The History of Hanukkah

Provide a summary of the text.

Which of these sentences from the introduction [paragraphs 1-3] helps the reader understand the original reason for celebrating Hanukkah?

• Hanukkah, or Chanukah, is an eight-day Jewish festival.

• It celebrates the rededication, or reopening, of the Second Temple in Jerusalem almost 2,200 years ago.

• The celebration begins on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar.

• It is celebrated with the lighting of the menorah, traditional foods, games and gifts.

Which of these sentences from the section "Hanukkah traditions" BEST explains the purpose of the menorah during Hanukkah?

• On Hanukkah, a menorah with nine branches is lit.

• The Hebrew word for the menorah is the hanukiah.

• On each of Hanukkah's eight nights, another candle is added after sundown.

• They place the menorah in a window to remind others of the Hanukkah miracle.

The events that inspired Hanukkah took place during a time of unrest in Jewish history. A foreign ruler named Antiochus IV Epiphanes of Syria controlled Judea, the Land of Israel. Antiochus IV Epiphanes outlawed the Jewish religion. He ordered the Jews to worship Greek gods. His soldiers put an altar to a Greek god in the city's holy Second Temple. They sacrificed a pig in the temple. They wanted to make it less sacred. What is the BEST definition of "unrest" based on the information in the paragraph?

• fighting and problems

• helping and building

• happiness and celebration

• sadness and boredom

Some historians have a very different idea of the Hanukkah tale. They believe there was a civil war between two groups of Jews in Jerusalem under Antiochus IV. One group of Jews accepted the Greek and Syrian laws and customs. Another group tried to force the others to follow Jewish laws and traditions. Which phrase from the text helps the reader understand the meaning of the word "customs"?

• Some historians

• civil war between

• Another group

• laws and traditions