Note: because there is no standard transliteration from Hebrew, many of the terms listed have alternative spellings in English.
“ch” is pronounced gutterally as in the Scottish word “loch”.
Aggadah: the narrative or homiletic part of the Talmud and other rabbinic texts.
Amidah: prayer recited standing and in silence as the central part of each of the three daily prayer services.
Bar Mitzvah: Jewish males are responsible for religious duties from 13 years. This is usually marked by being called to the reading of the Torah in the synagogue.
Bat Mitzvah: Jewish females are responsible for religious duties from the age of 12 years. This may be celebrated at a ceremony in the synagogue.
Berachah: (literally: blessing) any of a number of short prayers said on various occasions, such as thanksgiving before and after eating or drinking, or on witnessing natural phenomena such as lightning or volcanic eruptions.
Beit HaKnesset: literally, house of assembly. A synagogue.
Beit HaMidrash: religious study and prayer house or room, often in a larger synagogue.
Bet Din: Jewish law court. It usually deals with matters of kashrut or personal status, eg religious divorces (Gittin).
Birkat HaMazon or (Yiddish) bentsching: grace after meals.
Brit Milah: the circumcision of baby boys at eight days old.
Challah (plural: challot): plaited bread eaten on Shabbat and festivals. On Rosh HaShanah, the challah is round rather than plaited.
Chag: a Jewish festival. The autumn festivals of Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot are sometimes collectively called the Chaggim.
Chametz: food made from grain that is ‘leavened’ or has risen – not allowed to be eaten or even owned on Pesach.
Chanukah: eight–day festival in mid–winter celebrating victory over the Greek–Syrian King Antiochus who woould not allow Jewish people to follow their religion.
Chanukiah: eight–branched (plus one) candelabrum used on Chanukah.
Chazan: cantor or leader of the synagogue services.
Cheder: "Hebrew school". Religious elementary education classes.
Chesed shel Emes or Chevrah Kadishah: Jewish burial society. (Literally "true kindness" or "holy society", as the care of the dead is done without thought of reward.)
Chuppah: wedding canopy: Jewish wedding ceremonies are conducted under the Chuppah either in the synagogue or in the open air.
Cohen (plural: cohanim): a Jew of priestly descent.
Daven: to pray (Yiddish)
Dayan: a Jewish judge, a member of a Bet Din.
Dreidel: a small four–sided spinning top with a Hebrew letter on each side, used in a children's game traditionally played at Chanukah
Etrog: Etrog is the yellow citron used during the week-long holiday of Sukkot as one of the four species.
Gemara: the debates amongst rabbis, from 3rd to 6th centuries, recorded in the Talmud.
Get: Jewish religious (bill of) divorce. (plural: Gittin)
Halachah: Jewish religious law in general, or a legal ruling.
Havdalah: the ceremony at the end of Shabbat, recited over wine, spices, and a candle.
Hechsher: a certificate from a recognised authority, usually that food is kosher.
Kaddish: prayer of praise of God recited during synagogue services, and by mourners during the year after the death of a parent and on their Yahrzeit.
Ketubah: Jewish religious marriage contract.
Kiddush: the ceremony at the beginning of Shabbat and festivals, recited over wine.
Kippah: skullcap worn by men at prayer and by the orthodox at all times. (also Yarmulke or Kappel)
Kollel: college of advanced rabbinic studies (c.f. Yeshivah).
Kosher: prepared in accordance with Jewish religious laws, especially of shechitah and the separation of milk and meat products. Kosher products often have a hechsher from a kashrut authority on the packaging.
Levayah: (literally “accompanying”) funeral.
Lulav: A palm frond that is held together with two willow branches, three myrtle branches, and an etrog, and ceremonially shaken during the celebration of Sukkot.
Ma’ariv or Aravit: the evening prayer service.
Matzah: unleavened bread eaten on Pesach.
Mezuzah: small parchment with the text of the Shema fixed to the doorpost of every room except the bathroom in a Jewish house.
Mikvah: pool of spring or rain water used monthly by married women, by converts to Judaism on their acceptance into the faith, and by some Orthodox men before Shabbat and Festivals.
