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A B C D E F G H I K L M N P R S T W Y Z ADAR February/March. AFIKOMEN From Greek meaning "dessert." A half piece of matzah set aside during the Passover Seder, which is later hidden by children and then ransomed by parents, or hidden by parents and found by children. It is eaten as the last part of the meal. AGGADAH Non-legal literature in Talmud i.e. legends, history, proverbs, etc. ALIYAH Reading from the Torah during services, relocation of a Jew to Israel from Diaspora. AMORAIM The scholars in Israel and Babylon, 3rd to 6th centuries, who compiled the Gemara section of the Talmud. AMIDAH A prayer that is the center of any Jewish religious service. Also known as the Shemoneh Esrei or the Tefilah. ANI MAAMIN "I Believe"- first words of each of the 13 Principles of Faith by Rambam (Maimonides). ANINUT The period of mourning between the time of death and the time of burial. ARON KODESH Holy Ark where Torah is kept in synagogue. ASHAM A guilt offering. A type of sacrifice used to atone for sins of stealing things from the altar, for when you are not sure whether you have committed a sin or what sin you have committed, or for breach of trust. ASHKENAZ Jewish culture based on Nuash Ashkenaz prayer arrangement adopted by medieval Franco-German Jews. AV July/ August. AVELUT The year of mourning after the burial of a parent. AVINU Our Father. AVODA ZARA "Strange worship"- idol worship. BAAL SHEM TOV Master of the Good Name. Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, the founder of Chasidic Judaism. BAR MITZVAH Ceremony marking the initiation of a boy at the age of 13 into the adult community. BASHERT Yiddish for destiny. A soul mate or any good or fortuitous match, such as the perfect job or the perfect house. BAT MITZVAH Ceremony marking the initiation of a girl at the age of 12 into the adult community. BERAKAH Blessing. BENTSCH Recite a blessing. Traditionally, to the recitation of the birkat ha-mazon. BEREISHIS Genesis. BET DIN Rabbinic Court of Religious and Talmudic Law. BET HA-KNESSET Synagogue. BET HA -MEDRASH Study hall, often serves as a Synagogue. BIMAH The pedestal on which the Torah scrolls are placed when they are being read in the synagogue BINAH Intuition, understanding, intelligence. A quality that women supposedly have in greater degree than men. BIRKAT HA-MAZON Grace after meals. BNAI NOACH Movement of non-Jews who have consciously accepted the responsibility of following the Seven Laws of Noah. BRIT Abbreviation of 'berit milah', the covenant of circumcision, being the physical sign of the covenant between Avrohom and G-d. CANTOR Professional singer who leads the chanting of the prayers. CHAG SAMEACH Joyous festival. A greeting for holidays. CHANUKAH (FEAST OF LIGHTS) Eight day festival (December), during which candles are lit on the Chanukiya (or Chanukah menorah). One candle is lit at sundown on the first day, two on the second, etc., for the eight consecutive days. This is in commemoration of the victory of Judah Macabee over the Greeks (168-165 BCE), and to celebrate the miracle of the tiny jug of oil that kept burning in the Temple for eight days. CHILLUL HASHEM Profaning of the Name. Causing G-d , Torah, or Judaism to come into disrespect. Also causing a person to violate a commandment. CHUKKIM Jewish religious laws for which no reason is given in the Torah. Some believe that they are meant to show our obedience to G-d. CHUMASH Five books of the Torah and readings from the prophets, rendered into weekly Torah portions. CHUPPAH Wedding canopy, symbolic of the groom's home, under which the nisuin portion of the wedding ceremony is performed. DAF YOMI Page of the day. The study of a page of Talmud every day. DAVEN To pray. DAYAN Member of Rabbinic Court. DAYS OF AWE Ten days from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur, a time for introspection and considering the sins of the previous year. DIN A legal judgement, process, or lawsuit. DIASPORA The dispersion of Jews outside of Israel. ELUL August/Septmeber. ERETZ ISRAEL Land of Israel. ESSENES Movement of Judaism that began approximately 2200 years ago. It died out shortly after the destruction of the Temple. FLEISHIG Kosher foods that contain meat and therefore cannot be eaten with dairy. FRUM Observant. GABBAI Honorary Synagogue officer. GALUT Exile or captivity. Any place outside of the land of Israel where Jews live. Refers to the fact that Jews were exiled from the land of Israel by the Romans after the last Jewish War. GEHINNOM (GEHENNA) Place of spiritual