judaism key words

unfinished!

tzitzit

tassel

mezuzah

Small folded/rolled parchment inscribed by a qualified calligraphist with scriptural verses

Tefillin

black leather box with two straps which you bind to the forehead

shema

The statement of belief

torah

kaddish

Hymn of praise to god

aleinu

The closing prayer, praising G-d, and restating a jews dedication to G-d as a member of the chosen people.

Tikkun olam

healing the world

manna

the white powder found in the desert during the exodus; god told them its a form of bread

havdallah

Blessings given on the table in shabbat

kiddush

Wine blessing given at shabbat

kiddushin

betrothal

challah

(flat) bread eaten at shabbat

nisuin

marriage

chuppah

The canopy symbolising the marriage is open and welcoming

tallit

tassels worn by men

ketubah

Like a marriage contract. Orthodox – men would sign it, reform – both would sign it.

sheva brokot

Asking gods blessing on the marriage

yichud

In a room together alone after the wedding. Friends would stand outside to make sure they weren’t disturbed.

bedeken

Unveiling woman to see if she is the right one in a wedding.

Rosh Hashanah

Jewish new year – literally means head of the year

Yom kippur

The day of atonement. A day of repentance and fasting on the tenth day after rosh Hashanah. The holiest day of the Jewish new year.

Olam-ha-ba

The world to come

Gan eden

The place where the good spend eternity

Gehenna

A place of cleansing for the soul

Hakalah

Tenakh

Collection of books

elul

The month of repentance, Jews reflect on what they have done wrong during the past year.

shofar

A horn blown every morning during Elul, it remembers gods revelation on mount Sinai and the beginning of the jubilee

teshuvah

The month of repentence

Kol Nidrei prayer

Prayer recited at Rosh Hashanah

Amidah prayer

(the standing prayer) recited as art of public acts of worship in the synagogue

taschlich

Olam-ha-ze

The here and now

Judgement

Part of beliefs about the life after death; a Day of Judgement when God will judge the living and the dead.

resurrection

Being raised from the dead; part of beliefs about life after death that in a future age the dead will rise and live again.

hevra kidishah

high society

aninut

When the bereaved are excuse from all commandments

(Sitting) Shiv’ah

Mourning period after someone dies– 7 days

sheloshim

avelut

minyan

yahrzeit

The anniversary of the death of a parent

yizkor

a memorial prayer

kirah

When Jewish family members rip/tear their clothing as a sign of mourning the loss of a family member.

Shekhinah

Gods presence in; the temple, the people, Jerusalem.

shul

school

Beit kenesset

Place of assembly

Beit tefillah

House of prayer

Beit midrash

Study hall

Bimah

The reading platform in a synagogue from which the torah is read

Aron hakodeth (ark of the covenant)

Aron hakodeth (ark of the covenant)

Ner tamid

A feature of he synagogue; a light that is above and in front of the aron hakodesh, which burns constantly as a symbol of gods presence.

synagogue

A place where Jewish people gather together for worship

Paraket

Curtain

Menorah

Multibranched candle

Parokhet

Tenakh

Then he brought the ark

Siddur

A ‘prayer’

Chamash

A printed version of the torah

Prayer

Communicating with god, listening and speaking to god.

kavanah

The right frame of mind to pray, not being distracted or without thinking carefully about the words.

Brit milah

The religious rite of circumcision usually performed eight days after a boy’s birth.

Kibbutz

Collecting agricultural communities that help each other

Covenant

A binding promise/agreement; gods agreement to look after his chosen people.

Abraham

Known as the father of the Jewish people. God made a covenant with him, promising him land and descendants.

Bar mitzvah

Coming of age ceremony of boys aged 13. Literally “son of the commandment”

Bat mitzvah

Coming of age ceremony for girls aged 12. Literally “daughter of commandment”

Messiah

The ‘anointed one’

Tikkun olam

It is a commitment to healing or repairing the world

Mishnah

the first rabbinic writing of the oral law – uses the phrase ‘tikkun Olam’ to mean doing something because it creates community, not just because a law says to do it

Hatzola

Jewish ambulance service

Healing the world

Key moral principle related to making the world a beter place

shalosh regilim

Pilgrm festivals

pesach

Festival celebrating passover

shavuot

Festival celebrating the giving of the torah

sukkot

Festival celebrating harvest and protection during the exodus

Chametz

Yeast symbolising being ‘puffed up’

Bedikat chamitz

Children hide pieces of leaven around the house, Parents search with candle, feather and spoon, Proves they have seen thorough in getting rid of Chametz

Seder

Order

Seder meal

The meal celebrated at pesach (main part of pesach)

haggadah

the order book from the ceremony of pesach

Matzos

Flat breads

Maror

(lettuce or horseradish) has green leaves symbolising freedom on a bitter stem symbolising slavery

Charoset

a paste made from almonds, apples and wine which are the fruits of the promised land symbolising freedom but it also looks like the mortar used by the Israelites as slaves in Egypt

Shankbone

represents the lamb that was sacrificed and whose blood painted on the floors caused the angel of death to ‘pass over’

Poached egg

represents the sacrifices in the temple and the cycle of life

Halakhah

‘the way’ in which a jew should walk

Talmud

what makes the oral law

Pikuach Nefesh

Mitzvot

The 613 jewish commandments/rules found in the tenakh

Free will

Humans are free to choose to do right or to do wrong, this freedom is a gift from god but comes with responsibility

Tzedakah

Charity

Chesed

Loving kindness

Tithing

Giving 10 % of your income