The Chosen Vocabulary 1-30

**synagogue (n)**

**a Jewish place of worship**

**tumult (n)**

**a loud noise, usually created by an unrestrained crowd or some kind of confusion**

**acquiesce (v)**

**to accept reluctantly but without protest**

**ensue (v)**

**to happen or occur afterward or as a result of**

**Talmud (n)**

**the collection of ancient rabbanic writings on Jewish law and tradition that constitute the basis of religious authority in Orthodox Judaism**

**harangue (n)**

**a passionate, lengthy, and aggressive speech**

**zeal (n)**

**great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause**

**disheveled (adj)**

**messy, especially of a person's clothes or hair**

**lament (v)**

**to passionately express grief, sorrow, or regret**

**dejected (adj)**

**sad, depressed, seemingly without hope**

tenets (n)

important beliefs that are part of a larger framework of beliefs

discourse (n)

**a serious speech, writing, or conversation on a particular topic**

desecration (n)

**the violation of a sacred character**

**nuances (n)**

**a subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound**

**earnest (adj)**

**sincere or serious**

**docile (adj)**

**easily led or managed; submissive; well-behaved**

**accentuate (v)**

**to emphasize or draw attention to**

**psychoanalysis (n)**

**a system of psychological theory and therapy that aims to treat mental disorders by investigating the interaction of conscious and unconscious elements in the mind and bringing repressed fears and conflicts into the conscious mind by techniques such as dream interpretation and free association.**

**deduce (v)**

**to conclude by reasoning**

**gaunt (adj)**

**very thin and bony, often related to hunger**

penance (n)

**self-punishment to make up for wrong doing**

**minute (adj)**

**minor; very small**

**pious (adj)**

**devoutly religious**

**degenerate (adj)**

**showing evidence of decline; having lost the physical, mental, or moral qualities considered normal and desirable**

**secular (adj)**

**not religious**

**ordination (n)**

**a ceremony in which someone is officially declared a religious leader**

**serrated (adj)**

**having points along the edge like some saws, knives, and leaves**

**orthodox (adj)**

**conforming to what is generally accepted as right or true (especially when referring to religious or political beliefs); established and approved**

**allusion (n)**

**a figure of speech that makes an indirect reference to people, places, or events (often from the Bible, history, mythology, or literature) that the audience should understand**

**discerning (adj)**

**having or showing good judgement**