Purim Trivia

Which of the following best describes the feeling of Purim?

A. Fun and joyous

A. Sad and quiet

A. Calm and reflective

What name is often used for the story of Purim?

A. mezuzah

A. megillah

A. kibbutz

The megillah, the story of Purim, is which book of the Hebrew Bible?

A. Genesis

A. Esther

A. Deuteronomy

What is the name of the king in the Purim story?

A. Ahashverus

A. Haman

A. Mordecai

What else to Jews do to celebrate Purim?

A. Give to charity

A. Give food baskets to friends

A. Have parties

Mishloach Manot

In ancient times, when people first celebrated a holiday like Purim, what were they celebrating?

A. The end of winter and the coming of spring

A. The eruption of a volcano

A. The full moon

Babylonian gods of the original celebration

Ishtar – goddess of fertility

Marduk – guardian of the heavens

Haman – the underworld devil

What is the name of the triangular shaped pastry eaten on Purim?

A. Mezuzah

A. Haroset

A. Hamentaschen

Hamentaschen

What do people do when they hear Haman’s name during the Purim story?

A. Say “Shalom”

A. Dance

A. Make noise

Purim Hebrew

Hebrew for Purim

PurimMegillaMishaloach ManotEstherHamanMordecaiAhashverus

Mezuzah

Mezuzah

MezuzahTraditionally, a mezuzah has a scroll with the “Shema” written on it. The Shema is a passage from the bible and is in the mezuzah to remind people to keep God’s words in their minds and hearts.

As Humanists, we believe in people and our own power as humans to make good decisions for ourselves and others.

For the next session, decide what you would like to put inside your mezuzah. Discuss with your family what would be an appropriate writing to place inside your mezuzah. Some ideas are listed below, however feel free to come up with one of your own.

“We are proud that we are Jews. We are proud that we are Humanist Jews.”

“Hear, O Israel, our people are one, humanity is one.”

“Where is my light? My light is in me. Where is my hope? My hope is in me. Where is my strength? My strength is in me, and in you.”

A “Humanist Shema:” Hear, People of the World, Our people are one, humanity is one. Blessed be our family and all families for ever and ever. We shall love one another with all our hearts and with all our might. These words shall today be in our hearts, and we shall teach them diligently to our children, and we shall speak of them when we sit at home, and when we walk along the way, and when we lie down and when we rise up. And we shall write them on the doorposts of our houses and on our gates. If we listen to these words and love one another and serve each other with all our hearts, the land will have rain that we may gather grain, wine, and oil. The fields will have crops and we will all eat and be satisfied. We will put the words of peace and love in our hearts in order to prolong our days and the days of our children, as long as there are days on earth. We will speak to our children and tell them, throughout their generations, to remember to love one another and all people that we may all be blessed.