Showing 65 of 65 words, page 1 of 1
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aseret y'mei teshuvah
"Ten Days of Penitence" (Glinert), the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
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b'shalom
"in peace" (used to sign off in written correspondence)
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b'tzelem Elohim
lit. "in God's image"
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ba'al tekiah
"The title for the person who blows the shofar on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur" (JPS).
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beineinu
between us
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beit cafe
coffee house
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bencher
prayer booklet or card with the text of the blessings after meals, and often times including other meal-time blessings and songs
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Birthright
A free 10-day trip to Israel for young Diaspora Jews ages 18-26. Over 400,000 Jews have been to Israel on Birthright.
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boker tov
"good morning"
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bruchim haba'im
welcome! [lit. "blessed are those who come"]
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CCAR
a union of Reform Rabbis that determines pay and benefits, as well as who can work at Reform movement-affiliated synagogues
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chag sameach
"Literally, 'Happy Holiday.' The traditional, all-purpose greeting exchanged on almost any Jewish holiday" (JPS).
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chatan bereshit
"Bridegroom of Genesis" (Glinert), an honor given to an important member of the community on the holiday of Simchat Torah where the honoree is called up to the Torah for the last reading, which contains the first lines of the Torah.
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chatan torah
"Bridegroom of the Torah" (Glinert), an honor given to an important member of the community on the holiday of Simchat Torah where the honoree is called up to the Torah for the penultimate reading, which contains the last lines of the Torah.
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chavruta
learning partnership; joint study session. "The person with whom one studies religious texts" (Weiser)
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CJLS
a committee of Conservative Rabbis that meets semi-yearly to review t'shuvot (halachic proposals)
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continuity
An objective, often expressed in response to rising rates of interfaith marriage, to ensure that Judaism is transmitted from one generation to the next.
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convener
an organization that brings people or organizations together
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day school
Jewish grade school, where students learn both Jewish and secular subjects. "The general name given to private Jewish schools" in the United States and Canada (JPS)
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engagement
The degree to which an individual is active in or affiliated with a Jewish communal activity or organization, or to which a Jewish institution encourages such activity
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ever-dying people
reference to Simon Rawidowicz quote that Jews have long seen themselves in danger of decline
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federation
A local Jewish philanthropy which raises and distributes funds for social welfare, social services and educational needs in local communities and overseas, especially Israel.
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give/get
The amount of money that a board member of an organization is responsible to contribute, either by a personal donation ("give") or by the member's individual fundraising ("get").
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hachnosas kallah
charitable support for poor young women to get married
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Hafgana
Demonstration, protest.
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hafsaka
break or interruption
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harbotzas hatorah
spreading of Torah knowledge
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Jew Bub
"Jewish Bubble"; the network of Jewish organizations and social circles in which Jews interact mostly with other Jews
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Jewish geography
a "game" in which Jews attempt to identify common friends or acquaintances
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Jewish professional
An employee, excluding support staff, of an institution, including a synagogue, non-profit organization, and school, specifically or largely devoted to a Jewish cause or agenda.
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Jews of Color
A pan-ethnic term that used to identify Jews whose family origins are originally in African, Asian or Latin-American countries (rac.org)
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Kab Shab
Abbreviated form of Kabalat Shabbat (the Friday night prayer service).
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kesiva vechasima tova
"A good writing and sealing (in the Book of Life)!" Formal Ashkenazi greeting on Rosh Hashanah.
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L'dor va'dor
from generation to generation
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l'shalom
"in peace," lit. "to (or toward) peace"
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lay leader
a member of the board of directors for a Jewish non-profit organization
an adult who helps coordinate programs of a Jewish organization in a volunteer capacity
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leshana tova tikateivu
"(May you) be inscribed for a good year (in the Book of Life)!" A formal greeting exchanged bu Ashkenazim on Rosh Hashanah.
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mission
An organized trip meant to expose participants to the work of a nonprofit organization, raise awareness of a cause, and/or deliver supplies or services to a deserving population. Unlike the Christian use of the word "mission," Jewish missions do not signify a proselytizing motive.
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Mizrachi
adj. or noun describing a person or practice (including music and ritual) of Middle Eastern Jewish origin. Lit. "Eastern," "Oriental."
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OO
Abbreviation for Open Orthodoxy or Open Orthodox.
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Open Orthodox
a breakaway movement to the left of Modern Orthodoxy, declared outside of acceptable Orthodox boundaries by most mainstream Orthodox rabbis
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peoplehood
sense of belonging to the world Jewish people
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Pew
Shorthand reference to “A Portrait of Jewish Americans,” a comprehensive survey, released in October 2013 by the Pew Research Center’s Religion and Public Life Project. Upon its release, the survey's findings on population, Jewish identity, and interfaith marriage seemed likely to play a central role in determining priorities for myriad Jewish institutions.
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pikuach nefesh
The principle that the law of saving a person's life takes precedence over all other laws, with the exception of the laws prohibiting idolatry, incestuous relations, and the murder of an innocent person.
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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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Sheket
Quiet!
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sheket bevakasha
"Quiet please."
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shidduch
an arranged spousal match
a date in the process of finding one's spouse
a mate
"In popular usage, any match or alliance, as in The shidduch between the two organization was a success." (Steinberg)
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Shoah
Eastern European Holocaust (of World War II)
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tachlis
practical details of a matter, "brass tacks" (as in, "Let's get down to brass tacks.")
purpose, aim
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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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toda
"thank you"
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Tot Shabbat
A synagogue-based service or play group for young children on Shabbat.
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Tu Bishvat
Jewish Arbor Day, the New Year for Trees, literally 'the 15th day of Shevat'.
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tza'ar ba'alei chayim
pity for living creatures (Steinmetz), or compassion for animals.
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unaffiliated
Refers to members of the Jewish population who are not involved with a synagogue or other Jewish community organizations.
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va'ad
"committee or council" (Steinmetz), group convened for a particular purpose, including rabbinical council, kashrut supervisory council, youth group/synagogue board of directors, study group, etc.
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