Codex of FaithsAn illustrated atlas of belief

Codex of Faiths · codexoffaiths.com

Judaism: quiz worksheet

A printable worksheet for the classroom: 8 multiple-choice questions on Judaism, with an answer key and explanations on the last page.

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Circle the letter of the best answer.

  1. What does the word “Torah” mean?

    1. A Scroll
    2. B Covenant
    3. C Teaching or instruction
    4. D Law court

  2. How many books does the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, count?

    1. A 27
    2. B 24
    3. C 66
    4. D 39

  3. When did the Romans destroy the Second Temple in Jerusalem?

    1. A 70 CE
    2. B 135 CE
    3. C 586 BCE
    4. D 313 CE

  4. Who edited the Mishnah, the first written collection of the oral law, around 200 CE?

    1. A Maimonides
    2. B Judah ha-Nasi
    3. C Joseph Karo
    4. D Rashi

  5. Which prayer begins “Hear, O Israel: the Lord is our God, the Lord is one”?

    1. A The Amidah
    2. B The Kaddish
    3. C Kol Nidre
    4. D The Shema

  6. How long is the fast of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement?

    1. A Three days
    2. B From sunrise to sunset
    3. C About 25 hours
    4. D Forty days

  7. Which festival recalls the rededication of the Temple in 164 BCE?

    1. A Hanukkah
    2. B Purim
    3. C Sukkot
    4. D Shavuot

  8. Where did about 46% of the world’s Jews live in 2020?

    1. A Europe
    2. B The United States
    3. C Latin America
    4. D Israel

Answer key

  1. C · Teaching or instruction. The Torah, “teaching”, is the first and holiest part of the Hebrew Bible: the five books of Moses.
  2. B · 24. Jewish tradition counts 24 books in three parts: Torah, Prophets (Nevi’im) and Writings (Ketuvim).
  3. A · 70 CE. The Second Temple stood from about 516 BCE until 70 CE. The Babylonians had destroyed the first one in 586 BCE.
  4. B · Judah ha-Nasi. The patriarch Judah ha-Nasi edited the Mishnah in Galilee; the Talmud grew around it.
  5. D · The Shema. The Shema proclaims the heart of Jewish belief: one God, creator and ruler of the world.
  6. C · About 25 hours. Yom Kippur is a 25-hour fast of prayer and repentance in September or October.
  7. A · Hanukkah. Hanukkah’s eight nights of lights recall the rededication of the Temple after the Maccabean revolt.
  8. D · Israel. Pew counts nearly 15 million Jews in 2020: about 46% in Israel and about four in ten in the United States.

From Codex of Faiths, codexoffaiths.com. You may print and copy this worksheet for teaching.