Minchah: the afternoon prayer service.
Minyan: prayer quorum of 10 males over bar mitzvah age.
Mitzvah: a commandment, or good deed.
Mishnah: the central text of Rabbinic Judaism compiled by Rabbi Yehudah the Prince in the 2nd century CE. See Talmud.
Mohel: skilled religious official who performs brit milah.
Mussaf: the additional morning service on Shabbat and festivals.
Pesach: week–long festival in the spring celebrating the Jewish people’s Exodus from slavery in Egypt.
Pikuach nefesh: literally saving of life. Because life is so precious, all religious observances, except the prohibitions against murder, apostasy, and immorality, must be set aside when life is threatened.
Rabbi: teacher and spiritual leader of the community. The rabbi answers questions on Jewish law, gives sermons, and performs the duties of a minister of religion. "Rav" is the preferred title of Orthodox rabbis, with religious rather than pastoral connotations.
Rosh HaShanah: New Year festival in early autumn.
Seder: the ceremonial meal eaten on the first nights of Pesach.
Sefer Torah: scroll containing the Torah, hand written by a scribe, and read in weekly portions on an annual cycle on Shabbat, as well as on Mondays, Thursdays, Festivals, and Fast Days.
Shabbat: weekly day of rest from Friday evening to nightfall on Saturday.
Shacharit: the morning prayer service.
Shavuot: festival in early summer celebrating the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai.
Shechitah: Jewish method for the rapid and painless killing of animals for food, carried out by a highly skilled ordained shochet.
Shema: declaration of faith. "Hear, O Israel, the Lord is your God, the Lord in One" (Deuteronomy, Ch. 5) recited during the morning and evening prayers, on retiring at night, and on one's deathbed.
Shiva: (literally: "seven") the week of intense mourning and prayer at home after the death of a close relative.Family and friends visit to comfort the mournersShochet: highly skilled ordained religious official who carries out shechitah.
Shofar: ram’s horn blown during the morning service on Rosh Hashanah.
Shul (Yiddish), synagogue; a building used primarily for Jewish prayers, often also housing other communal facilities.
Shulchan Arukh: one of the most definitive codes of Jewish law, governing every aspect of Jewish life. Compiled in Safed, Israel in the 16th century.
Sukkot: week–long harvest festival in early autumn remembering the Jewish people’s wanderings in the desert after the Exodus from slavery in Egypt.
Tallit: shawl with fringes (tsitsit) worn by men during prayers; the tallit katan(small tallit) is worn as an undergarment during the day.
Talmud: the main authoritative source of Rabbinic Judaism, compiled in 6th century CE, based on oral traditions, some dating back to Moses. Consists of the Mishnah and its commentary, the Gemara.
Tanach: abbreviation for Torah (Five Books of Moses), Nevi'im (the Prophets), and Ketuvim ("Writings", including Proverbs and Psalms), which together make up the Hebrew Bible.
Tefillah: A prayer
Tefillin: small leather boxes containing the Shema and other biblical passages, worn by men above the forehead and on the arm during morning prayers.
Tikkun Olam: literally “fixing” or “repairing” the world, making the world a better place.
Torah: the Five Books of Moses (“Pentateuch”), and by extension the entire body of Jewish religious tradition.
Tzitzit: the fringes on a tallit.
Tzedakah: charity.
Yahrzeit (Yiddish): the anniversary of a death, when close relatives say kaddish.
Yarmulke (Yiddish): skullcap. See Kippah.
Yeshivah: religious school, often full–time for boys beyond the age of bar mitzvah. Those who qualify as rabbis often continue postgraduate study in a Kollel.
Yom Ha’atzmaut: Israel Independence Day.
Yom Hashoah: Holocaust Memorial Day.
Yom Kippur: “Day of Atonement”, a day of fasting and prayer ten days after Rosh HaShanah, when Jewish people ask forgiveness for the bad choices of the previous year, and resolve to behave better in future.
Yom Tov or Chag: a Jewish festival. |
