Showing 101 of 101 words, page 1 of 1
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agunah
A woman whose husband has refused her a Jewish divorce.
A woman who is unable to remarry, due to the fact that her husband is missing and it is not known whether her husband is alive or dead.
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Akedah
The binding of Isaac (episode in the Torah)
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Am Yisrael
"Literally, The People of Israel." (JPS)
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Amida
The Shemoneh Esrei prayer, which is said while standing [Amida, lit. "standing".]
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aron kodesh
"Literally, "holy ark"." (JPS)
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Bamidbar
The Book of Numbers, [lit. "in the wilderness"] (Glinert)
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Bereshit
The Book of Genesis [lit. "in the beginning"]
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bikur cholim
visiting the sick
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bimah
pulpit; "A raised platform or stage in a synagogue from which the Torah is read and services are led." (JPS)
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Birkot HaShachar
The first section of the morning prayers, which contains several individual blessings. (JPS)
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bracha
blessing (in the technical or figurative sense)
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chai
"Literally, 'life'" (JPS); 18 (see note)
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chametz
Leavened food.
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chazir
1. pork 2. a pig, greedy person (JPS)
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chevra kedisha
burial society - volunteers who sit with the dead and prepare their bodies for burial
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chol hamoed
"the intermediate days of the weeklong holidays of Pesach and Sukkot" (JPS)
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chumash
"A bound book containing the Five Books of Moses that is used in synagogue or for study." (JPS)
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d'var torah
a brief teaching from Jewish sources [lit. "a word of torah"], "A short speech" (JPS)
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dayenu
"Literally, "it would have been enough."" (JPS)
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derech eretz
Participating in modern society.
"Good conduct; normal, polite behavior in a social setting." (JPS). Manners, respect.
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Devarim
"the Book of Deuteronomy", [lit. "words"] (JPS)
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Eichah
"The Book of Lamentations" (JPS)
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Elohim/Elokim
"One of the many names used to refer to God" (JPS)
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Elul
The twelfth month of the Jewish calendar, just before the High Holidays season (or sixth, if one starts counting at Nissan).
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erev
"Eve of." (Glinert) Evening, or the day before a Jewish holiday
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eruv
area in which a token enclosure enables one to carry on the Sabbath [without breaking the prohibition against carrying in a public space]." (Glinert)
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eshet chayil
"woman of valor" (JPS); poem about such a woman in Proverbs 31.
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etrog
Citron (lemon-like fruit) used ritually on Sukkot
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gabai
verb: to serve as gabai
noun: The officer of the synagogue who determines which congregants are to receive Torah honors at the service.
noun: The (lay) person who calls Jews to say blessings over the Torah reading and follows along with the Torah reading to correct any mistakes.
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gematria
"An ancient system of Hebrew numerology," (JPS), in which each Hebrew letter possesses a numerical value, allowing words or phrases to express possible "hidden" meaning (when one adds up the letters' values)
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gemilut chasadim
"Literally, "acts of loving kindness"", (JPS) often used in reference to charitable activities
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glatt
Showing consistency of reason (Weiser).
Super-kosher (not only of food), or acceptable to the Haredi community.
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golus
literally "exile" (JPS); outside of the Land of Israel; away from a vibrant Jewish community; the time period since the destruction of the Second Temple at Jerusalem (Glinert)
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gonif
thief
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haftorah
"A reading from the biblical book of Prophets that is recited in synagogue immediately following the reading of the Torah" (JPS)
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haggadah
"The small book of liturgy, prayers, songs, and rituals used at a Pesach seder" (JPS)
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halacha
"Jewish law" (JPS)
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havurah
A group of friends, frequently a social or religious group, either within a synagogue or apart from one.
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hechsher
(Rabbinic) stamp or seal of approval-- typically designating a product as kosher
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Kabbalat Shabbat
"Special prayers and songs included as part of Friday night services to welcome in Shabbat."
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kaddish
Prayer of mourning; prayer separating parts of the service; lit. "sanctification"
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kaparot
Ritual performed between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to remove sins carried out by swinging a chicken over ones head.
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kashrut
"The body of Jewish dietary laws and regulations that specify what and how a Jew who keeps kosher can eat." (JPS)
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kedusha
holiness, sanctity
a responsive prayer sung/recited by the shaliach tzibbur (prayer leader) and congregation as part of the Amidah in a minyan
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kehillah
"A Jewish community" (JPS)
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Keter
Crown, especially the crown decorating a Torah scroll.
