Shemini Atzeret & Simchat Torah Quiz

At the end of Sukkot, we celebrate the completion of the annual Torah reading cycle. How much do you know about Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah?

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Question 1. What is the name of the prayer recited before the dancing begins on Simchat Torah?
 Akdamut
 Hoshana
 Atta Horeita
 Dayenu

 

Question 2. What does Simchat Torah mean?
 Rejoicing in Torah
 The Day We Received the Torah
 Beginning the Torah Again
 The End of the Torah

 

Question 3. In recent times, how have synagogues made Simchat Torah a very "child-friendly" holiday?
 Giving out candy to children
 Inviting all the children up for a group aliyah 
 Giving out flags to children
 All of the above

 

Question 4. On Simchat Torah, what are the circles made while holding the Torah and dancing around the synagogue called?
 Hoshanot
 Bedekin
 Neilah
 Hakafot

 

Question 5. It is a custom for how many people to be honored with an aliyah on Simchat Torah?
 All the children in the congregation
 All those who got married in the previous year
 All those who had a bar/bat mitzvah in the previous year
 The whole congregation

 

Question 6. True or false: Shemini Atzeret is a one-day festival in traditional Diaspora communities and a two-day holiday in Israel and in many liberal Diaspora communities.
 True
 False

 

Question 7. What does Shemini Atzeret mean?
 The Harvest Festival
 The New Moon Festival
 The Day of Judgment
 The Eighth Day of Assembly

 

Question 8. It is customary for the person who leads the prayer for Rain to wear
 A sheitel
 A kittel
 A beard
 Tefillin

 

Question 9. On Simchat Torah the torah reading includes
 The story of creation
 The story of Noah and the flood
 The story of Abraham smashing the idols
 The Ten Commandments

 

Question 10. Simchat Torah is traditionally what type of holiday?
 A holiday filled with joy, laughter, and celebration
 A holiday in which is it most important to repent for sins
 A holiday for blotting out the sound of the names of those who tried to destroy the Jews
 A holiday for celebrating Jewish continuity and the creation of the State of Israel

 

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