Glossary Flashcards
1000 BCE
Date of David, Israel’s first real king. He ruled over the United Monarchy, conquered Jerusalem and made it his capital, fathered Solomon. King David’s descendants ruled over the United Monarchy, then Judah, until the Babylonians deported the last king to Babylon.
587 or 586 BCE
Date that the Neo-Babylonians overthrew Judah, burning much of Jerusalem, destroying the 1st Temple (Solomon’s Temple), and thereby ending a lot of the religious practices of the Judeans (who insisted that sacrifices to God take place in the Temple). Around this time the Babylonians also exiled priests, the royal family, and others to Babylon.
~4 BCE
Birth of Jesus
70 CE
Date the Romans destroyed the 2nd Temple. This occurred during a Jewish revolt against Roman rule in the Holy Land. (the Romans won.)
132-135 CE
Bar Kokhba Revolt, very heavily put down by the Romans
~200 CE
Final redaction (= editing) of Mishnah by Judah the Prince (Yehudah ha-Nasi)
~400 CE
Redaction of Palestinian Talmud (some scholars date differently)
~500-650 CE
Redaction of Babylonian Talmud (some scholars date a bit differently)
Aggadah
(lit. “telling”) Non-halakhic matter in Talmud and Midrash; includes folklore, legend, theology/theosophy, scriptural interpretations, biography, etc
Aliyah
Literally “going up, rising”. Two meanings, one related to the Torah service (being called up to the bima to bless the Torah before and after part of the parasha is read). The other meaning is “Jewish migration to Israel.”
Am Yisrael
Lit “The People of Israel.” Usually used to refer to the Jewish people (the descendents of Jacob, also called Israel)
Antisemitism
Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.
Ark
An acronym for aron hakodesh.
Aron Hakodesh
(Lit. “holy chest”) Holy Ark, usually found at the front of sanctuary, containing two or more Torah scrolls.
Ashkenazim
Those Jews who trace their heritage back to Medieval Germany (Ashke-naz)
Babylonian Talmud (Bavli)
Redacted around 500 CE, a sprawling work of rabbinic literature containing commentary on the Mishnah, law, stories, and dialectical argumentation.
Bar Kokhba
“Son of the star,” the name applied to the leader of a Jewish uprising in Palestine in 132 CE
Bar Mitzvah
Lit. “Son of the commandment” A boy who has reached the age of thirteen and who is consequently obligated to observe the commandments. Also, a ceremony marking the fact that a boy has achieved this age.
Bat Mitzvah
Lit. “Daughter of the commandment” A girl who has reached the age of twelve and who is consequently obligated to observe the commandments. Also, a ceremony marking the fact that a girl has achieved this age.
BCE
“Before the Common Era”; an alternative way of saying “BC” without invoking the name of Christ. (“BC” stands for “Before Christ.”) Numerically, a date BCE is identical the same date BC.
Bimah
Place at front of the synagogue from which the service is led i.e. the pulpit.
Blood Libel
The accusation often leveled against Jews that they kill Christian children to use their blood in various religious rituals (usually for baking matzah)
B’rakhah
(pl. b’rakhot) A blessing. A prayer beginning with the phrase “Barukh atah…” (“Blessed art Thou…”)
Cantillation
The practice of chanting or intoning the biblical text in public reading.
Cantor
In Judaism, a reciter and chanter/singer of liturgical materials in the synagogue.
CE
“The Common Era,” an alternative way of saying “AD” without invoking Christ. (“AD” stands for “Anno Domini,” Latin for “In the year of the Lord.”) Numerically, a date CE is identical to the same date AD.
Challah
Egg-rich yeast-leavened bread that is usually braided or twisted before baking and is traditionally eaten by Jews on the Sabbath and holidays
Conversos
Tens of thousands of Jews forcibly converted to Catholicism in Spain/Portugal following widespread pogroms (50,000 Jewish people killed) in 1391: called “conversos”
Covenant
A treaty between God and Israel. Some covenants have specific conditions or treaty stipulations, while others are covenants of grant. The biblical notion of covenant between God and Israel, especially as it appears in Deut. May reflect a theologized reworking of treaties between Assyrian Kings and their vassals.
Daven
Pray.
