Synagogue and Prayers

Question 1

The weekly Torah portion is divided into how many parts on Shabbat?

Answer 1

7

Question 2

What does Aliyah mean?

Answer 2

Going up. Making aliyah (moving to Israel), receiving an aliyah (being called up to read from the Torah)

Question 3

What are the 4 occasions where it is customary to receive an aliyah?

Answer 3

B’mizvah, Shabbat before your wedding, after the birth of a baby girl, and on the Shabbat before observing yartzeit.

Question 4

Who receives the first aliyah?

Answer 4

A kohen.

Question 5

מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ

Answer 5

Mi sheberach; request for blessing from God, as for someone who is sick.

Question 6

בַּעַל קְרִיאָה/ בַּעַל קוֹרֵא

Answer 6

Baal keriah / Baal korei; member of a Jewish congregation who reads from the Sefer Torah during the service. As there are no niqqud, punctuation, or trope in a Sefer Torah, the baal keriah must memorize them beforehand.

Question 7

Morning service

Answer 7

Shacharit

Question 8

Afternoon service

Answer 8

Mincha

Question 9

Evening service

Answer 9

Ma’ariv

Question 10

Additional service on Shabbat and holidays

Answer 10

Mussaf

Question 11

Siddur for the High Holy Days

Answer 11

Machzor

Question 12

Torah scroll

Answer 12

Sefer Torah

Question 13

Scribe who writes a Torah scroll

Answer 13

Sofer

Question 14

Torah portion of the week

Answer 14

Parshat ha-shavua

Question 15

Number of Torah portions in a year

Answer 15

54

Question 16

Verses in smallest Torah portion

Answer 16

30

Question 17

Verses in largest Torah portion

Answer 17

Over 150

Question 18

How often are Jewish leap years?

Answer 18

7 out of every 19 years

Question 19

What is sung as the Torah is taken out from the Ark?

Answer 19

כי מציון תצא תורה ודבר ה’ מירושלים ברוך שנתן תורה לעמו ישראל בקדושתו

For from Zion shall go forth the Torah, and the word of God from Jerusalem.

Question 20

Gabbai, shamash

Answer 20

Runs service, assisting rabbi. Calls congregants to Torah; often treasurer or cemetery caretaker.

Question 21

Any talk on Torah or Judaism

Answer 21

Dvar Torah

Question 22

Selection from the prophetic books of the Bible

Answer 22

Haftorah

Question 23

First aliya is assigned to…

Answer 23

a Kohain; Kohanim

Question 24

Second aliya is assigned to…

Answer 24

Levi, Levi’im

Question 25

Third aliya is called, and given to…

Answer 25

Shlishi (third); any member of congregation, as honor

Question 26

May you be blessed

Answer 26

Baruch ti-hiyeh, response to “yasher koach” after Mi Shebeirach

Question 27

Redemption of the firstborn male

Answer 27

פדיון הבן

Pidyon haben

Question 28

Blessing of the Jewish community on holidays

Answer 28

Birkat kohanim

ברכת כהנים:

יברכך יהוה וישמרך
יאר יהוה פניו אליך ויחנך
ישא יהוה פניו אליך וישם לך שׁלום

Question 29

Verses commanding tefillin

Answer 29

Deuteronomy 6:5-8

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all you strength. Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day. Impress them upon your children. Recite them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and whem you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a frontlet between your eyes.

Question 30

Amidah

Answer 30

Standing prayer, said 3 times per day at each service and at Mussar 19 benedictions, one for each letter of the aleph bet

Question 31

Barechu

Answer 31

בָּרְכוּ אֶת יְיָ הַמְבֹרָךְ! (Bow) בָּרוּךְ יְיָ הַמְבֹרָךְ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד!

Question 32

Meaning/translation of Barechu prayer

Answer 32

Call to worship

Praise Adonai to whom our praise is due forever! Praised be Adonai to whom praise is due, now and forever!

Question 33

Ashrei - when is it recited and where is the text from?

Answer 33

2x shacharit, 1x minchah, Psalm 145, 144:15, 84:5

Question 34

Each verse in the ashrei…

Answer 34

… begins with a successive letter of the aleph bet, acrostic style

Question 35

Ein keyloheinu

Answer 35

There is no one like our God; recited near end of shabbat shacharit service

Question 36

עָלֵינוּ לְשַׁבֵּחַ‎

Answer 36

Aleinu l’shabeiach; it is upon us. At end of each daily service and middle of Rosh Hashanah mussaf.