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  • acharon acharon chaviv

    adv. Last but not least.

  • achron

    n. "Latter-day religious authorit[y]... scholar...of the Renaissance and later times[.]" (Glinert).

  • Adar

    prop. n. The sixth month of the Jewish calendar year.

  • adon olam

    a hymn in the traditional Jewish liturgy, usually recited before Shacharit and often sung after services in synagogue, made up of traits attributed to God

  • afikomen

    n. A piece of matzah from the Passover seder traditionally hidden by adults, found by the children (or vice versa), and then ransomed for gifts after the meal.

  • aggadah

    n. Parts of the Talmud and Midrash that do not deal with law, including stories, fables, and sayings.

  • Akedah

    The binding of Isaac (episode in the Torah)

  • al hanisim

    A one-paragraph prayer added to the Amida on Chanukah and Purim.

  • al het

    "A Yom Kippur prayer that asks forgiveness for a multitude of sins committed during the previous year" (JPS).

  • al regel achat

    lit. "on one foot"; off-the-cuff; "To answer a question or deal with a query very briefly and cursorily." (Glinert)

  • al tiftach peh lasatan

    "Don't tempt Providence" (Glinert), or do not tempt fate.

  • Aleinu

    "A prayer in praise of God, Aleinu acknowledges the unique relationship between God and the Jewish people" (JPS)

  • aleph-bet

    "A name for the Hebrew alphabet" (JPS)

  • aliyah

    "calling to the reading of the Torah" (Glinert)

  • am haaretz

    Bumpkin, ignoramus, uneducated person

  • amen

    Agreed. "The word used at the end of prayer to signify affirmation." (Rosten)

  • Amidah

    The Shemoneh Esrei prayer, which is said while standing [Amida, lit. "standing".]

  • Anim Zmirot

    "A hymn composed of an alphabetic acrostic of 31 lines, generally sung in front of the open ark at the conclusion of the Musaf service on Shabbat." (JPS)

  • apikoros

    heretic, non-believer, especially one with great knowledge of Judaism

  • Arava

    "The dry lowland area of the eastern Negev, often called the Aravah Vallet" (JPS)