mechitza

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Pronunciations

mechitza (meh-KHEE-tsuh) listen

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Definitions

Example Sentences

  • "Once I was of bat-mitzvah age, I was no longer able to cross to the men's side of the mechitza freely."

  • "If we don't set up a mechitsa in the hall, we can't have any dancing after the meal." (Glinert)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew

Etymology

  • מחיצה, lit. 'separation'

      • Who Uses This

      • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education

      Regions

      • North America
      • Australia / New Zealand
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa

      Dictionaries

      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).
      • The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).

      Alternative Spellings

      mechitzah, mechitsah, mechitsa, mekhitsa, mekhitsah, mekhitzah, mekhitza

Notes

  • This word is most commonly used by Orthodox Jews. The mechitza is usually found in synagogue setting, but can also be used at celebrations such as a wedding where there is dancing involved.

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