punishment and/or purification for a period of up to 12 months after death. GEMARA The second and supplementary part of the Talmud (oral law), including discussions, rulings, and commentary of the Mishnah, the code of Jewish law. GET A writ of divorce. Also called a sefer k'ritut. GEZEIRA A law instituted by the rabbis to prevent people from unintentionally violating commandments HAGGADAH The tale of the Exodus from Egypt-the deliverance from slavery to freedom in the Promised Land- recited over the festive Seder meal on the eve of Passover. In a broader sense, all non-legal contents of Talmud and Midrash. HALACHA The legal and regulatory portions of Jewish traditional lore. HASHEM G-d, literally 'The Name'. HA-TIKVA The national anthem of the State of Israel (means literally "The Hope"). HAVDALLAH Blessing over wine, candle and spices, marking the close of the sabbath and festivals. HESHVAN October/November. IYAR April/May. KABALAH The Jewish mystical tradition. KADDISH Aramiac prayer, offering praise to g-d, recited at close of principle segments of the service. Also recited by mourners. KARAITES 8th century denomination that rejected Rabbinic Judaism, accepting only the Bible as authoritive. KASHER (KOSHER) Jewish laws regulating suitability for use. Food prepared in accordance with traditional Jewish dietary laws, including ritual slaughter, and separation of meat and dairy products. KAVVANAH Devotion in prayer. KETUBBAH Marriage contract outlining the obligations of bride and groom to each other. KIDDUSH Blessing over wine on the Sabbath and festivals. KIPPA Yarmulke or skullcap worn by observant Jews. KISLEV November/December. KOHEN A descendant of the priestly tribe. KOTEL The Western (Wailing) Wall, last surviving remnant of the Second Temple destroyed in 70 CE. LAG BE-OMER 33rd day of the period between Passover and Shavout (usually about May), associated with the Bar Kochba uprising (132-135 CE) against the Romans. Nowadays celebrated with bonfires. LEVITE Descendant of the tribe of Levi. Given the honor of being called to the Torah after the Kohen. MATZA Flat unleavened bread eaten during the Passover holiday, in memory of the haste in which the Hebrews left Egypt (i.e. there was no time to allow the baked bread to rise). MAZEL TOV "Good luck", congratulatory greeting on joyous occasions. MEGILAT ESTHER Parchment scroll containing the Book of Esther which tells the story of how the Jews were saved in ancient Persia, recited on Purim. MENORA 7-branch candelabrum that stood in the Temple. MEZUZA Decoratively encased parchment with hand-written Bible quotations affixed to the door posts of the front door (and other doors) in Jewish homes. MIDRASH Interpretation of Scripture. May teach a moral or legal concept. Also refers to collections of sermonic interpretations. MIKVEH A ritual bath intended to cleanse one of impurity. MINHAG Traditional custom or practice. MINYAN Quorum of 10 Jewish males, aged 13 or over, required for communal prayer. MISHNAH Compilation of the legislative portions of the oral tradition, completed in 210 CE. MITZVAH Precept, commandment, good deed, religious obligation, or duty. MOHEL Person authorised to perform ritual circumcision. MOSHIACH Messiah. NAVI Prophet. NER TAMID A lamp which is always kept burning, usually hung above the Holy Ark. NIDDAH The separation of husband and wife during the woman's menstrual period. Also refers to a woman so separated. NIGUN A traditional folk melody. NISSAN March/April. Nisuin The second part of the two-part Jewish marriage process, after which the bride and groom begin to live together as husband and wife PAROCHES Curtain which covers the Ark containing Torah in synagogue. PASUK Verse. PENTATEUCH The Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. PESACH (PASSOVER) 7-day spring festival commemorating the Exodus from Egypt. The first night is marked by a ceremonial meal (Seder) at which the Haggadah is read. PESUKIM Verses. PIDYON HABEN 'Redemption of the first born'. A short ceremony conducted when a male is 30 days old. The father donates a small sum of money, symbolic of the biblical injunction of Exod 13:1-16, to redeem the first-born son. POSEK A Rabbi authorised to give a halachic decision. PURIM Festival commemorating the salvation of the Jews from the hands of Haman, as recorded in the Book of Esther. Purim traditions include wearing fancy dress costumes and sending gifts of food to family and friends. RAMBAM Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon
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