Judaism

Circumcision (Brit Milah)

A welcoming rite for male babies into the covenant, performed on the eighth day of life.

Kashrut (Dietary Laws)

Laws that govern what foods are permissible (kosher) and not permissible (treif) for consumption.

Shechitah

The specific slaughtering process that must be followed for meat and poultry under kosher laws.

Shabbat (Sabbath)

The weekly day of rest, observed from Friday night to Saturday nightfall, commemorating God's day of rest after creation.

Kiddush

The blessing recited over wine at the beginning of the evening meal on Shabbat.

Ethical Monotheism

The belief that God is one and concerned with the actions of humankind.

Halakhah

The rabbinic Jewish way of life based on a combined reading of the Torah and the oral tradition.

Covenant

A binding agreement or relationship, particularly the one between God and the Jewish people.

Passover (Pesach)

A week-long holiday commemorating the Exodus from Egypt.

The Temple

Refers to the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, which were central to ancient Jewish worship.

Synagogue

A Jewish house of prayer and study.

Rabbi

A teacher and leader of individual Jewish communities.

Impact of the Holocaust

The mass murder of approximately six million Jews during World War II affected their view of God as loving and kind and reestablished the nation of Israel.

Tanakh

The Jewish Bible, consisting of three sections: Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim.

Torah

The first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures, containing legal materials including the Ten Commandments.

Nevi'im

The section of the Tanakh containing historical and prophetic books.

Ketuvim

A collection of various literary genres in the Tanakh, including wisdom literature and apocalyptic text.

Sin

Actions that violate God's commandments and the covenant.