Religion · Unit 5
Judaism
Jewish beliefs, the Torah, the synagogue and festivals
Judaism is both a religion and a peoplehood, and that dual character explains a great deal that is otherwise puzzling about it - including how someone can be Jewish and not religious.
The unit covers core beliefs, the Torah and Tanakh, the synagogue and Shabbat, the festival cycle, and the historical experience that shaped the tradition.
This unit breaks down into 21 short steps and 120 questions, starting at difficulty 2 and building to 3. Below you can see exactly what it covers, how the path is structured, and worked examples with explanations.
- Steps
- 21
- Questions
- 120
- Difficulty
- 2-3
What this unit covers
- Jewish Beliefs
- Synagogue and Shabbat
- Torah and Tanakh
- History and Peoplehood
- Jewish Festivals
Where this fits
The first of the tradition units. Christianity and Islam both build on this context.
Where people slip
Judaism emphasises practice and interpretation over creed. There is no single required statement of belief in the way there is in some other traditions.
How the unit is structured
Judaism runs as 21 short steps that unlock in order. 15 are practice rounds and 6 are challenge rounds that pull together everything before them. Questions start at difficulty 2 and climb to 3 as you progress.
Challenge rounds
Example questions
30 real questions from this unit, with the answer and the reason behind it, grouped by what they practise. There are 120 in the unit altogether.
History and Peoplehood
- Fill the blankLevel 2
1. ____ is honored as the first patriarch, the father of the Jewish people.
- Abrahamcorrect
- Moses
- David
- Isaac
In Jewish tradition, Abraham is the first patriarch and father of the people.
- Match the pairsLevel 2
2. Match each figure from the Torah with what they are known for.
Answer: Abraham = First patriarch; Moses = Led the Exodus; Jacob = Renamed Israel
Abraham is the first patriarch, Moses led the Exodus, and Jacob was renamed Israel.
- Multiple choiceLevel 2
3. According to the Torah, who led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt?
- Mosescorrect
- Abraham
- King David
- Isaac
In the Torah, Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt in the story of the Exodus.
- Build the sentenceLevel 3
4. Build a true sentence about the Exodus story.
Answer: The Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt
The Exodus is the story of the Israelites being freed from slavery in Egypt.
- Choose all that applyLevel 3
5. Which are figures in the Torah's account of the Jewish people? Pick all that apply.
- Abrahamcorrect
- Mosescorrect
- the Buddha
- Guru Nanak
Abraham and Moses appear in the Torah; the Buddha is central to Buddhism and Guru Nanak founded Sikhism.
- Odd one outLevel 3
6. Three of these are patriarchs in the Torah. Which one is not?
- Muhammadcorrect
- Abraham
- Isaac
- Jacob
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are the patriarchs of Judaism, while Prophet Muhammad is the revered founding prophet of Islam.
Jewish Beliefs
- Build the sentenceLevel 2
7. Build a true sentence about Jewish belief.
Answer: Jewish people believe in one God
Jewish people believe in one God, the heart of Jewish faith.
- Choose all that applyLevel 2
8. Which describe traditional Jewish belief about God? Pick all that apply.
- There is one Godcorrect
- God has no physical bodycorrect
- There are many gods
- God is shown as a statue
Judaism teaches that there is one God who has no physical body and is not shown as a statue.
- Fact or fibLevel 2
9. Jewish people believe in many gods.
Answer: False
Judaism teaches belief in one God, not many gods.
- Fill the blankLevel 2
10. Judaism teaches belief in ____ God.
- onecorrect
- many
- three
- no
Judaism is monotheistic, teaching belief in one God.
- Guess the numberLevel 3
11. According to the Torah, how many Commandments were given at Mount Sinai (the famous 'Ten')?
Answer: 10 commandments
The Torah describes the Ten Commandments given at Mount Sinai.
- Match the pairsLevel 3
12. Match each Hebrew word with its meaning.
Answer: Shema = Hear; Torah = Teaching; Shabbat = Rest
Shema means 'hear,' Torah means 'teaching,' and Shabbat means 'rest.'
Jewish Festivals
- Build the sentenceLevel 2
13. Build a true sentence about Passover.
Answer: Passover remembers the escape from Egypt
Passover remembers the escape of the Israelites from Egypt.
- Choose all that applyLevel 2
14. Which of these are Jewish festivals? Pick all that apply.
- Passovercorrect
- Hanukkahcorrect
- Diwali
- Easter
Passover and Hanukkah are Jewish festivals; Diwali is Hindu and Easter is Christian.
- Fact or fibLevel 2
15. Hanukkah is known as the Festival of Lights.
Answer: True
Hanukkah is often called the Festival of Lights, when Jewish families light candles for eight nights.
- Fill the blankLevel 2
16. At Passover, Jewish families eat flat, unleavened bread called ____.
- matzahcorrect
- challah
- naan
- pita
Matzah is the flat, unleavened bread eaten during Passover.
- Guess the numberLevel 2
17. How many days does the festival of Hanukkah last?
Answer: 8 days
Hanukkah lasts eight days, and a candle is lit each night.
