Showing 67 of 67 words, page 1 of 1
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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
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aliyah
immigration to Israel
"calling to the reading of the Torah" (Glinert)
ascent
ascent of the soul of a deceased person to a higher level, as is believed to happen on their yartzeit
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apikoros
heretic, non-believer, especially one with great knowledge of Judaism
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askan
A person who is influential in working for the community
Activist
A Jewish communal or social worker (Steinmetz)
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aufruf
Celebration when, traditionally, the groom, and as of recently in egalitarian communities, the engaged couple is called to the Torah the Shabbat before their wedding; that aliyah itself (aufruf means literally "to call up").
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avodah
"A unique part of the Musaf service on Yom Kippur, the Avodah prayers describe the sacrificial ritual in the Temple in ancient Jerusalem on the Day of Atonement" (Eisenberg).
"Service and worship of God" (Eisenberg).
Work, generally.
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baal koreh
The individual who chants Torah from the scroll at a synagogue. Sometimes used to refer specifically to a person capable of learning and chanting an entire parsha, or to a professional/paid reader as opposed to an amateur. (Literally, "master of reading" or "one who reads")
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beit din
A rabbinical court of law that makes judgments on matters of Jewish religious life, especially conversion and divorce.
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beit knesset
Jewish place of worship; "synagogue" (JPS)
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Birkat Hamazon
The blessing after food, referring to the four blessing Grace After Meals said after consuming bread. Referred to in many communities as "bentching," or simply as "birkat" in some Jewish summer camps.
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cheder
Hebrew and religious classes (often on Sundays) for elementary school children.
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Cohen
"A made descendent of the family of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi. Aaron and his descendants were consecrated to the service of God... in the Tabernacle... in the desert and later the Holy Temple" (Steinmetz). Often poorly translated as "priest," though the term "Levite" or "Aaronite" is more accurate, especially due to Christian usage (Steinmetz).
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duchen
A ritual where the kohanim recite the Priestly Blessing (Num. 6:24-26), blessing the rest of the congregation.
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g'mar chatima tova
"A customary greeting among Jews on Yom Kippur [and the period between Yom Kippur and Rosh haShanah]" (JPS). lit. "a good end of [the process of] sealing [in the Book of Life]".
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gmar tov
Greeting/closing used between Rosh Hashana and the end of Yom Kippur. Lit. 'good conclusion'
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havdalah
"literally 'separation'. The ceremony that marks the end of [the Sabbath] on Saturday evening" (JPS)
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keppy
head, little head (informal, diminutive, often in child-directed speech)
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kippah
"small, round headcovering" (JPS)
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kishkas
Intestines, gut
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kittel
hite robe that is worn by religious Jews on Yom Kippur, when leading High Holiday services, when leading a Passover seder, by grooms at weddings, and as a burial shroud
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marit ayin
suspicious-looking action; doing something that may cause an observer to think that one violated halachah and thus arouse suspicion, or alternatively, doing something that could mislead somebody to interpret than an action is permitted and then violate halachah him/herself
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mazume
"ready money, cash" (Steinmetz)
"A group of three or more adult males who join together to recite the after-meal blessings..." (Steinmetz).
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mishkan
the tabernacle or temporary sanctuary in which the Divine Presence dwelled during the Jews’ journeys through the desert
the portion of the tabernacle and the Temple building before the Holy of Holies which contained the inner altar, the table for the showbread, and the menorah
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Mishneh Torah
a 12th-century code of religious law in fourteen parts written by Moses Maimonides
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Moadim lesimcha
Happy holiday! Greeting used on the intermediate days of Pesach and Sukkot (known as chol ha-moed).
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Modern Orthodox
'Modern Orthodox'. Observant, but open to the outside world, general culture and education; not 'Yeshivish' or 'Haredi'.
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Mutar
Permitted for a Jew to do.
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naches
"Proud pleasure, special joy--particularly from the achievements of a child... 2. Psychological reward or gratification." (Rosten)
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nigun
"A wordless melody; a tune" (JPS)
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Purim
A joyous holiday that takes place in February or March on the 14th of Adar, retelling the story of the Book of Esther.
