Holocaust and Jewish History Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, concepts, traditions, and historical figures related to Jewish history and the Holocaust.

Talmud

The collection of 1,000 years of Jewish law and tradition comprising 40 volumes, which one must study to become a rabbi or spiritual leader.

Cabbala

A system of the mystical interpretation of scriptures collected into the Zohar or Book of Brightness, covering subjects such as angels, death, numerology, the coming of the Messiah, and human reason in relation to God.

Hasidism

Orthodox or traditional Judaism that fosters purity of heart, prayer, and strict obedience to God’s commandments.

Zionism

Support for the formation of the state of Israel; it provided hope for survivors of death camps and deportation, leading to Israel's establishment in 1948.

Synagogue

A Jewish house of worship and assembly that serves as a center for prayer, education, and public aid.

Rabbi

Meaning “my teacher” or “my mentor”; the chief religious leader of a synagogue.

Passover

A Jewish holiday that celebrates the freedom and migration of the Jews from their captivity in Egypt.

Rosh Hashanah

A high holy day that marks the beginning of the Jewish new year.

Yom Kippur

The Day of Atonement; a holy day occurring 9 days after Rosh Hashanah, observed through fasting and daylong recitation of prayers of repentance.

Kaddish

A Jewish prayer for the dead consisting of a hymn of praise to God, recited during the burial service, memorial services for all Jewish dead, and during certain holidays.

Ghetto

Small, restricted city sections surrounded by walls, guards, and barbed wire where Nazis forced Jews beginning in 1939; governed by Jewish councils, they served as holding stations prior to deportation to concentration camps.

Kapos

Camp prisoners who supervised other prisoners in return for special privileges; often hardened criminals or sadists who terrorized and beat their charges to maintain order for the Nazis.

Fascism

A totalitarian form of government that dominated Italian politics from 1922–1945, suppressing individual freedom, encouraging nationalism, and relying on threats of violence and harsh oppressive measures.

Gestapo

The Nazi secret state police that monitored internal German affairs from 1933–1945, tasked primarily with eliminating “undesirables” and terrorizing citizens at will.

S.S.

Schutzstaffel (protective echelon), also known as Blackshirts; formed in 1923 as Hitler’s bodyguards, they later represented the master race ideal of pure Aryan stock and became the most hated and feared of Hitler's fanatics.

Heinrich Himmler

(1900–1945) Hitler’s second in command and head of the S.S. who established the 1st concentration camp, oversaw the imprisonment of “undesirables,” and committed suicide before the Nurenburg trials.