Intro To Judaism

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BCE

Back 1

Before the Common Era

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B'rit

Back 2

covenant

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CE

Back 3

Common Era

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Challah

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braided loaf of bread ritually baked and eaten on Shabbat and holidays

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Cheder

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Jewish elementary school

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Israel

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the Jewish people

(means "one who wrestles with God") name given to Jacob after he wrestles and angel;

homeland of Jewish people

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Israelite

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name given to Jews after they settled in land of Israel

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Kaddish

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prayer of sanctification and praise of God recited at cerrtain points in liturgy

including a memorial prayer for the dead

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Kashrut

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Jewish dietary laws

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Kedushah

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Holiness

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Kiddush

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sanctification prayer proclaiming holiness of Sabbath or holidays; recited over a cup of wine

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Kohen

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Jew from priestly descent (from the house of Aaron)

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Lashon Hara

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gossip

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Lulav

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palm branch, willow, and myrtle waved as a part of celebration of Sukkot

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Mechitzah

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the divider set up between men and women in Orthodox synagogues

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Mezuzah

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ritual object placed on door posts of Jewish homes (contains scroll with lines from Deuteronomy)

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Midrash

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interpretation or explication of Biblical texts

helps explain gaps in text

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Mishnah

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earliest corpus of Jewish law

forms the basis for the Talmud

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Mitzvah

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commandment

can also be understood as a blessing

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Rabbi

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teacher and interpreter of Jewish law

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Rosh Hashanah

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Jewish New Year; "head of the year"

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Sephardi (Sephardic) Jews

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Jews whose ancestors came from Spain, Portugal, or another Mediterranean European country

Also used to refer to Mizrachi Jews (from Asia and Africa)

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Shabbat

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the Sabbath

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Shofar

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ram's horn sounded on New Year and New Moon

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Simchat Torah

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"rejoicing in the Torah" festival in which yearly cycle of Torah reading ends and begins

Jews dance w/ the torah

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Sukkah

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Booth erected in celebration of fall week-long festival of Sukkot

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Talmud

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Mishnah and Gemara

2 different kinds: Jerusalem (400 CE) and Babylonian (500 CE)

Babylonian more complete and more authoritative

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Tanach

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The Hebrew Bible

T- torah
N- Nevi'im (Prophets)
K- Ketuvim (writings)

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Tashlich

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ritual on afternoon of first day of Rosh Hashanah; symbolically cast sins (bread crumbs) into water (stream)

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Teshuvah

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repentance

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Tikkun Olam

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repair of the world

working w/ God to make the world a better place in which all of us can live

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Torah

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God's revelation to Moses at Sinai.

First 5 books of Hebrew Bible

"Jewish Teachings" in general

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Tzedakah

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approximates concept of charity (not just money but giving of time and energy)

Relates to concept of justice

obligation to all jews

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Tzelem Elohim

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image of God

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Yeshiva

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Academy of higher Jewish learning

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Yom Kippur

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Day of Atonement

10 days after Rosh Hash.

Holiest day of the year

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Conservative Judaism

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(U.S. late 19th century) emphasizes both tradition and change

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Covenant

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an agreement or contract between God and the Jewish people that binds each party ot adhere to certain promises

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Diaspora

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Jews living outside of the land of Israel

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Etrog

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citron, used in celebration of sukkot

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Galut

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Exile

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Gemara

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commentary on Mishnah

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Halakhah

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traditional Jewish law

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Ha Shem

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"The Name" reffering to God out of respect for His holiness

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Havdalah

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ceremony marking the end of Sabbath (or Yom Kippur) and the beginning of the ordinary work week

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Hebrew

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holy language of Jewish people and native language of the State of Israel today

Name given to Abraham and his descendants up until they settled in Israel (means "wanderers")

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Mikveh

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ritual bath of running (fresh) water

one of women's 3 special mitzvot (other 2: lighting Sabbath candles and baking challah)

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K'vod HaMet

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principle of honoring the dead

(not desecrating the body; burial within 48 hours after death etc.)

