C

Calendar, Jewish - The Jewish Calendar is based on the lunar year, with twelve months consisting of 29 or 30 days each, totaling approximately 354 days a year. In order to adjust to the solar (365 days a year) calendar, there are Jewish leap years every 2-3 years.

Canaan - Land of the Canaanites. After Jews settled there, it became known as the Land of Israel.

Candle Holders - A variety of types of candle holders are used in Judaica.
(see also Menorah, Hanukiah).

Canon - Refers to all the books in the Bible, also known as the Holy Canon.

Cantor - Synagogue official responsible for chanting services. In smaller congregations, the cantor is only engaged for the High Holidays (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur), while in larger congregations, the cantor presides at services year-round.

Challah - A special type of braided egg bread, that is served at the erev Shabbat dinner and on holidays. Originally challah was a dough offering in the ancient Temple of Jerusalem. A true challah today has a bit of its dough taken from it, a prayer said by the baker, and the small piece of dough is put into the oven, a reminder of this old sacrifice.

Circumcision - (Brith Milah) As part of a religious ceremony, on the eighth day after birth, Jewish males are circumcised by a mohel (circumcisor). Often, the child is officially given his Hebrew name during this ceremony.

Conservative Judaism - Established in the United States in the 1890's, it is the second of the three major sects of modern Judaism.
(See also Judaism)

Conversion - The process of a non-Jew becoming a Jew (see also Mikvah).

D

Diaspora - Translated to English to mean scattering. A term that refers to the spreading out of the Jewish people from of Israel.

Dietary Laws (see Kosher)

Dreidel - Four-sided top central to a children's game of chance played at Chanukah. Each of the four sides has a different Hebrew letter.

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