Glossary
of Terms
Aliyah:
[literally, “ascent”] ceremony of being called upon
to recite a blessing over the reading of a portion of the Torah
during services. Getting an aliyah is a great honour; men often
pay money in order to be called up to the Torah. This money
usually goes to charity or to synagogue funds. Also, aliyah
can refer to moving to Israel, i.e. “to make aliyah”.
Alter
Heim: Yiddish for ‘old country’, a term used
by immigrants to refer to their communities in Eastern Europe
Aron
Kodesh: [literally, “holy cabinet”] ark in
which the Torah scrolls are kept.
Ashkenaz:
refers to the traditions of Jews originating from countries
in Eastern Europe, as opposed to Sefarad.
Aufruf
/ Ofruf: ceremony in which a husband-to-be is called up
to the Torah readings (see Aliyah) on the Sabbath before his
wedding.
Bais-Oilom:
Jewish cemetery
Bar-Mitzvah
(pl. Bnei-Mitzvah): A ceremony for boys who reach the
age of 13 in which they read from the Torah on the Sabbath falling
closest to their Hebrew birthday. (Judaism follows a lunar calendar.)
At this age, boys are considered accountable for their own actions
and have higher responsibilities to God. Girls reach this level
of responsibility at the age of 12, in what is called a Bat-Mitzvah.
However, according to Orthodox tradition, girls do not read
from the Torah.
Bimah:
raised platform that faces the ark where the prayers and Torah
reading are led.
Bris,
Bris Milah (pl. Bris Milot): [literally, “contract
or agreement of birth”] circumcision ceremony that takes
place 8 days after the birth of a Jewish boy.
Chai:
[literally, “alive”] In Hebrew, the word is made
up of two letters, one of which has a value of 10, the other
a value of 8, together making 18. For this reason, 18 is a number
of significance in Jewish traditions.
Cheder:
[literally, “room”] one-room Hebrew school.
Chevra
Kaddisha: [literally, “holy society”] The burial
society, or Chevra Kaddisha, is responsible for taking care
of a dead body until it is buried. Responsibilities include
washing and guarding the body, dressing it in shrouds, assisting
in the rituals involved in the burial, arranging a mourning
service, etc. The Chevra is usually composed of volunteers from
the community. Being part of the Chevra Kaddisha is considered
one of the holiest deeds, as there is no expectation of reward
or thanks.
Davening:
Yiddish for ‘praying’; can be used as a noun to
mean ‘services’.
Gabbai:
treasurer of the synagogue. The Gabbai was entrusted with the
responsibility of collecting funds for charity from congregants.
Halakhah
/ Halacha: [literally, “path of walking”]
the laws of the oral Torah.
Hallel:
[literally, “praise”] prayer composed of different
Psalms that is recited on the first day of new months and on
certain holidays.
Hesed
/ Chesed: goodness, well-meaning.
High
Holidays: The holidays of Rosh Hashannah (New Year) and
Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), when Jews must humble themselves
before God and ask forgiveness for their wrongdoings.
Huppa:
a canopy that is created when a cloth is suspended over the
couple during a wedding ceremony.
Kashrut:
Jewish dietary laws, the act of keeping Kosher.
Keter
Torah: [literally, “Torah crown”] ornamentation
(usually silver) that is placed on the top of the Torah scroll
while it is not being read.
Kiddush:
[from the Hebrew root meaning “holy”] the blessing
over the wine. Often after morning services conclude on the
Sabbath, the congregation will say Kiddush together and enjoy
deserts or snacks.
Landsmenshaft:
connection felt between people originating from the same town
or region after immigrating to a new country. Landsmen:
people originating from the same town or region.
Magen
David: [literally, “shield of David”] refers
to the six-pointed star of David.
Mikvah:
ritual bath.
Minyan:
In an Orthodox congregation, at least 10 men over the age of
Bar Mitzvah (13) are required in order to form a congregation
to begin services. This group is called a minyan.