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Piyyutim

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prayers used in the synagogue liturgy

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Modern Orthodoxy

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19th century Jewish religious movement founded in Germany by Hirsch

Rejects view that cannot be a traditionally religious Jew and participate in the modern world

Belief: take advantage of all that modernity offered as long as the Torah remained the eternal yardstick by which such participation is measured

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Rabbinic Judaism

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The Judaism formed in the first 6 centuries of the common era that believed that Moses revealed the Torah in 2 media-written and oral- and that the sages at any given time are those who are masters of that dual Torah and hence are to define the holy life of Israel

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Reform Judaism

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19th century religious movement founded in Germany that attempted to adapt Judaism to perceived spirit of the modern age

Greatest emphasis on teachings of prophets and social justice

Ethical monotheism as essence of Judaism

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Charoset

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Mixture of apples, wine, and nuts. One of the ritual foods eaten during the Passover seder symbolizing mortar used in making bricks

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Chanukah

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dedication; refers to the 8 day holiday celebrating victory of the Maccabees and their rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem to God

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Aliyah

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"to go up"; honor of being called to the Torah to recite a blessing

(today, also refers to the Jewish immigration to Israel)

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synagogue

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Jewish house of assembly, study and prayer

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Zionism

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modern Jewish nationalism, movement founded at the end of the 19th century by Theodor Herzl to create Jewish state in land of Israel

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Torah l'ishmah

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studying Torah for its own sake

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Chuppah

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bridal canopy

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Chevra Kaddisha

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Jewish burial society; help clean and prepare body for burial

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Berit (B'rit) Milah

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Ritual of circumcision marking the covenant between GOd and the Jewish people

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Bar/Bat Mitzvah

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a boy/girl becomes responsible for keeping religious duties

Responsible for observing the commandments

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Sheva berakhot

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7 blessings recited under the marriage canopy in celebration of a wedding

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Chametz

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leavened products removed from home in preparation for Passover

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Reconstructionist Judaism

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20th century American Jewish movement founded by Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan that views God as a transnatural pwer or process

Rejects belief in Jews as chosen people

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Ketubah

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Jewish marriage contract

document providing support for a woman if her husband divorces her or dies

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Purim

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joyous celebration of victory of Biblical Esther and Mordecai over Haman, who tried to destroy the Jews

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Afikoman

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"dessert" in Greek

Matzah hidden and found during Passover seder; later eaten

Introduced as device to keep children's attention

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siddur

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the term for the Hebrew prayer book, derived from the Hebrew word for "order"

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Seder

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"Order". Refers to the Passover ritual meal

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Shavuot

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Pentacost. Jewish holiday commemorating giving of Torah at Sinai

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Haggadah

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The narrative of the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt; Recited at Passover seder

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Chazzan

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The cantor or prayer leader of the synagogue services

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Erusin

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Betrothal.

Though originally separate from the wedding, has, since the middle ages been part of the wedding ceremony

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Maror

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bitter herb; one of the ritual foods eaten at Passover

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Get

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Jewish bill of divorcement

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Minyan

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Quorum of 10 adult Jews (traditionally only men) necessary for public worship

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kiddushin

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sanctification; refers to Jewish marriage ceremony

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Passover (Pesach)

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The spring festival commemorating and reenacting the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt

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Menorah

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candelabra; the special candelabra used on Chanukah is called a Chanukiyah

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Maccabees

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"hammers". The Jewish family that fought against Syrian-Greek rule in 167 BCE and restored the Jewish state in Jerusalem

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Mohel

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someone qualified to perform ritual circumcisions

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Maariv

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Evening liturgical service

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Minchah

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Second of three daily prayer srevices, recited in later afternoon at twilight

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Shacharit

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first of three daily services; morning liturgy

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Shemoneh esre

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18 benedictions; the silent prayer, recited while standing, morning, noon and night, in traditional Jewish liturgy which consists of 19 paragraphs, each ending with a blessing

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Simchat Bat/Brit Bat

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contemporary Jewish ceremnoy celebrating birth of daughter and her entrance in God's covenant with Jewish people