Judaism

At which time of the year does the Jewish New Year occur? A) Autumn B) WinterC) SpringD) Summer

A) Autumn

The Jewish Sabbath begins on A) Friday at sunset and lasts until Saturday just after sunset. B) Saturday at sunrise and lasts until Sunday just after sunrise.C) Saturday at sunrise and lasts until Sunday just after sunset.D) Sunday at sunrise and lasts until Monday just after sunrise.

A) Friday at sunset and lasts until Saturday just after sunset.

During which Jewish festival do families gather on eight evenings, light candles on a special menorah, and give their children presents? A) Hanukkah B) Rosh HashanahC) PesachD) Purim

A) Hanukkah

According to the stories in Genesis, Jacob wrestles all night long with a mysterious stranger and at dawn, when the fight is over, Jacob receives from the stranger a new name, _____. A) Israel B) CanaanC) AdamD) Noah

A) Israel

Identify a true statement about the Kabbalah. A) It teaches that within human bodies is a spark of divine light that seeks liberation and a return to God. B) It is the second-most important body of Jewish literature after the Hebrew Bible itself.C) It is a joyful spring festival that recalls the Hebrews' exodus from Egypt and freedom from oppression.D) It consists of the earlier Mishnah and an extensive commentary on Hebrew scriptures.

A) It teaches that within human bodies is a spark of divine light that seeks liberation and a return to God.

The common language of the Sephardic Jews was A) Ladino. B) Yiddish.C) Farsi.D) Basque.

A) Ladino.

Which branch of Judaism is the newest and smallest branch and grew out of the thought of its founder, Mordecai Kaplan? A) Reconstructionist Judaism B) Reform JudaismC) Conservative JudaismD) Orthodox Judaism

A) Reconstructionist Judaism

_____ is a movement beginning in the nineteenth century that questioned and modernized Judaism. A) Reform B) ReconstructionismC) PurimD) Tanakh

A) Reform

Which of the following is a branch of Judaism that began in Germany out of a desire of some Jews to leave ghetto life completely and enter the mainstream of European culture? A) Reform Judaism B) Conservative JudaismC) Orthodox JudaismD) Reconstructionist Judaism

A) Reform Judaism

Identify a true statement about the Jewish Sabbath. A) The Jewish Sabbath involves inviting friends over to share the main Sabbath meal. B) The Talmud advocates that no alcohol should be consumed during meals on the Sabbath.C) The Jewish Sabbath begins on Friday at sunrise and lasts until Sunday just after sunset.D) The Talmud recommends that the father of the household should welcome the Sabbath

A) The Jewish Sabbath involves inviting friends over to share the main Sabbath meal.

According to dietary laws kept by traditional Jews, which items may not be eaten together at the same meal? A) meat and dairy products B) fruits and nutsC) fish and wineD) bread and olive oil

A) meat and dairy products

Jewish dietary laws forbid eating A) pork. B) lamb.C) beef.D) fish.

A) pork.

The Reform movement A) questioned traditional Judaism. B) rejected Zionism.C) reverted traditional practices that were in danger of being lost.D) popularized Yiddish culture.

A) questioned traditional Judaism.

Which of the following is a section of the Hebrew Bible that includes stories of the creation of the world, Adam and Eve, Noah, and the Hebrew patriarchs and matriarchs? A) the Teaching B) the ProphetsC) the ZealotsD) the Writings

A) the Teaching

The Yiddish language is a medieval form of _____ mixed with Hebrew words and written in Hebrew characters. A) Greek B) GermanC) EthiopianD) Spanish

B) German

A central Jewish belief is that A) God exists in many forms. B) God is master of the universe as its creator and judge.C) God gave the law to Abraham.D) God created the world but does not interfere in it.

B) God is master of the universe as its creator and judge.

Which of the following was a major effect of the end of the Second Temple? A) It marked the beginning of the power of the priesthood. B) It moved Judaism toward a central focus on scripture and scriptural interpretation.C) It resulted in the blending of Jewish culture and Greek culture.D) It forced the religion of Judaism to develop in the direction of temple ritual.

B) It moved Judaism toward a central focus on scripture and scriptural interpretation.

The last section of the Book of Genesis focuses on which Hebrew ancestor? A) Moses B) JosephC) JacobD) Seth

B) Joseph

_____, containing the lyrics of 150 hymns, is often called the hymnbook of the Second Temple. A) The Book of Leviticus B) The Book of PsalmsC) The Book of IsaiahD) The Book of the Twelve

B) The Book of Psalms

Zionism is A) the practice of seeking archeological evidence to discover the truth of biblical stories. B) a movement that has encouraged the creation and support of the nation of Israel.C) the practice followed by males of not cutting the beard or the hair in front of the ears.D) the Jewish culture that came up in eastern Europe after 1000 CE.

B) a movement that has encouraged the creation and support of the nation of Israel.

In Judaism, _____ is the coming-of-age ceremony that marks the time when a young man is considered a legal adult within the Jewish community. A) Hanukkah B) bar mitzvahC) SederD) bat mitzvah

B) bar mitzvah

After Moses's death, Israelites were led by men and women who had both military and legal power called A) prophets. B) judges.C) integrationists.D) shtetls.

B) judges.

The Sadducees were A) a Jewish semimonastic community. B) members of priestly families, living primarily in Jerusalem.C) very patriotic Jews who bitterly opposed the Roman rule of Israel.D) among the last religious factions to emerge in Israel.

B) members of priestly families, living primarily in Jerusalem.

