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Abraham
the patriarch, father of the lineage of faith by the Jewish
Aramic
language of the Talmud (when the Jewish pray it goes directly to God)
Ark
the Hold Ark (Aron ha-Kodesh), the holy chest where the Torah scrolls are kept in synagogue on the wall facing Jerusalem
Bat Mitzvah
“Daughter of the Commandment”, the right of passage of a young girl (age 12) to read from the Torah
Bar Mitzvah
“Son of the Commandment”, the right of passage of a young male (age 13) to read from the Torah
Beit Midrash
Jewish house of study and discussion
Beracha
blessing; a type of prayer in which God is blessed
B’rit Milah
circumcision; removal of the foreskin
Cantor
hazzan/chazzan; one who recites, chants, or sings prayers
Conservative Judaism
American Jewish movement, reacting to early Jewish Reform movements but still adapting to modern situations
Covenant/B’rit
a mutual promise/compact between two parties
Deuteronomy
5th book of Humash or Five Books of Moses; final speech of Moses’ life
Elijah
Hebrew prophet and visionary; taken to Heaven in a chariot of fire
Diaspora
“dispersion” of Jewish communities living in countries other than Israel
Exodus
“Names;'“ the 2nd books of the Five Books of Moses, or Humash; narrative of Moses leading the escape from slavery in Egypt
Book of Genesis
1st book of the Humash or 5 Books of Moses; details Jewish understanding of the creation of the universe
Ghetto
part of a city or town where Jews were forced to live
Hanukka/Chanukka
“dedication;” eight-day celebration of the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after it was reclaimed
Hasidic
“pious one;” those who developed extraordinary devotion to the spirituality of Jewish life
Havdalah
distinction or division; marking the end of Shabbat
Hebrew
ancient language of the Israelites
High Holy Days
Rosh Hashanah (New Year) to Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)
Holocaust
Nazi German campaign to exterminate the Jewish people with death camps and gas chambers
Isaiah
Hebrew prophet whose spiritual vision is recorded in the biblical book of Isaiah
Israel
“Wrestler with God;” name given to the Jewish patriarch Jacob and came to refer to the entire nation
Jeremiah
Hebrew prophet who foresaw the downfall of Jerusalem and the Kingdom of Judah at the hands of the Babylonians
Jerusalem
ancient capital of Israel from the time of King David
Joshua
the leader Moses appointed to succeed him after his death
Judaism
the worldview, the way of life, and the religious practice of the Jewish people, living in covenant with God and in response to the Torah
Halakhah
Jewish law
Kabbalah
the Jewish mystical tradition
Kedushah
holiness, or sanctification
King David
the King of Israel credited with uniting the many tribes of Israel into a centralized kingdom with Jerusalem as its capital
Kippah/Yarmulke
a head covering, a skull cap, worn by Jewish men for worship, religious study, meals, or at all times
Love
of God and neighbor
Kosher
“proper” or “correct” when in reference to food that is permissible to eat under Jewish dietary restrictions (Kashrut)
Book of Leviticus
“and he called;” the third book of the Humash or Five Books of Moses; details the priestly obligations and formed the spiritual heart of the fourty-year journey in the wilderness and basis of later service in the Temple of Jerusalem
Menorah
a candelabrum originally used in the ancient Temple
Mashiach/Messiah
“anointed one”
Mikveh
a ritual bath
Mishnah
“teaching;” written compilation of the oral Torah also believed to have been revealed at Sinai
Mitzvah
“commandment”
Moses/Musa
biblical prophet who is credited with leading the people of Israel out of Egyptian bondage and teaching them the divine laws at Mount Sinai
Musaf
additional sacrifice or prayer instituted on the Sabbath and other Jewish holidays
Noah
descendant of Adam whose story is told in the biblical narrative of Genesis; he built and ark and saved himself and his family from a flood
Book of Numbers
fourth book of the Humash or Five Books of Moses; “journey through the winderness”
Orthodox Judaism
sect of Judaism that affirms its commitment to the “unchanging” divine revelation of Torah
Passover/Pesah
“the festival of unleavened bread”; commemorate God’s deliverance of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt, eating only unleavened bread or matzah
Purim
festival commemorating the legendary rescue of the Jewish people from the threat of extermination in Persia
Prophet
a spokesman for God
Rabbi
“my master”; authorized teacher of the classical Jewish tradition
Rabbinic Judaism
Judaism descended from the rabbis, the teachers, who compiles the Mishnah and the Talmud
Reform Judaism
one of the modern Jewish movements; emphasizes the legitimacy of change
Rosh Hashannah
Day of the Jewish New Year, falling on the first day of the autumn month of Tishri
Seder
traditional family service that marks the opening of the celebration of Passover
Shabbat/Sabbath
the day of rest, the seventh day
Shavuot
“weeks”; celebrating seven weeks after Passover
Shema
one of the basic Jewish prayers, recited twice a day, every morning and night, daily
Siddur
the common term used from the Jewish prayer book
Mount Sinai
holy mountain in which Moses is said to have received the Torah, and where the people of Israel once again entered into a covenant with God
Sukkot
harvest festival, also known as the festival of “booths”; booths recall the temporary shelters in which the people of Israel lived
Synagogue
“shul” in Yiddish, most widely used term for a Jewish house of worship
Talmud
compendium of many texts, a comprehensive legal code, including Rabbinic disputation and other material
Tanakh
Hebrew Bible
Tefillin
small black leather boxes containing verses of the Torah that Orthodox Jews bind to the forehead and non-dominant arm during morning prayer
Tikkum Olam
to heal or repair the world; the responsibility to take action to make the world a better place
Torah
teaching or instruction, referring to the first five books of the Bible
Tzedakah
“righteousness” or “justice”
Yetzer Hatov
“good impulse”; moral compass to follow God’s law
Yetzer Hara
“evil impulse”; selfish desire for satisfaction of personal needs
Yiddish
the language of Ashkenazi or Eastern European Jews, based primarily on German words taken from Hebrew and many Slavic languages
Yom ha-Shoah
Holocaust remembrance day
Yom Kippur
“Day of Atonement”; holiest day of the Jewish year
Shekinah
the divine presence of God
Teshuvah
repentance or returning to God
Kehillah
Jewish community
Zionism
Zion is a sacred hill in Jerusalem and refers to Jerusalem and the homeland of the Hebrew people
Pikuach Nnefesh
setting aside a law to save a life
Ketubah
marriage contract
Ma’ariv
evening prayerm
Minhah
afternoon prayer
Shaharit
morning prayer
Shechitah
ritual slaughter
Aggadah
traditions of the rabbis
Gemarah
“learning” of the rabbis
Halakhah
the legal part of the Jewish religion that was developed in rabbinic writings
Shema
a declaration of God’s unity
Kashrut
dietary restrictions
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