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kiddush
"blessing recited over wine" (JPS) on Sabbath or holidays at the beginning of the meal or ceremony. Reception after services. "The refreshments, usually including wine, juice, and pastries, that are offered after [the Sabbath] and holiday services in the synagogue." (JPS)
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kitniot
"Literally, 'legumes'...certain foods that are restricted during Pesach in some Jewish communities." (JPS)
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klal yisroel
"synonym for the Jewish people" (JPS)
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kol tuv
"all the best" (JPS), a closing or farewell
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Kotel
"The Western Wall"/wailing wall (Glinert)
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koved
"honor, dignity, respect" (JPS)
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lashon hara
"gossip" (lit. "evil tongue") (JPS)
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lulav
palm branch used ritually on Sukkot
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maariv
the evening prayer
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machzor
High Holiday prayerbook, used for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
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mamzer
bastard [see note]; "A detestable [person] like the colloquial English "He's a bastard"" (Rosten)
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maror
bitter herbs placed on the seder place on Passover
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mechitza
the separation between men and women in Orthodox prayer spaces [lit. "separation"]
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mesorah
tradition
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midrash
stories or explanations that interpret or ellaborate on the Torah's text.
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mikvah
"Ritual bath" (JPS)
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minhag
custom; "A tradition that is not mentioned in the Torah or mandated by law but nonetheless is followed." (JPS)
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minyan
prayer quorum of 10 Jews age 13 or older (traditionally male; in some communities male or female)
religious community
small service
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Mishnah
an authoritative collection of exegetical material embodying the oral tradition of Jewish law and forming the first part of the Talmud.
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mishpacha
"Literally, "family". ...The word conveys a warm feeling of friendship." (JPS)
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musaf
The additional service added to the morning services on the Sabbath and holidays.
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neshama
soul
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parasha
general realm of feasibility, ballpark (Weiser)
Selection of the Pentateuch read publicly on the Sabbath.
a tedious, lengthy enumeration or account, litany (Weiser)
period of dating for marriage (Orthodox Jews)
conversation (Weiser)
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parve
1. neither milk nor meat; 2. uninteresting, plain, generic
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Pesach
The Jewish Holiday of Passover
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peshat
"An explanation of the logic behind or the source of a passage, event, work, etc." (Weiser)
Justification
"The literal, obvious meaning scholars give to a Jewish text. It can also refer to the simple interpretation of any issue or question." (JPS)
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Rosh Chodesh
start of a new month in the Hebrew calendar
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ruach
spirit, "spiritedness, morale" (JPS)
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sechel
"Common sense" (JPS), intelligence
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shadchen
matchmaker
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shalech manes
Gifts for friends, traditionally given on Purim. Typically, a basket with food requiring two separate brachas in it.
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shalom bayit
"Literally, 'peace in the home'. Contentment and harmony among family members." (JPS)
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Shemoneh Esrei
another name for the Amida, the central prayer during Jewish services. [lit. 'eighteen', the number of blessings it originally had]
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Shemot
The Book of Exodus [lit. 'names']
Printed items containing the name of God in Hebrew letters (generally pronounced SHAY-miss)
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sheva brachot
the seven blessings said after a jewish wedding and at a festive meal once a day for a week afterwards. the term can refer to the one week period after the wedding, the festive meal, or the blessings themselves.
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shidduch
a date or match, often leading to marriage. "The matching up of a man and a woman for purposes of marriage; a match. In popular usage, any match or alliance, as in The shidduch between the two organization was a success." (Steinberg)
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smichah
"Rabbinic ordination" (Steinmetz)
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sukkah
A temporary dwelling used during the holiday of Sukkot
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Sukkot
The feast of the booths; a fall holiday when Jews live in makeshift huts to represent the time the Israelites spent wandering in the desert.
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Tanach
the entire Jewish bible including the Torah, Prophets, Writings. ['tanakh' is an acronym of the names of the three sections of the bible: torah, nevi'im and kethuvim.]
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tashlich
"The custom of going to a...body of running water on the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah...and reciting certain penitential verses [and throwing breadcrumbs, symbolizing sins, in to the water.]" (Steinmetz)
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tefillin
"phylacteries"
Small black boxes containing sections of the shema attached to leather straps and worn around the head and arm during prayer.
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tikkun olam
kabbalistic concept of mystically repairing the fabric of the world through the performance of mitzvot
"repairing (the) world," making the world a better place through volunteering, social justice work, and philanthropy
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treif
(adj or noun) food prohibited by the jewish dietary laws
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tsorris
"Troubles, woes, worries, suffering." (Rosten)
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Tu b'Av
the 15th of Av, sometimes associated with romantic love and jokingly called 'Jewish Valentine's Day'.
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Tu Bishvat
Jewish Arbor Day, the New Year for Trees, literally 'the 15th day of Shevat'.
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Vayikra
the book of Leviticus
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vilde chaye
a rambunctious or wild person [lit. 'wild animal']
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yontif
a Jewish holiday, especially one on which work is prohibited (in contrast to chol hamoed)
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zichrona livracha
May her memory be blessed.
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