|
Each entry in this glossary includes the transliteration, language, and definition. All entries are listed alphabetically by transliteration spellings. Some transliterated spellings vary. If you look for a word under "H" but do not find it, please look under "C/CH" (example: Hanukah would be listed under Chanukah). If you look for a word under "TS" or "TZ" but do not find it, please look under "Z" (example: Tzion or Tsion would be listed under Zion) and vice versa.
A
Abba
Aramaic Father
Acharit HaYamim
Hebrew The End of Days
Acharon Shel Pesach
Hebrew The last day of Passover
Acharonim
Hebrew Authorities of Jewish Law since the sixteenth century
Acher
Hebrew Another
Adam
Hebrew [lit. man] First human
Adamah
Hebrew Dust, Earth
Adar Rishon
Hebrew Twelfth month of the Jewish year; Also known as Adar Aleph or Adar I
Adar Sheni
Hebrew Thirteenth month of the Jewish year (leap year only); Also known as Adar Beit or Adar II
Adat B'nei Yisrael
Hebrew Community of the Children of Israel
Adonai
Hebrew [lit. My L-rd] Name of G-d used most often in prayer
Adonai Tz'va-ot
Hebrew Name of G-d referring to G-d as the Ruler of the angelic hosts of heaven
Afatsa [picture]
Hebrew Gallnut
Afikoman [picture]
Greek A broken piece of matzah that is the last food eaten at the Passover Seder
Aggadah
Hebrew Non-legal rabbinical interpretation of the Tanach, including homilies and stories
Agunah (Agunot pl.)
Hebrew A female whose husband has disappeared or deserted her and can therefore not receive a Jewish divorce
Ahavat Yisrael
Hebrew Loving a fellow Jew
Aishet Chayil
Hebrew [lit. The Woman of Valour] Song written by King Solomon that is traditionally sung Friday night
Akdamut
Aramaic - Poem glorifying the gift of Torah which is said on Shavuot
Al
Hebrew Upon
Aleph
Hebrew 1. First letter of the Hebrew alphabet; 2. Represents the number one
Aleph - Bet
Hebrew The Hebrew alphabet
Aliyah (Aliyot pl.)
Hebrew [lit. going up] 1. Be called to the bimah to recite a blessing over the Torah scroll; 2. To move to Israel
Altaamin B'atzmecha
Hebrew Do not trust yourself alone
Am Yisrael
Hebrew 1. The nation (people) of Israel; 2. Jews
Amidah
Hebrew [lit. standing] A central Jewish prayer
Amoraim
Hebrew Post-Mishnaic authorities cited in the Gemara/Talmud
Amos
Hebrew 1. Prophet of the Jews; 2. The twelfth book of the Nevi'im
Amud (Amudim, pl.) [picture]
Hebrew Columns
Anavut
Hebrew Humility
Anshei Knesset HaGedolah
Hebrew Men of the Great Assembly
Anusim (pl.)
Hebrew [lit. forced ones] Jews who converted to Christianity in Spain and Portugal during the Middle Age
Apikorsim (pl.)
Hebrew Heretics
Arachin
Hebrew 1. Consecration of personal worth to the Temple; 2. A tractate of Kodashim
Aravot (pl.) [picture]
Hebrew Willow branches
Arba Minim [picture]
Hebrew Four species used on Sukkot
Aron
Hebrew Ark
Aron HaBrit [picture]
Hebrew An ark constructed in which to store the Ten Statements
Aron HaChodesh [picture]
Hebrew 1. A container used to store the Sefer Torah and Sefer Megillah, 2. Ark of the Covenant
Arvit
Hebrew Evening service (another name for Ma'ariv)
Asarah B'Tevet
Hebrew A day-fast mourning over the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem that led to the destruction of the Temple and those who died in the Shoah
Ashkenazi (Ashkenazim pl.)
Hebrew Descendants of Jews from France, Germany, and Eastern Europe
Aufruf
Hebrew The honoring of the groom by having him up to the bimah for an aliyah the week before his wedding
Av (Avot pl.)