- Match the pairsLevel 2
18. Match each Jewish festival with something linked to it.
Answer: Passover = Seder meal; Hanukkah = Dreidel; Sukkot = Sukkah hut
Passover has the Seder meal, Hanukkah has the dreidel game, and Sukkot has the sukkah hut.
Synagogue and Shabbat
- Build the sentenceLevel 2
19. Build a true sentence about the Jewish week.
Answer: Shabbat is a day of rest
Shabbat is the weekly Jewish day of rest.
- Fact or fibLevel 2
20. Shabbat is the Jewish day of rest.
Answer: True
Shabbat is the weekly Jewish day of rest, from Friday evening to Saturday evening.
- Fill the blankLevel 2
21. A Jewish house of worship is called a ____.
- synagoguecorrect
- mosque
- church
- cathedral
A synagogue is where Jewish people gather to pray and study.
- Multiple choiceLevel 2
22. Where do Jewish people gather to worship and study together?
- A synagoguecorrect
- A mosque
- A temple to many gods
- A monastery
A synagogue is the Jewish house of worship and study.
- Odd one outLevel 2
23. Three of these are found in a synagogue. Which one is not?
- Minaretcorrect
- Ark
- Bimah
- Menorah
A minaret is a tower on a mosque; the ark, bimah and menorah are part of a synagogue.
- Choose all that applyLevel 3
24. Which items are commonly found in a synagogue? Pick all that apply.
- The arkcorrect
- The ner tamid (eternal light)correct
- A minaret
- A baptismal font
A synagogue has an ark and a ner tamid; a minaret belongs to a mosque and a baptismal font to a church.
Torah and Tanakh
- Build the sentenceLevel 2
25. Build a true sentence about how the Torah is read.
Answer: The Torah is read from a handwritten scroll
In the synagogue the Torah is read from a handwritten scroll.
- Choose all that applyLevel 2
26. Which of these are books of the Torah? Pick all that apply.
- Genesiscorrect
- Deuteronomycorrect
- Psalms
- Gospel of Matthew
Genesis and Deuteronomy are books of the Torah; Psalms is elsewhere in the Tanakh and Matthew is in the Christian New Testament.
- Fill the blankLevel 2
27. The Torah is traditionally handwritten on ____ and rolled up as a scroll.
- parchmentcorrect
- paper
- cloth
- a screen
A Torah scroll is carefully written by hand on parchment.
- Guess the numberLevel 2
28. How many books make up the Torah?
Answer: 5 books
The Torah is made up of five books, so it is also called the Five Books of Moses.
- Match the pairsLevel 2
29. Match each religion with its holy book.
Answer: Judaism = Torah; Christianity = Bible; Islam = Quran
Judaism reveres the Torah, Christianity the Bible, and Islam the Quran.
- Fact or fibLevel 3
30. A Torah scroll is read using a pointer called a yad.
Answer: True
A yad, meaning 'hand,' is a pointer used so readers do not touch the Torah scroll directly.
Where these questions come from. Each unit starts as a plan of the concepts it should cover and the difficulty it should span. Questions are written against that plan with AI assistance, then checked by a validator that rejects anything without a single defensible answer, an explanation, or plausible wrong options. How we write questions sets out the whole process, and corrections are fixed in the bank and reach the site and the app the same day.
How you practise
This unit mixes 14 different question formats, so you are recalling and applying rather than recognising the same layout every time.
- Build the sentence
- Choose all that apply
- Fact or fib
- Fill the blank
- Guess the number
- Match the pairs
- Multiple choice
- Odd one out
- Picture question
- Put in order
- Sort into groups
- Spell it
- True or false
- Type the answer
Practise Judaism
120 questions across 21 steps. Start with step one and crawl at your own pace.
Play this unitRead about Judaism
Explainers from our blog on what this unit covers. Each one ends with real questions from the bank.
- What Is the Torah?A clear guide to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, how the scroll is used, and why it sits at the centre of Jewish life.August 28, 2026 · 5 min read
- What Is Shabbat? The Jewish Day of Rest ExplainedFrom Friday sunset to Saturday nightfall, Jewish life stops work and turns to meals, prayer and family.September 14, 2026 · 5 min read
- What Is the Talmud? The Argument That Shaped JudaismThe Talmud is the record of rabbinic debate about how to live by the Torah, compiled over centuries. What is in it, how a page is built, and how it is read.September 14, 2026 · 4 min read
More units in Religion
- What Is Religion?Belief, worship, community and the idea of the sacred
- Festivals and CelebrationsHolidays and celebrations across the world's religions
- Symbols, Stories and Sacred PlacesReligious symbols, famous stories, and places of worship
- Rituals and Everyday PracticePrayer, food and dress, holy days, kindness and charity
- ChristianityChristian beliefs, the Bible, the life of Jesus and the church
- IslamIslamic beliefs, the Quran, the Five Pillars and the mosque
- HinduismHindu beliefs, deities, sacred texts, dharma and worship
- BuddhismThe Buddha, the Four Noble Truths, the path and practice