Judaism Vocab

B’rit Milah

Circumcision → regarded as the seal of the covenant and as a sign of obedience to God → outward showing of obedience to God

Bar/Bat Mitzvah

A coming of age ritual where a boy (13) or girl (12) gains religious responsibility → responsible for yetzer ha-ra (negative) versus yezter ha-tov (positive)

For Bar, boys read the Torah to signify new religious responsibility

Ketubah

A Jewish marriage contract that outlines the husband’s obligations to his wife

Get

A Jewish divorce document that allows a Jewish marriage to be legally dissolved under halakha (Jewish Law) → can only be given by the husband to the wife and is a formal declaration that the husband is “releasing” his wife from the marriage bond

*some branches of Judaism (Reform and Conservative) MAY allow the wife to initiate the process of obtaining a Get

Bracha

blessing → recitation of blessings → expressing gratitude towards God

Kiddush

A blessing said over wine or grape juice to sanctify the Shabbat and Jewish holidays → marks the beginning of Shabbat and declares certain holidays’ holiness.

Siddur

A Jewish prayer book that contains the standard order of prayer and blessings used in daily, weekly, and holiday services

Shema

The central prayer of Judaism → expresses the singularity of God

recited multiple times a day and serves as a reaffirmation of God’s duty to love and our duty to serve Him

Bimah

a raised platform in the synagogue where the Torah is read

Torah

The first five books of the Hebrew bible → means “law” or “teachings”

• written Torah = refers to the entire Tanakh

• oral Torah = includes rabbinic interpretations and traditions passed down through generations; authoritative

Nevi’im

Prophets → spokespersons that describe the history of Judaism after the death of Moses. They tell the Jews’ relationship with Yahweh (way of saying God in Hebrew bible), their history, and they show the Covenant.

Ketuvim

“Writings” → miscellaneous collection of sacred writings that were not classified in either the Torah or Nevi’im

Ashkenazi

Primarily of Central and Eastern European descent → Germany and surrounding areas

they speak Yiddish

this is the group impacted by the Holocaust

Sephardic

Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and the broader Mediterranean region

The expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492 led to a significant diaspora → led to cultural and linguistic diversity and a broadened definition of the word

Kashrut

“ritual suitability” → refers to Jewish dietary laws → Outlines which foods are permitted to be eaten and how they must be prepared according to Jewish law

Kippah

“dome” → skullcap / hat worn to show reverence and respect for God → it serves as a sign of humility and a reminder of a higher power → work by Jewish men at all times (traditionally), especially during prayer

*not a Halachic (Jewish Law)

*optional for women in some cultures / branches

Tefillin

small leather boxes worn by men on the forehead and arm during weekday morning prayers → they contain scrolls of parchment inscribed with specific verses from the Torah, and serve as a symbolic expression of faith and remembrance of mitzvahs → binding of God’s words to one’s body

Mezuzah

A doorpost that is affixed at the entrance of a Jewish home that simple is a reminder of the Jewish faith and a symbol of the home as a sacred place

Tallit

A prayer shawl → symbol of divine presence and reminder of the Jewish commandments (the tzitzit (fringes))

Sabbath / Shabbat

The weekly day of rest and worship (sundown Friday to sundown Saturday) → rooted in the Genesis story where God rested on the 7th day. (thus, commemorates God’s creation of the world)

A time for families to gather, enjoy a special meal, and engage in spiritual reflection

Refrain from any activities that resemble or require labor

Pesach (Passover)

7/8 day spring festival that celebrates the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt

The Seder is a symbolic ritual meal that recounts the events of the Exodus and includes various foods and actions that represent aspects of the story → ex:

Lamb’s blood marks God “passing over” the houses of the Israelites

Not just a historical commemoration, but a time for reflection on the continued need for justice and freedom. Also serves as a reminder of the importance of family, community, and faith

Shavuot

AKA Festival of the Weeks. A two-day holiday commemorating the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people at mount Sinai

Also, marks the end of the seven-week counting period (Omer) following the Passover

Rosh Hashanah

The Jewish New Year → one of the holiest days in Judaism → time for spiritual reflection, self-assessment, and asking for forgiveness for the past year’s actions.

