Chanukah Heroes and Villains Quiz

Rabbi Menachem Posner serves as managing editor at Chabad.org, the world’s largest Jewish informational website. He has been writing, researching, and editing for Chabad.org since 2006, when he received his rabbinic degree from Central Yeshiva Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch. He lives in Chicago, Ill., with his family.

Join the Discussion

58 Comments

Newest

Oldest

Helen Scotland December 22, 2025

7/9 Not Jewish (tho I wish I was) I love doing these quizzes. Shalom from Scotland Reply

Raymond West Hollywood December 23, 2025

in response to Helen:

Have you ever thought of becoming one? Reply

Andrew Kieran London December 24, 2025

in response to Helen:

Because the Diaspora of the Jews was so widespread it is likely that a large percentage of people in the Western World have some Jewish ancestry. I may even have some myself. Reply

Rita Forbes Clinton December 29, 2025

in response to Helen:

Good Morning, Helen

It seems like you're thinking about it. Certainly, the Torah have scriptures that welcomes and accept the non Jew: Exodus 12:49, Leviticus 19:34, & Deuteronomy 10:19 are just a few. Maimonides and the Rebbe [bless their righteous memories] express that converts who are sincere and obey the laws and Commandments of Torah are precious. You're already reading, learning, and accepting the precepts of Torah. I look forward to hearing your heartfelt decision.

Best wishes, Reply

Andrew Elder Ohio, USA January 1, 2026

in response to Helen:

if serious, ask the rabbi here at Chabad.org., in the search bar

Shalom and Shalom Israel Reply

Helen Scotland December 29, 2025

in response to Raymond:

Even if I went through the Mikvah, it would not make me Jewish, since my ancestors were not Jewish. Reply

Raymond West Hollywood December 30, 2025

in response to Helen :

Even somebody with no Jewish ancestry can have an Orthodox conversion to Judaism, just as long as you go through all of the required, necessary steps. And while the process is not necessarily so easy, that is because we Jews want to determine the sincerity of the would-be convert. Essentially, we are more interested in quality than quantity when it comes to being Jewish Reply

Helen Scotland December 29, 2025

in response to Andrew Kieran:

Yes, there is that possibility. I have looked up Jewish surnames but none of my family’s surnames have Jewish origins. Reply

Andrew London December 30, 2025

in response to Helen :

Same with me Helen Reply

mc Winnipeg CA December 21, 2025

sryein assyrian what's the diffrence? Reply

Feigue Cieplinski Middletown December 18, 2025

I particularly love the pictures in this quiz! The books on Hanukkah are not part of what we learn so all we know is how they taught us ( either parents or teachers). A good book in Jewish History helps also. The latter is how I got some questions right. 2 misses because those are internal issues. Always ready to learn more- one day at a time like in Hanukkah. Reply

Raymond West Hollywood December 22, 2025

in response to Feigue Cieplinski:

one day at a time Reply

Myriam PARIS December 18, 2025

THANKS the quizz is hard enough so I dont get 10 and Judith is no more forgotten Reply

Jim Krämer Pittsburgh, PA, USA December 18, 2025

5/9

It's been many years for me since I was Jewish. We don't do Chanukah in the Baptist Church. I forgot a lot! Reply

Raymond West Hollywood December 18, 2025

I scored 7/9. I thought our enemy was the Assyrian Greeks as opposed to the Syrian Greeks, which to my mind at least is a very minor mistake. Plus, I never heard about Greek war elephants before Reply

Rivka Rachum WEST ORANGE December 18, 2025

7/9🙄 I've never heard about the elephant until this quiz. And Assyrian vs Syrian Greeks? Oy! Reply

Raymond West Hollywood December 18, 2025

in response to Rivka Rachum:

Those are exactly the two questions that i got wrong as well Reply

Rita Forbes Clinton December 18, 2025

in response to Rivka Rachum:

Hi, Rivka

Wow! Elephants were everywhere! It reminds me of Hannibal the North African General who used elephants to cross the Alps into Italy in 218 BCE to fight the Punic War. It literally shocked the Romans! I'm shocked [now] when I see them at the zoo! 😲General Hannibal was greatly admired by General and Emperor Napolean Bonaparte of France. We can do "great" things when we use our creative imagination and work with GD. Thank you.

Best wishes,
Reply

Tzipporah Bat Ami NY December 17, 2025

Thank you. I donated to Colel Chabad in Israel in memory of my relative Nussen Ben Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen who was buried on Har Hazeisim. I ask that people read the books he was part of in his sister's series about the Holocaust she was in as a child. Look up the series on Amazon by Alice Muller. You will find all of them. We ask him to bring the Geulah this zos Chanuka Reply

Andrew London December 17, 2025

Excellent quiz as usual Rabbi.
It contains more information than the two books of Maccabees which are the only books I have read on this subject. Reply

Gernot Riegert Ismaning December 17, 2025

9/9! With the generals and the war elevant I took a lucky guess I admit ;-).
Shalom and Greetings from Germany Reply

Carolyn Barratt December 17, 2025

5/9. Guess I have to read it more. Reply

Yiscah Sarah Nairobi December 17, 2025

Baruch Hashem. I'm glad to learn here.
King Solomon said." If you walk with the wise you will be come wise, but if you walk with the wicked you will suffer." 6/10 Reply

Susie Staples Pittsburgh December 16, 2025

5/9 This is my first time trying it and I am Jewish on both sides of the family but never knew it until 2002. Reply

Rivka Rachum WEST ORANGE December 18, 2025

in response to Susie Staples:

Welcome to the family!😊 Reply

Raymond West Hollywood December 18, 2025

in response to Susie Staples:

I am curious to know why you being Jewish had not been a Staple in your family Reply

Tzipporah Bat Ami December 22, 2025

in response to Raymond:

She may have been born to a Christian woman and may be Christian yet she may have Jews in her family. I thank G-d I was born to Jews and will live and die a Jew. Reply

Ari December 16, 2025

BH! Love these quizzes and everything y’all do! Very blessed to have you all and all you do. Thank you and Moshiach now! :) prayers for Israel and the Jewish people and all who need! Reply

Tzipporah Bat Ami New Rochelle December 18, 2025

in response to Ari:

Let's have the Geulah however Hashem wishes to bring it. Let's daven and give tzedaka to make it happen this zos Chanuka Reply

Skip Goldberg Quincy December 14, 2025

I got 7 out of 9 first try. Not bad for a reformed jew I guess!

This first night of this years Festival of Lights is very sad and dark for the evil that has occurred in Sydney at the shock of the world.

The lights will burn brighter each and every remaking night of Chanukah 2025! Reply

Axel Berger Köln-Ossendorf December 14, 2025

Oy vey, mixed up the two sets of sons and missed the generals. Reply

Abby Roth Boca Raton, FL September 2, 2025

6/9 Nice! Reply

Lisa Solinga New Rochelle, NY December 30, 2024

Learning the story. Such an important lesson.

Happy Chanukah! Reply

Rita Forbes Clinton December 30, 2024

🕊💜

Some stories, especially those where good triumphs over evil, one never tire of hearing.

Shanah Tovah, Reply

More in this section

You may also be interested in...

Join the Discussion