Top 5 Amazing Jewish / Israeli Board Games

The World Rummikub Championships took place this month and to celebrate we look at some great Israeli / Jewish board games.

1.      Rummikub – Created by Ephraim Hertzano, who left Communist Romania to create the tile game in his Israeli home.

2.      Guess Who? Created by husband and wife team Theo and Ora Coster. Theo survived the Holocaust and was a classmate of Anne Frank. Hear excerpts from his book about her.

3.      Aliyah – The Jewish trivia game created by American Jewish Sunday School teacher Sallie Abelson.

4.      Juden Raus! – A German Nazi era game. Whoever sends the most Jews to Palestine wins.  

5.      Exodus Adventure – Exclusive interview with developer Rabbi Pesach Stadlin on this new innovative role-playing game featuring a 20-sided dreidel.

Rummikub comes to the United States in the 1970s. Credit: Rummikub.com

A an early Hebrew advertisement for Rummikub.

Jews Out game from 1936 Germany. “ Show your skill at dice so you can collect a lot of Jews. Off to Palestina. If you manage to chase out 6 Jews, you are the winner.”

The Aliyah board game used Bracha cards and Mazel cards to ask players Jewish trivia questions. The winner gets to Israel.

The new Exodus Adventure role-playing game is now available on Amazon.com.

20-sided dreidel used for the Exodus Adventure role-playing game.

NOTES:

• Exodus Adventure Players manual and more information

• Exodus Adventure: An Israelite role playing experience - Amazon

• Classmates of Anne Frank documentary with Theo Coster

• We All Wore Stars: Memories of Anne Frank from Her Classmates by Theo Coster

• Juden Raus! Board Game review

• History of Rummikub - Rummikub.com

• Interview with Micha Hertzano, head of the company that makes of Rummikub

• From Romania to Israel: Rummikub Makes Waves - JTA

• Rummikub is the chairman of the board - Israel21c

• Sallie Abelson Developed Popular Trivia Game to Teach Jewish History

• Sallie Abelson, business entrepreneur created Aliyah game

• Making Aliyah—the Board Game - Tablet