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Congregation Albert - Jewish terms Category: History and Culture > Jewish terms Date & country: 30/01/2018, USA Words: 117

Anti-Semitism
An irrational hatred of Jews.

Aufruf
Calling up of the bridegroom for Torah blessings on the Shabbat preceding the wedding.

Berachah
(pl. Berachot) Blessing.

Bimah
The raised platform in the synagogue where the Torah is read.

Blintzes
Cheese- or fruit-filled crepes.

Challah
Braided egg bread, for Shabbat and festivals.

Chamets
Leavened bread and anything made with wheat, rye, barley, oats, and spelt unless supervised to ensure that it has not leavened.

Chanukah
Literally: dedication.

Chanukat HaBayit
Literally: dedication of the house.Ceremonial hanging of the mezuzah.

Chanukiah
Eight-branched Chanukah menorah.

Charoset
A mixture of fruits, nuts, and wine. Its color and consistency is a reminder of the bricks and mortar used by the Israelite slaves.

Chatan
Groom.

Chavurah
(pl. Chavurot) Informal group which meets together for study and celebration.

Cheder
Old-fashioned term for Hebrew school. In Eastern Europe, it was the primary school.

Chevrah Kadisha
Group of people entrusted with the mitzvah of preparing the body for burial.

Chuppah
Canopy; it can be a talit, velvet or silk canopy, or floral arrangement.

Confirmation
Ceremony marking completion of the religious school courses, often held on Shavuot.

Diaspora
Jewish communities outside of Israel.

Etrog
Citron.

Fasting
Bridal couple traditionally fasts on the wedding day prior to the ceremony.

Fleishig
Foods derived from meat or meat products.

Galut
Exile.

Gan Eden
Literally: Garden of Eden; paradise.

Gehinom
Literally: Valley of Hinom; place of punishment.

Ger/Gioret
One who is invited to join the Hebrew tribe.The masculine and feminine forms of the Hebrew term for convert.

Gerut
Conversion.

Get
Religious divorce.

Glass to Break
There are various interpretations of the symbolism. The traditional explanation is that the glass is broken in memory of the destruction of the Temple.

Grogger
Noisemaker used to drown out Haman's name.

Haftarah
Selection from the Prophets read or chanted after the weekly Torah portion.

Haggadah
(pl. Haggadot) Literally: telling.It is our duty to tell the story of Passover, particularly to the children.

Hakafah
(pl. Hakafot) Procession, circling the sanctuary with the Torah.

Halachah
Jewish Law.

Hamantashen
Filled three-cornered pastries supposed to represent Haman's hat.

Havdalah
Literally: separation. Ceremony on Saturday night, dividing the Sabbath from the beginning of the week.

Hebrew School
After-school Hebrew classes.

Hora
Israeli folk dance.

Kaddish
Prayer praising God. There are several Kaddish prayers recited during the service, one of which is recited in memory of the departed.

Kalah
Bride.

Kallah
(pl. Kallot) A conclave or retreat.

Karpas
A green herb such as parsley or a green vegetable such as celery or watercress. It symbolizes spring.

Kavanah
Intention.

Keriah
Tearing of a garment or a ribbon as an expression of grief.

Ketubah
(pl. Ketubot) Marriage contract.

Kevod HaMet
Honor due to the dead.

Kiddush
Blessing recited or chanted over wine, emphasizing the holiness of Shabbat and festivals.

Kiddush Cup
For wine, which is drunk after the Sheva Berachot.

Kiddush Pe'ter Rechem
Modern ceremony celebrating the birth of the first child.

Kiddushin
Marriage.

Klaf
Handwritten mezuzah scroll containing Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 11:13-21.

Kodesh
Holy.

Kol Nidrei
Literally: all vows. Opening prayer for Yom Kippur eve.

Kosher
Ritually fit.

Machzor
High Holy Day prayer book.

Ma'ot Chitim
Literally: wheat money; money collected prior to Passover to assist the needy to celebrate the holiday.

Maror
The bitter herbs such as horseradish symbolizing the bitter plight of the enslaved Israelites.

Matzah
The unleavened bread eaten in recollection of the hurried departure from Egypt. The eating of matzah is obligatory only at the seder. During the rest of Pesach, one may abstain from matzah as long as all chamets is avoided.

Megillah
(pl. Megillot) Literally: scroll. There are five megillot in the Bible. The one read on Purim is Megillat Esther.

Menorah
Seven- or eight-branched candelabra. Most commonly used to refer to the eight-branched Chanukah lamp.

Mezuzah
Ritual object consisting of a casing and a klaf (scroll) which is put on the doorpost(s) of the house.

Mikveh
Ritual bath traditionally visited by the bride prior to the wedding.

Milah
Ritual circumcision.

Milchig
Foods derived from milk or milk products.

Minyan
Quorum of ten necessary for public worship.

Minyan
Quorum of ten people necessary for public prayer.

Mitzvah
Commandment; obligatory responses to our Jewish traditions.

Mitzvah
Commandments.

Mohel
Highly skilled ritual circumciser.

Opening the Door
We open the door to welcome symbolically the prophet Elijah.

Parashah
The weekly Torah portion.

Parve
Containing neither meat/meat derivatives nor milk/milk derivatives and which can be eaten with either milk or meat meals, e.g., fruits, vegetables, eggs.

Pesach
Passover.

Pogrom
Organized attach on the Jewish community.

Purim
Literally: lots.

Purim Schpiel
Humorous play put on at Purim.

Pushke
Tzedakah box.

Religious School
Term that includes both Sunday school and Hebrew school, though in some synagogues it refers to only Sunday school. Sometimes Religious school is referred to as Torah school.

Ring
Traditionally it is solid, without stones.

Sandak
Person who holds the baby during the ceremony.

Seudat Havra'ah
Literally: meal of condolence; prepared by the friends of the mourners.

Seder
Literally: order; refers to program of prayers and rituals for the home celebration.

Selichot
Penitential prayers.

Seudat Mitzvah
A festive meal which honors the observance of a mitzvah.

Shabbat
Sabbath.

Shabbaton
(pl. Shabbatonim) A Sabbath program of study and celebration.

Shabbos
Yiddish and Ashkenazic Hebrew pronunciation for the Sabbath.

Shank Bone
Symbolic of the paschal sacrifice.

Sheloshim
Thirty-day mourning period.

Sheva Berachot
Seven traditional blessings recited or chanted after the exchange of rings.

Shivah
Seven-day mourning period beginning with the burial.

Shofar
Ram's horn.

Sukah
(pl. Sukot) Booths, hut, or tabernacle covered with branches and decorated with hanging fruit, vegetables, and other decorations.

Sukkot
Feast of Booths. Name of one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals.

Sunday School
Classes in history, customs, and ceremonies.

Tachrichim
Burial shrouds.

Taharah
Ritual purification.

Talit
(Talis) Prayer shawl.

TaNaCH
Acronym for Torah, Nevi'im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings)- the three sections of the Hebrew Bible.

Tashlich
Traditional ceremony in which individuals symbolically cast their sins into a body of water.

Tevilah
Immersion in a ritual bath (mikveh) or any natural body of water which can serve as a mikveh.