Glossary

antisemitism—a 2,000-year-old hatred against Jews

ark—cabinet in which the Torah scrolls are kept in the synagogue

Ashkenazic—having to do with Jews and their practices associated with central and eastern Europe

bar or bat mitzvah—literally, “son or daughter of the commandment,” coming-of-age ritual, traditionally at the age of 13 for Jewish boys and 12 or 13 for girls, plural b’nai mitzvah

bimah—platform from which services are led in a synagogue

B’nai B’rith—literally, “children of the covenant,” Jewish social service fraternity established in 1855

brit milah or bris—literally, “covenant of circumcision,” ritual circumcision performed on males eight days old

bubbe—affectionate Yiddish name for grandmother

cantor—synagogue official who sings or chants and leads the congregation in prayer and song

challah—braided bread eaten on Shabbat and on most Jewish holidays

Chanukah—Festival of Freedom or Feast of Lights, eight-day holiday commemorating victory of the Maccabees over Syrian rulers in 167 B.C.E.

Chanukah menorah—special candelabra designed with nine candleholders for Chanukah candle-lighting
ceremony

Chevra Kadisha—literally, “holy society,” Jewish burial society

chuppah—canopy under which a Jewish wedding ceremony takes place

Confirmation—group ceremony usually held on Shavuot that recognizes students (ages 15 or 16) who are completing the religious school curriculum

congregation—organized group who assemble for religious worship, study and other activities

Consecration—modern ceremony marking the formal beginning of religious instruction for Jewish children

Conservative—a major Jewish denomination that views Jewish law as the outcome of the ongoing interaction between God and the Jewish people over the course of history. The term “Conservative” was meant to signify the movement’s attempt to conserve Jewish Tradition. It is more traditional than Reform but less than Orthodox.

Diaspora—originating in the sixth century B.C.E. with the Babylonian exile, refers to Jewish communitiesand their residents living outside of Palestine or modern Israel

etrog—citrus-type fruit, agricultural symbol and ritual object used on Sukkot

Hebrew—the Semitic language spoken by the ancient Israelites; the holy and scholarly language of the Jews throughout history; modern Hebrew is the national language of the State of Israel.

heder—Jewish elementary school where children are taught to read the Torah and other Hebrew books; today may refer to a synagogue-based Hebrew school

High Holidays—or High Holy Days, in Judaism, mean the holidays of Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)

Judaism—the monotheistic religion of the Jews

kehillah—a Jewish community

kippah—small round head covering worn as a symbol of respect and religious observance, traditionally worn by men

kosher—conforming to Jewish law, especially dietary law

latkes—fried pancakes, usually potato latkes, traditionally eaten on Chanukah

lulav—palm branch, two willow branches and three myrtle branches bound together, a ritual object used on Sukkot

ma’asim tovim—good deeds

madrichim—plural for madrich–youths who assist in religious school after they have completed their formal education

Masada—young adult Zionist group named after the ancient fortification that was the last Jewish stronghold against the Roman invasion; in 73 C.E., three years after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans, the Zealots, as they were known, committed mass suicide rather than surrender to the Romans; today Masada is one of the most visited tourist sites in Israel

matzah—unleavened bread eaten primarily during Passover

mikvah—ritual bath

minyan—quorum of ten adult males traditionally required for public worship; some congregations now count adult women

mitzvah— commandment, also good works or deeds, plural mitzvot

mohel—person trained to perform ritual circumcision, see brit milah

Orthodox—a major Jewish denomination, the most traditional of the major movements in Judaism with many different sects all adhering to the central belief that the Torah is the exact word of God without any human influence, with strict observance of Jewish law

parochet—curtain that covers the Torah inside the ark in a synagogue

Passover—joyous spring holiday commemorating the deliverance of the ancient Hebrews from Egyptian bondage, celebrated for eight days by Conservative and Orthodox Jews and seven days by Reform Jews and in the State of Israel

pogrom—organized violent attack, a massacre, against Jews

pushke—small container with a coin slot used to collect money for a charitable cause, often the “blue box” for the Jewish National Fund to purchase trees in Israel

rabbi—spiritual leader of a Jewish congregation

Reform—a major Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of the religion, the superiority of its ethical aspects to the ceremonial ones and a belief in a continuous revelation, the most traditionally liberal of the branches of Judaism

Rosh Hashanah—literally, “head of the year,” the new year on the Hebrew calendar, one of holiest days of the Jewish year

schmooze or schmoozing—friendly informal conversation

seder—ceremonial meal, usually held on the first and second evenings of Passover, commemorating the exodus from Egypt

sefer—book, plural sifrei

Shabbat—Jewish Sabbath observed Friday night to Saturday night at the appearance of the first stars

Shavuot—holiday celebrated fifty days after Passover on the anniversary of Moses receiving the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai

shochet—ritual slaughterer, kosher butcher

shofar—hallowed out ram’s horn that is blown like a trumpet; an ancient musical instrument today blown on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as part of the prayer service

siddur—prayer book

simcha—blessing, blessed event

Simchat Torah—fall holiday that marks the completion of the reading of the Torah

shloshim—traditional 30-day Jewish period of mourning following burial

sofer—(male), soferet (female) scribe, specially trained scholar who inscribes the Hebrew words on a Torah, plural soferim

sukkah—temporary hut where Jews traditionally reside during Sukkot with an open roof made from branches and hanging fruit to celebrate the harvest and to commemorate the Israelites’ 40 years of wandering in the wilderness

Sukkot—literally, “booths,” a weeklong festival when Jews traditionally eat and sleep in a sukkah

synagogue—building used for Jewish worship, study and assembly

tallitot—prayer shawls, plural for tallit

Talmud—authoritative collection of ancient rabbinic laws, commentaries and traditions related to the Torah, dating from the 5th and 6th centuries C.E.

Tayarim—literally, “travelers,” the name for the JCC summer camp for preteens entering 6th and 7th graders

tefillin—small black leather boxes containing Jewish prayers written on parchment and attached with leather straps to forehead and forearm in a prescribed manner, referred to as “laying tefillin”

tikkun olam—literally, “repairing the world,” the Jewish ideal that each individual acts in partnership with God in behalf of social justice to improve the world

Torah—Five Books of Moses; first five books of the Bible; the body of Jewish law and ritual tradition

tzedakah—righteous giving; charity

yahrzeit—anniversary of a death observed by an immediate family member

Yiddish—mixture of German, Hebrew and Slavic; traditional Ashkenazic language

Yom Ha-Shoah—Holocaust Remembrance Day

Yom Kippur—Day of Atonement; holiest day of the Jewish year

zayde—affectionate Yiddish name for grandfather

Zionist—a follower of Zionism, the worldwide political movement, rooted in historic yearnings and formally organized in 1897 that worked toward establishing the Jewish homeland in Israel; today Zionists continue to help Israel develop and prosper

Main sources: SJH: Southern Jewish History, combined glossary from volumes 1 through 18 (Southern Jewish
Historical Society, 1998–2015); JPS: Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic: Dictionary of Jewish Words (Jewish
Publication Society, 2001)