Customs: blowing the ram’s horn, praying by a body of water, and consuming traditional foods like challah and pomegranates

Start of the 10-day period of introspection and repentance that culminates in Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur

The Day of Atonement → 10 days after Rosh Hashanah → the HOLIEST day of the Jewish year

purpose/ significance: a time for individual and collective purification → aiming to make amends for sins and achieve reconciliation with God and other people

An opportunity for spiritual cleansing and a new beginning

extensive synagogue services, Torah readings, fasting (symbolizes physical detachment to focus on spiritual matters), etc.

Sukkot

AKA the Feast of Tabernacles → a 7-day holiday celebrating the fall harvest and commemorating the 40 years the Israelites spent wondering in the desert after the Exodus

A joyful celebration

Bat Chayil

Similar to a Bat Mitzvah, but without the formal services and Torah reading

*not during Shabbat services

Cantor

A trained vocalist and member of the clergy who leads the congregation in prayer, chanting, and musical aspects of synagogue services

→ also play a major role in life cycle events and teach music to both children and adults

Torah (oral and written)

Torah - 1st 5 books of the Bible, law of God

Oral Torah - passed down to Moses on Mt. Sinai by God, but not written down

TaNaKh

Torah

Nevi’im

Ketuvim

Mishnah

A collection of the oral Torah/law compiled by 2nd century CE

Gemara

Aramaic commentary on Mishnah showing its scriptural bases

Talmud

Contains debates between rabbis, theological, philosophical, and ethical works

Halakah

Jewish law present in the Talmud consisting of rabbinical debate based on interpretation of the Torah’s legal material

Aggadah

Part of the Talmud that deals with ethics and moral values, including narrative material on exemplary figures

Responsa

refers to the practice of rabbis or Jewish scholars issuing written rulings and answers in response to questions about halakah → used to develop and clarify Jewish law for centuries

Aramaic

Was once the language of the masses (common amongst Jewish people)

Shema

The central prayer of Judaism because it expresses the oneness of God

• God is SOLE creator

Messiah

There is not currently a Jewish Messiah, but there is an expectation of one

Olam Ha-Ba

refers to the Jewish afterlife as well as the Messianic age of eternal peace and justice

Cosmogony / Cosmology

• God is the SOLE creator

• Humans have free will and struggle between the good and bad, but must cooperate and create a world of peace and justice

Rabbi

Authoritative people who are continually interpreting the Torah in different ages and circumstances

Beth din

Rabbinic court

Covenant

God offers blessings and protection in exchange for Jewish obedience to His commandments → signifies a special relationship between God and the Jewish people

**establishes the Jewish people as God’s chosen people

Hasidic dance

mostly in ultra-orthodox communities → a tool for expressing joy, and is believed to purify the soul, promote spiritual elation, and unify the community

Kabbalah

A system of Jewish mysticism that explores the hidden dimensions of Jewish thought and tradition → seeking to understand the relationship between God, the universe, and humanity

Conversion

Conversion is discouraged (as Judaism is not a missionary religion), and challenging (it is believed that a convert should be just as Jewish as someone born of a Jewish mother)

Shechita

the Jewish ritual slaughter method for producing kosher meat

• vital for Kashrut

• Judaism argues this promotes animal rights

Zionism

nationalistic/ political/ ideological movement for the establishment and sustaining of statehood or a homeland for the Jewish people

Where is love outlined in the Torah

• of God: Deuteronomy 6:4

• of neighbor: Leviticus 19:18

viewpoints on war

Judaism views war with a combination of abhorrence and acknowledgment of its necessity in certain circumstances. While the ideal is peace and the pursuit of justice without violence, Judaism recognizes that at times, war may be justifiable, particularly for self-defense or to address injustice.

antisemitism

hostility to or prejudice against Jewish people

tikkun olam

“repair of the world” → encourages individuals to actively work towards improving the world for the better, both physically and spiritually