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  • antisemitism

    n. Hatred against Jews.

  • Av

    n. The eleventh month of the Jewish calendar (or fifth if counting from Nisan).

  • Baal Shem Tov

    n. Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, widely regarded as the founder of Hasidic Judaism.

  • Eretz Yisroel

    n. Israel.

  • gelilah

    n. "Binding and bedecking of the Torah scroll[.]" (Glinert)

  • get

    n. A writ or deed of divorce.

  • hagba

    n. The ceremonial raising of a Sefer Torah for all the congregation to see.

  • Hasidic

    adj. Of or relating to Hasidic Judaism or Hasidic Jews.

  • Lag BaOmer

    prop. n. The thirty-third day of the Omer on which the Omer's customs of semi-mourning pause for a day and on which it is a tradition to hold a bonfire and celebrate.

  • Maariv

    n. The Jewish evening prayer service.

  • mashgiach

    "a person, usually an Orthodox Jew, who inspects and makes sure all the laws of kashrut are followed [in a slaughterhouse, food-processing factory, restaurant, catering hall, or the like]" (Eisenberg & Scolnic)

  • meshulach

    a rabbinical emissary sent to collect charity funds

  • Mincha

    n. The Jewish afternoon prayer service.

  • Mishnah

    n. An authoritative collection of exegetical material embodying the oral tradition of Jewish law and forming the first part of the Talmud.

  • mitzvah

    n. Good deed.

  • oleh

    Immigrant to Israel; a person who makes aliyah.

  • Purim

    A joyous holiday that takes place in February or March on the 14th of Adar, retelling the story of the Book of Esther.

  • Purim spiel

    n. A specific humorous skit or play using themes or base storyline of the book of Esther in honor of the holiday of Purim, but often including jokes or settings relevant to the local community or current events; in short, "a satiric Purim play" (Steinmetz, Dictionary of Jewish Usage).

  • rebetzin

    wife of a rabbi

  • rishon

    "Earlier rabbis and scholars, who lived from around the 11th to the mid-15th century C.E., before the Shulchan Arukh, the compilation of Jewish law, was written." (JPS)