Hebrew 1. Father; 2. Fifth month of the Jewish year
Aveinu
Hebrew Our Father
Aveinu Malkeinu
Hebrew Our Father, Our King
Aveinu She-ba-shamayim
Hebrew [lit. Father in heaven] A title referring to G-d's watchful care over us
Aviv
Hebrew Spring
Avodah, Avodas Hashem
Hebrew Service of G-d
Avodah Zarah
Hebrew 1. Idolatry and superstitions; 2. A tractate of Nezikin
Avoth
Hebrew 1. "Ethics of the Fathers"; 2. A tractate of Nezikin
Ayin
Hebrew 1. Sixteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet; 2. Represents the number seventy
B
Ba'al
Hebrew 1. Ownership; 2. Self-responsibility
Ba'al Koray
Hebrew Person who reads from the Sefer Torah
Ba'al Teshuva (Ba'alei Teshuva pl.)
Hebrew [lit. master of repentance] A Jew who returns to Torah Judaism/Torah observance
Ba'alei Tefillah (pl.)
Hebrew Prayer leaders
Ba'alei Batim (pl.)
Hebrew Lay leaders
Badekin
Hebrew Veiling of the bride
Badhan
Hebrew [lit. jester] An entertainer at Jewish weddings and other festivities
B'am
Hebrew Amongst our people
Bamidbar
Hebrew [lit. in the wilderness] The fourth book of the Torah (Numbers)
Bar
Aramaic Son
Bar Mitzvah
Hebrew [lit. son of the Commandments] 1. A Jewish boy becomes responsible for following all mitzvot beginning at age 13; 2. A celebration of a boy's Jewish adulthood
Bara
Hebrew Created
Bashert
Hebrew 1. Predestined; 2. Soul-mate
Bat
Hebrew Daughter
Bat Kol
Hebrew Heavenly voice
Bat Mitzvah
Hebrew [lit. daughter of the Commandments] 1. A Jewish girl becomes responsible for following all mitzvot beginning at age 12; 2. A celebration of a girl's Jewish adulthood
Bava Batra
Hebrew 1. Real estate, possessions, inheritance, partnership, evidence, testimony; 2. A tractate of Nezikin
Bava Kamma
Hebrew 1. Damage to person and property, loans and interest, stolen goods; 2. A tractate of Nezikin
Bava Metzia
Hebrew 1. Rabbinical decrees concerning lost and found property, embezzlement, fraud, usury, sales, rentals, rights of hired laborers; 2. A tractate of Nezikin
Bavel
Hebrew Babylon
Beged Ish
Hebrew Man's garment
Beged Isha
Hebrew Woman's garment
Bein Ham'Tzarim
Hebrew The Three Weeks
Beit
Hebrew House
Beit Din
Hebrew [lit. house of judgment] Rabbinical court
Beit HaMikdash
Hebrew The Holy Temple in Jerusalem
Beit Midrash
Hebrew House of study (another term for synagogue/shul)
Beit Midrash l'Limudei HaYahadut
Hebrew Seminary for Jewish studies
Beit Midrash l'Morim
Hebrew Seminary for teachers
Beit Midrash l'Rabbanim
Hebrew Seminary for rabbinical studies
Beit Knesset
Hebrew House of assembly (another term for synagogue/shul)
Beitzah
Hebrew 1. Rabbinical decrees concerning the festivals; 2. A tractate of Moed
Ben
Hebrew Son
Bentching
Yiddish [lit. blessings] The Grace After Meals that is recited at the conclusion of the three meals, if one "washed" and ate bread
Berachot
Hebrew 1. Prayers and benedictions; 2. A tractate of Zeraim
Bereishit
Hebrew [lit. In the beginning] The first book of the Torah ("Genesis")
Bereishit Rabbah
Hebrew A collection of midrashim on the book of Bereishit
Bet
Hebrew 1. Second letter of the Hebrew alphabet; 2. Represents the number two
B'Ezrat HaShem
Hebrew With Hashem's help
Bikur Holim
Hebrew Visiting the sick
Bikkurim (pl.)
Hebrew 1. Offerings of the first fruits at the Temple; 2. A tractate of Zeraim
Bimah [picture]
Hebrew A platform on which the Torah Scroll is placed when read
Binah
Hebrew 1. Intuition; 2. Understanding
Birkat HaChodesh
Hebrew Special blessing recited before the musaf prayer the shabbat before Rosh Chodesh
Birkat HaMazon
Hebrew Blessing recited after meals
Birkat HaShachar
Hebrew Blessing of the dawn
Bishul Yisrael
Hebrew Ruling that a Jew must be involved in the cooking or processing of food in order for the food to be considered kosher
Blech [picture]
Hebrew Covering for the stove top that is used on Shabbat and some holidays to keep food warm
B'nei
Hebrew Children
B'nei Anusim
Hebrew Historical term for Jews who were forced to convert to another religion
Bochur (Bochrim pl.)
