Dr Choi Final
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55 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Afikomen | The broken piece of the unleavened bread set aside (or hidden) to be eaten at the end of Passover meal. |
| Aggadah | Jewish "lore"; that part of the oral Torah which contains expositions of biblical texts, theologies, philosophies, and stories related to Jewish life |
| Antiochus IV | Ruler of Syria (175-163 B.C.E) who tried to force Hews to assume Hellenistic ways. |
| Ashkenazim | Those Jews who come from Europe, especially eastern Europe. |
| Bar Mitzvah | Literally, "son of the commandment"; refers to a boy's attainment of adulthood at age thirteen and his obligation to keep the Jewish law. In his Bar Mitzvah, a boy is called up in the synagogue to read from the Torah. |
| Bat Mitzvah | Literally, "daughter of the commandment"; a ritual for twelve-year-old girls of the Conservative and Reformed Jewish traditions similar to the Mar Mitzvah for boys |
| Diaspora | The world outside of Israel |
| Gemara | Commentary by later rabbis on issues raised in the Mishnah |
| Get | Religious divorce obtainable only at the request of the husband |
| Hagaddah | The ritual retelling of the story of Passover during the seder meal. |
| Halacha | That part of the oral Torah which is law. |
| Hanukkah | The festival of lights which celebrates the Jewish victory over the Hellenization program of Antiochus IV. |
| Hasidim | Members of a mystical Jewish movement that emerged in eastern Europe in the eighteenth century which focuses on the love of and a personal relationship with God. |
| Hoshana Rabba | "The great Hosanna"; the seventh day of Succoth, on which prayers are said for a good harvest cycle. |
| Kaddish | Prayer which reflects on the greatness of God and his ultimate triumph; also recited by mourners at prayer services during the period of their mourning. |
| Ketuvim | Hebrew word meaning "writings"; refers to the third portion of the Jewish Bible. |
| Kippah | Hebrew word for the circular head covering worn by many Jewish males. |
| Kol Nidre | A prayer said on the eve of Yom Kippur which asks God to forgive a person for the breaking of any vows which were made to God |
| Kosher | Means "fit"; used primarily in relation to food which Jews are permitted to eat. |
| Mazzah | Unleavned bread |
| Megillah | The scroll read during the celebration of Purim, retelling the story of Esther |
| Menorah | Candelabrum. The seven-branched version was one of the temple furnishings and today symbolizes Israel on its national seal; the nine-branched version is specifically used to commemorate Hanukkah, eight of the cnadles symbolizing the eight days of the festival and the ninth traditionally being used to light the others. |
| Mezuzah | Literally, "doorpost". Ritually, it is a small parchment containing the first two paragraphs of the Shema (Deut 6:4-9,13-31) which is usually placed in a small box or container and affixed to the doorpost. |
| Midrash | Literally, "search" for meaning; indicates the portion of the oral traditions not incorporated into the Gemara and later recorded separately. |
| Mikveh | Ritual bath. |
| Minyan | Ten males (Orthodox) or males and females (Conservative or Reformed) required for certain prayers. |
| Mishnah | The written compilation of what had been oral halacha (law). It was set down in written form about 200 C.E. |
| Mitnagdim | Opponents of the Hasidim who placed emphasis on learning the tradition rather than emotion. |
| Mohel | The person who performs the ritual of circumcision. |
| Nevi'im | Hebrew word meaning "prophets"; refers to the second part of the Jewish Bible. |
| Passover | Spring festival celebrating the salvation of the people of Israel when the angel of death passed over Israel's firstborn in Egypt, as well as Israel's ultimate deliverance from bondage. |
| Pogrom | Organized riots which resulted in the murder of Jews and the pillaging of their homes and possessions. |
| Purim | Spring festival celebrating the deliverance of the Jews in the days of Queen Esther. |
| Rabbi | Means "my master"; an authorized teacher |
| Rebbe | The spiritual head of a Hasidic community |
| Rosh Hashanah | Festival celebrating the new year |
| Seder | The order of the ritual of the Passover meal |
| Sephardim | Jews who have come from Spain or Arab lands |
| Shema | Literally, "hear"; the name for Israel's fundamental confession of faith found in Deuteronomy 6:4. |
| Shemini Atzeret | The eighth day of assembly following Succoth, on which the prayers for rain are said. |
| Shiva | Seven-day period of mourning deceased relatives in the home, during which the family sits on low stools and receives guests. |
| Shofar | The ram's horn sounded one hundred times on Rosh Hashanah and again to end Yom Kippur. |
| Simhat Torah | "Rejoicing of the Torah"; the celebration of the conclusion and recommencement of the Torah reading cycle which takes place on Shemini Atzeret (or the second day of Shemini Atzeret in the diaspora) |
| Succoth | The Feast of Tabernacles, commemorating divine protection of Israel during her wanderings in the wilderness. |
| Sukkah | Literally, "tabernacle"; a booth constructed of three walls and a partial roof in which Jewish families should partake of meals and may sleep during the celebration of Succoth. |
| Tallit | Prayer shawl. |
| Talmud | The Mishnah plus the Gemara; the foundational writings of Orthodox Jewish life. |
| Tanak | The made-up name for the Jewish Bible (the Christian Old Testament) based on its three parts-Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim. |
| Tashlich | The custom of symbolically casting one's sins into flowing water; performed on Rosh Hashanah |
| Tefillin | Two leather boxes which are worn on the arm and on the forehead at weekday morning prayers. |
| Torah | The Pentateuch, or the first five books of the Tanak. |
| Tzitzit | The fringes on the prayer shawl or on an undershirt which remind one of the commandments in the law. |
| Yarmulka | Yiddish word for the round head covering often worn by Jewish males. |
| Yom Kippur | The Day of Atonement |
| Zionism | The movement to establish a Jewish state in the land of Israel. |
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