Moess
Chittin: [literally, “wheat money”] extra charity
given before Passover to ensure that poorer Jews can afford
to celebrate the holiday according to Jewish law.
Mitzvah
(pl. Mitzvot): action commanded by God, therefore,
also commonly known as a “good deed”.
M’laveh
Malkah: festivities that occur after the Sabbath ends as
a way of saying farewell to the Sabbath: usually includes a
meal, speeches, and songs.
Nusach:
edition, according to the tradition of… (Ashkenaz or Sefarad):
usually in reference to siddurim.
Orthodox
Judaism: a stream of Jewish observance that strictly obeys
the traditional rabbinical interpretations of the written and
oral law as outlined in the Talmud. Other streams have appeared
during the late-eighteenth and twentieth century such as Reform,
Conservative, and Reconstructionist. Each of these streams has
a different interpretation of the role of the written and oral
law in terms of what a Jew is obligated to observe.
Parochet:
embroidered cloth, or curtain, hung on the front of the aron
kodesh to conceal and protect the Torah scrolls.
Pincus:
honour book compiled by a synagogue.
Sefarad
/ Sephard: [literally, “Spain”, “of
Spain”] refers to the traditions of Jews who have lived
under Muslim rule (as opposed to Ashkenaz).
Sefer
Torah (pl. sifrei torah): scroll that contains the
text of the Five Books of Moses.
Shabbat:
the period between Friday at sundown and Saturday one hour after
sundown in which Jews are required to refrain from all forms
of work.
Shabbaton:
an overnight gathering of Jews, sometimes held in another city,
to celebrate Shabbat together. These outings usually include
activities and religious learning.
Shaliah
Tsibor: [literally, “sent by the congregation”]
the title given to the cantor who leads services and acts as
the congregation’s representative to God.
Shiva:
[literally, “seven”] mourning process where the
immediate family members of the deceased gather and remain in
a house together for seven days after the death. This intensive
grieving period forces the bereaved to confront their feelings
of loss, to remember the deceased and share memories. The customs
observed during these seven days create an environment that
is free of distraction so that the grievers can deal with their
pain directly. Customs include refraining from forms of vanity
(mirrors are covered; haircuts and shaving are forbidden) and
pleasure (sexual relations as well as Torah study are prohibited).
Mourners sit on low chairs and do not wear leather shoes to
display their grief and humility. All distractions are removed:
doors are kept unlocked so that the mourners do not need to
host others; cooking, cleaning, serving, and other duties, including
work and school, are not permitted. In fact, visitors are not
allowed to initiate conversation with the mourners, but rather
simply respond so that the mourners feel no obligation to engage
in conversation. After the seven days, the mourners extinguish
a candle that had been burning since the first day, and then
take a walk outside together as a first step in transitioning
back to regular daily life.
Shtetl:
small, close-knit village of Jews, usually in Eastern Europe.
Shteiblach:
very small synagogue that often occupied storefronts. This kind
of synagogue was prevalent in poorer Jewish immigrant communities
such as the Ward in the early twentieth century.
Siddur
(pl. Sidurrim): prayer book.
Soifer:
a scribe for holy books. The task of copying the text of the
Torah to a new scroll is very difficult, requiring the utmost
attention to detail. Not one mistake is permissible. It often
takes months or years to complete the entire Five Books of Moses.
Sukkot:
Jewish holiday that celebrates the autumn harvest and God’s
protection over the Jewish people while in the desert after
escaping from slavery in Egypt. Sukkah: a temporary hut that
Jews erect to celebrate Sukkot.
Talmud:
[from the Hebrew root meaning “to learn”] refers
to the oral law and rabbinical discussions compiled in efforts
to interpret the oral law.
Tallis
(pl. Tallisot): prayer shawl worn by men.
Tsedaka:
charity.
Yiddish:
[literally, “Jewish”] language spoken by Jews in
Eastern Europe. Yiddish is a blend of Hebrew and German, but
is written using Hebrew characters.
|