During the Seleucid period, which of the following practices of the Jewish culture most likely conflicted with the sophisticated Greek-speaking culture called Hellenism? A) dietary restrictions that forbade eating chicken and eggs B) prohibitions against doing work on the SabbathC) interest in advances in science, medicine, and literatureD) forbidding of circumcision of the first-born male child

B) prohibitions against doing work on the Sabbath

Which of the following was a religious faction that arose as a response to Hellenistic culture and focused on preserving Hebrew piety through careful observation of religious laws and traditions? A) the Sadducees B) the PhariseesC) the ZealotsD) the Essenes

B) the Pharisees

The Torah is A) the name for the books of Psalms and Proverbs. B) the sacred core of the Hebrew Bible.C) another name for the Writings (Ketuvim).D) the historical book of the Bible.

B) the sacred core of the Hebrew Bible.

According to some traditionalists, the prohibition against any manual labor on the Sabbath includes A) walking outside of the house. B) the use of a telephone.C) the reading of books.D) talking with friends.

B) the use of a telephone.

_____ is the first Hebrew patriarch, and he is introduced in Chapter 12 of Genesis. A) Moses B) DavidC) AbrahamD) Nehemiah

C) Abraham

The term _____ refers to those Jews who at one time lived in or came from central Europe. A) Talmud B) SephardicC) AshkenazimD) Zealot

C) Ashkenazim

Identify a true statement about the Holocaust. A) It brought about the end of the temple-based ceremonial religion of Israel. B) It urged Jews to move out of the ghettos and gain a secular education.C) It marked the destruction of European Judaism by the Nazis.D) It led to the death of over a half of the Jews in the world.

C) It marked the destruction of European Judaism by the Nazis.

Which division of modern Judaism focuses on adhering to the traditional laws about kosher diet and separate social roles for men and women? A) Conservative Judaism B) Reform JudaismC) Orthodox JudaismD) Reconstructionist Judaism

C) Orthodox Judaism

Another name for the Torah is A) Nevi'im. B) Tanakh.C) Pentateuch.D) Ketuvim.

C) Pentateuch.

The first two kings of the Israelite kingdom were A) Solomon and Hezekiah. B) Nathan and Solomon.C) Saul and David.D) Ezra and Nehemiah.

C) Saul and David.

At which time of the year does the festival of Passover occur? A) Autumn B) WinterC) SpringD) Summer

C) Spring

Orthodoxy, a branch of Judaism, is committed to retaining traditional practices and beliefs that include A) synagogue services being conducted completely in German. B) cooking pork and shellfish on the Sabbath to celebrate the rededication of the Second Temple.C) the requirement of a quorum of ten Jewish males for a service.D) females wearing a skullcap to keep their heads covered.

C) the requirement of a quorum of ten Jewish males for a service.

Which of the following is a widely celebrated festival of the Jews that joyously memorializes the rededication of the Second Temple? A) Rosh Hashanah B) Yom KippurC) SukkotD) Hanukkah

D) Hanukkah

Identify a correct statement about the Hasidic movement in central Europe. A) It came to be known as Zionism, after Mount Zion, the mountain on which Jerusalem is built. B) It caused the division of Jews into two parties—the integrationists and the separatists.C) It urged Jews to move out of the ghettos, gain a secular education, and enter the mainstream of their respective countries.D) It emphasized the beauty of everyday life and the physical world, teaching that one can see or hear God only in tangible things.

D) It emphasized the beauty of everyday life and the physical world, teaching that one can see or hear God only in tangible things.

Which of the following is a Jewish festival that is marked with the giving of food and money, a reading of the Book of Esther, and a festive meal? A) Sukkot B) HanukkahC) SederD) Purim

D) Purim

According to the Book of Exodus, which of the following was the last and greatest of the plagues? A) The Black Death B) The pestilence of livestockC) The Plague of JustinianD) The death of the first-born sons of the Egyptians

D) The death of the first-born sons of the Egyptians

Which of the following statements is most likely true of the Essenes? A) They were opposed to foreign influences. B) They refused to accept the solar calendar used in temples.C) They derived their living from temple worship.D) They rejected animal sacrifice and avoided meat.

D) They rejected animal sacrifice and avoided meat.

The Jewish Day of Atonement, the most sacred day of the Jewish year, is A) Rosh Hashanah. B) Hanukkah.C) Passover.D) Yom Kippur.

D) Yom Kippur.

he term covenant means A) the Messiah. B) a reform movement.C) a vision.D) a contract.

D) a contract.

The Talmud is A) the hymnbook of the Second Temple. B) the Hebrew name of a prayer shawl.C) the writings of medieval thinkers.D) an encyclopedic commentary on the Hebrew scriptures.

D) an encyclopedic commentary on the Hebrew scriptures.

The Hebrew Bible is A) an encyclopedic commentary on the Hebrew scriptures. B) a history book in the modern and sacred sense.C) a book that traces back to the time of Israelites' earliest ancestor named Jacob.D) the Israelites' view of their God's relationship with them in the midst of historical events.

D) the Israelites' view of their God's relationship with them in the midst of historical events.

Which Jewish festival recalls the liberation of the Hebrews from oppression in Egypt? A) Yom Kippur B) HanukkahC) Rosh HashanahD) the Passover (Pesach)

D) the Passover (Pesach)

The three sections of the Hebrew Bible are A) the Teaching, the Prophets, and Proverbs. B) Psalms, Chronicles, and Proverbs.C) History, the Prophets, and Psalms.D) the Teaching, the Prophets, and the Writings.

D) the Teaching, the Prophets, and the Writings.

According to the Book of Genesis, _____ are revelations or appearances of God that are sometimes friendly in nature but fierce and frightening at other times. A) Sadducees B) PhariseesC) diasporasD) theophanies

D) theophanies