the modern state.
What is Israel?