Hebrew Young men
Bochya
Hebrew Cried
Bracha (Brachot pl.)
Hebrew A blessing
Brit
Hebrew Covenant between G-d and Israel
Brit Milah
Hebrew The ceremony of ritual circumcision performed on Jewish males on the eighth day
Bubbe
Yiddish Grandmother
C
Cantor
Latin The person who leads the congregation in prayer
Chabashim (pl.)
Hebrew Jews from Ethiopia (also known as Beta Yisrael)
Chachomim (pl.)
Hebrew Sages
Chag
Hebrew Jewish holiday
Chag HaAviv
Hebrew [lit. The Spring Festival] - Alternate name for Pesach
Chag HaMatzot
Hebrew [lit. The Time of Our Freedom] Alternate name for Pesach
Chag Sameach
Hebrew Happy holiday
Chaggai
Hebrew 1. Prophet of the Jews; 2. The ninteenth book of the Nevi'im (Haggai)
Chagigah
Hebrew 1. Halakhot for pilgrimage festivals; 2. A tractate of Moed
Chai (Chaim, pl.)
Hebrew Life
Chalav
Hebrew Milk
Challah [picture]
Hebrew 1. A tithe of dough for the Kohen; 2. A braided loaf of bread baked in honor of Shabbat; 3. A tractate of Zeraim
Chalutz (Chalutzim pl.)
Hebrew 1. Pioneers; 2. The earliest settlers of Israel in modern times
Chametz
Hebrew [lit. leaven] 1. Any food made with grain and water that has been permitted to ferment and rise 2. The five grains (wheat, barley, spelt, rye, oats), or products produced from them, which Jews are prohibited from eating or owning during Passover
Chanukah
Hebrew A celebration of the miracle of the oil in the Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabees’ defeat of the Greek army
Chanukiah [picture]
Hebrew Eight-branched candelabrum used during the Chanukah celebration
Chanukkat HaBayit
Hebrew Dedication of the house (affixing a mezuzah)
Charah
Hebrew Anger
Charoset [picture]
Hebrew An apple-nut mixture resembling mortar used during the Passover Seder
Chatan
Hebrew Groom
Chatan Bereishit
Hebrew [lit. Groom of Bereishit] The person given the aliyah that beings the reading of the Torah anew on Simchat Torah
Chatan HaTorah
Hebrew [lit. Groom of Torah] The person given the aliyah that completes the reading of the Torah anew on Simchat Torah
Chatzi Kaddish
Hebrew A partial Kaddish, dividing sections within a service
Chavakuk
Hebrew 1. Prophet of the Jews; 2. The seventeenth book of the Nevi'im (Habakkuk)
Chavaya
Hebrew Experience
Chavurah (Chavurot pl.)
Hebrew Group that meets informally for prayer, discussion, and Jewish celebrations
Chazzan
Hebrew The person who leads the congregation in prayer
Chazzanut
Hebrew The art of cantorial singing
Chelev
Hebrew A kind of fat that surrounds the liver and other vital organs
Cherem
Hebrew Excommunication
Chesed
Hebrew Lovingkindness and grace towards others
Cheshvan
Hebrew Eighth month of the Jewish year
Chet
Hebrew 1. Eighth letter of the Hebrew alphabet; 2. Represents the number eight
Chevra Kaddisha
Hebrew [lit. holy society] Organization of volunteers who prepare the deceased for burial
Chizuk
Hebrew Inspiration
Chokhmah
Hebrew Wisdom
Chol HaMoed
Hebrew [lit. the intermediate day] Intermediate days during Passover and Sukkot during which most work is permitted
Cholent [picture]
Hebrew A Shabbat stew, consisting often of stew meat, potatoes, beans and barley
Cholov Yisrael
Hebrew Ruling that a Jew must be present from the time of milking to the time of bottling to ensure milk from kosher animals do not mix with milk from non-kosher animals
Choref
Hebrew Winter
Chullin
Hebrew 1. Laws of non-sacred animal slaughter and dietary laws; 2. A tractate of Kodashim
Chumash
Hebrew [lit. five] 1. The first five books of the Tanach in book form; 2. The five books of Moses in book form
Chuppah [picture]
Hebrew A cloth or a tallis placed on four poles used as a wedding canopy
Chutzpah
Yiddish Extreme level of arrogance and presumption
Converso
Spanish Jew who converted to Christianity in Spain and Portugal during the Middle Ages |