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rebetzin
wife of a rabbi
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refua shlema
"Get well soon." Lit. "full recovery"
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responsa
Written decisions and legal rulings by rabbis appointed to be legal deciders.
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sandak
The person given the honor of assisting the mohel at the brit milah. The sandek may hold the child on his lap during the circumcision or, as is common today, just hold the baby for a moment in a symbolic fashion. The honor is often given to one of the baby's grandfathers or to another relative or close friend" (Eisenberg).
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schnoder
"to pledge a donation" (Steinmetz).
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Shabbat Shalom
Used as a greeting or departing line (hello or goodbye) on or before Shabbat. Literally "peaceful Sabbath."
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shalom zachar
welcoming party to celebrate the birth of a son, usually held at the house of the child's parents on the first Friday night after his birth
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shalosh regalim
The three major holidays in the Jewish calendar: Passover, Shavuot [Pentecost], and Sukkot [Tabernacles].
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shamash
2. the caretaker of a synagogue.
1. candle lit first and then used to light other hanukah candles
3. personal assistant / aide / gofer, especially to a rabbi or in the Hollywood entertainment industry
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shatnez
mixture of wool and linen in a garment, which is prohibited by Jewish law
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shehecheyanu
the blessing of thanksgiving that celebrates reaching a celebratory moment or marking a significant first
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shema
prayer recited in most services as well as at bedtime, and when death is imminent; one of the most important and well-known prayers in Judaism
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shemini atzeret
Holiday celebrated the day after the seven-day holiday of Sukkot.
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sheygets
"1. A non-Jewish boy. 2. An impudent youth or man. 3. An irreligious or nonobservant Jew. The term is often regarded as disparaging." (Steinmetz)
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shmura
a type of matzah adhering to more stringent interpretations of permissible matzah for Passover
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shomer
a chaperone, protector, or guard
adj. observant, observing the laws of kosher, shabbat, or negiya (not touching members of the opposite gender outside of family)
a camp counselor on duty
a member of Hashomer Hatzair or a camper or counselor at a Hashomer Hatzair camp
one who keeps vigil over a dead body before it is buried
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Shulchan Aruch
a code of Jewish Law (halachah) written by Rabbi Joseph Caro in four sections, based on the Arba Turim (Tur); with its various commentaries, it is considered the central redaction of Jewish Law.
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siyum
literally, "completion" traditionally means completing studying of a tractate of talmud, often with a ceremony and celebration following, but can be used for the completion of another course of study.
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sofer
A scribe trained in transcribing the Torah, mezuzah, tefillin scriptures and other religious texts on parchment.
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tachlis
purpose, aim
practical details of a matter, "brass tacks" (as in, "Let's get down to brass tacks.")
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tefillah
prayer, services, or an individual prayer
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teshuvah
repentance [lit. "return"]
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trop
Series of traditional chanting/melodic patterns used in reading the Torah and other books of the Tanakh in communal prayer services.
Diacritic-like marks in printed editions of the Tanakh (and the tikkun, a book that enables people to learn to chant from the Torah, haftarah, etc.) that indicate the chanting/melodic pattern to be used with each word.
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tzadik
Common name for the 18th letter of the Hebrew alphabet (tzadi / tzade).
Someone who does extremely righteous deeds.
A highly learned and esteemed rabbinic leader (sometimes used as an alternative name for a Hasidic rebbe).
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tznius
(adj.) modest, discrete, especially according to Orthodox norms of dress, comportment, and gender interaction
(n.) modesty, discretion, especially according to Orthodox norms of dress, comportment, and gender interaction
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ushpizin
transcendent "guests" welcomed into the sukkah during Sukkot, one per day
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wimpel
a long, linen sash used as a binding for the Sefer Torah by Jews of German (Yekke) origin
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yamim noraim
high holy days, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
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Yerushalayim
Jerusalem
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yeshiva
traditionally, an institution that focuses on teaching Talmud to boys and young men. Today yeshivas exist for men and women.
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yigdal
hymn often sung at the end of a prayer service, based on Maimonides' Thirteen Principles of Faith
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zichrono livracha
may his memory be for a blessing (often abbreviated 'z"l')
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