Passover Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. A household is removing chametz before Passover. What are they primarily removing?
Every baked grain product, including properly prepared matzah
Foods made from certain grains that have been allowed to ferment or rise
Any food that was purchased before the holiday began
All legumes, according to every Jewish community
2. Which biblical event is primarily commemorated during Passover?
The Israelites’ liberation from slavery in Egypt
The giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai
The rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem
The deliverance described in the Book of Esther
3. A family explains that matzah recalls the Israelites’ hurried departure from Egypt. Which detail supports that explanation?
Their dough did not have time to rise before they left
Matzah represents the manna gathered in the wilderness
Matzah was burned as incense in ancient Egypt
Their departure occurred at the end of the grain harvest
4. On which date of the Hebrew month of Nisan does Passover begin?
The 25th of Nisan
The 1st of Nisan
The 10th of Nisan
The 15th of Nisan
5. At the Seder, everyone sings Dayenu. What does the title express?
Let everyone come and eat
Next year in Jerusalem
We were slaves to Pharaoh
It would have been enough for us
6. At a Seder, someone points to maror and asks what it represents. What is the best answer?
The bitterness of slavery in Egypt
The mortar used by enslaved Israelites
The haste with which the Israelites left Egypt
The springtime grain harvest
7. What is the common Hebrew name for Passover?
Pesach
Sukkot
Shavuot
Purim
8. A guest wants to follow the Seder’s sequence of readings, blessings, songs, and storytelling. Which book is designed for that purpose?
The Book of Esther
The Haggadah
The standard weekly Torah portion alone
The Book of Lamentations
9. A traveler notices that traditional Passover observance may have a different duration in Israel and in the diaspora. What is the usual distinction?
Eight days in Israel and seven in the diaspora
Seven days everywhere, without any communal variation
Seven days in Israel and traditionally eight in the diaspora
Eight days everywhere, without any communal variation
10. A reader is arranging the ten plagues in biblical order. Which plague comes last?
Darkness
The death of the Egyptian firstborn
Locusts
Hail
11. The four cups of wine or grape juice at the Seder are traditionally associated with what?
Four stages of the journey through the wilderness
Four agricultural seasons in ancient Israel
Four expressions of redemption in the Book of Exodus
Four books of the Torah that mention Egypt
12. Two Jewish families follow different Passover practices concerning rice and other kitniyot. What best explains the difference?
Kitniyot are prohibited by the Torah for all Jewish people
Kitniyot are always treated exactly like chametz
Customs concerning kitniyot differ among Jewish communities
Kitniyot may be eaten only inside Israel
13. A child recites Ma Nishtana, traditionally known as the Four Questions. What role does this have in the Seder?
It announces that the festive meal is finished
It lists the ten plagues in their biblical order
It blesses the wine before the first cup is poured
It prompts discussion of why this night is different
14. A family begins counting the Omer during Passover. When does the traditional count begin?
On the first night of Passover
Immediately after the entire holiday ends
On the second night of Passover
On the first day of the Hebrew month of Iyar
15. Near the end of the meal, the leader brings back the afikoman. What is it?
A special cup poured before the meal begins
A song that introduces the Four Questions
The bitter herb placed beside charoset
A portion of matzah set aside and eaten later in the Seder
16. During a Seder, a child asks why charoset resembles a thick paste. What does that appearance traditionally recall?
The mud left after the Sea of Reeds divided
The mortar used by enslaved Israelites
The clay tablets used to record the Ten Commandments
The dough that rose before the Exodus