Days of Awe
10 days from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur a time for introspection and considering the sins of the previous year
Devekut
“Cleaving to God”, aspiring oneness with the Divine through meditative or ecstatic prayer; key concept in Hasidic prayer
Dhimmi
Historical term for non-Muslims (“people of the book”, i.e. Jews and Christians) living in an Islamic state which were afforded some legal protections
Diaspora
The dispersion of Jews throughout the world after the fall of the Second Temple (70 C.E.). Refers to all Jews living outside of Israel.
Dreidel
Spinning top used in a Hanuka game
Elul
The last month of the Jewish year and the final month prior to Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. This is a month in which to spiritually prepare for the High Holiday season of reflection and repentance.
Ethnoreligion
A grouping of people who share a common religious and ethnic background
Etrog
In Hebrew “Citron.” It is a citrus fruit used in the holiday of Sukkot, one of the “four species.”
First Temple
The temple in Jerusalem from Solomon’s time (10th c.) until the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The First Temple period extends from the 10th to 6th centuries BCE.
Four Species
Fruit and branches used to fulfill the commandment to “rejoice before the Lord” during Sukkot.
Gaon
A Jewish head of one of the Babylonian academies, usually an eminent religious scholar and judicial authority
Geonic Period
(589-1038 C.E.) The Babylonian academies were the chief centers of Jewish learning in the world. Geonic is an adjective derived from gaon, the head of one of those academies.
Get
(pl. gittin) Decree of Divorce
Haftarah
(pl. haftarot) Specific section of the biblical prophets read in synagogue services immediately after corresponding Torah (Pentateuch) section called the parashah.
Halakhah
Jewish law
Hanukah
Literal definition is dedication. This is an eight day holiday celebrating the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem to more traditional modes of Jewish worship by Judah the Maccabee
Haskalah
Jewish rationalistic “enlightenment” in the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Europe
Hasmonean
Descendents of Hashmon, a Jewish family that included the Maccabees and the high priests and kings who ruled Judea during the Hasmonean period
Hebrew Bible
Also called the Jewish Bible, the Tanakh, Jewish Scriptures, or (by Jews) simply “the Bible,” it contains the same books as the Protestant OT but in a different order. Originally composed in Hebrew (with a little bit of Aramaic.)
Hellenism
Complex linguistic, political, and cultural features that marked the Near East beginning with Alexander the Great
High Holy Days
The period of Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), marking the end of the Jewish religious year.
Historical Overview
1000 BCE
King David
King Solomon builds Temple
Solomon’s son loses control of North kingdom
Assyria conquers Israel in North
Judah continues as separate kingdom
586 BCE
Babylonian conquest and exile
Cyrus conquers Bab, lets Jews return
Jews rebuild Temple (2nd Temple)
Alexander the Great conquers region
A’s generals divide his empire into 2 smaller empires
Maccabee rebellion, restoring Jewish rule
Rome conquers region
Herod renovates 2nd Temple
~4 BCE
Jesus born (year Herod dies)
70 CE
Romans destroy 2nd Temple after Jews rebel against Roman rule
About 60 years later, the Jews rebel again (Bar Kokhba revolt) and are brutally put down by the Romans
Israel
A name given to the Jewish patriarch Jacob by God (Genesis 32:38). In Jewish biblical times, this name refers to the northern tribes (as distinct from Judea, the southern tribes), but also to the entire nation. Historically, Jews have continued to regard themselves as the true continuation of the ancient Israelite national-religious community. The term thus has a strong cultural sense. In modern times, it also refers to the political state of Israel.
Judah Maccabee
Judah Maccabee and his family celebrated a victory over the Seleucids in roughly 160 BCE. This victory is the basis for the celebration of Hanukkah.
Kabbalah
A system of Jewish mysticism
Kaddish
Prayer that extols the greatness of God. Best known as the mourners’ prayer, Kaddish is said at other times during Jewish liturgy
Kadosh
Hebrew for “holy” or “sacred”
Ketubah
Religious marriage certificate
Ketuvim
The third part of the Jewish Scriptures which contains the poetic books and the remaining canonical books of the Jewish Scriptures not included in the Torah or the Nevi’im
Khuppah
The wedding canopy
Kiddush
Prayer of sanctification, recited over wine sanctifying the Sabbath or a holiday.
Kittel
The white robes in which the dead are buried, worn by some during Yom Kippur services.
Ladino
The colloquial language of Sephardic Jews, based primarily on Spanish, with words taken from Hebrew, Arabic and other languages, and written in the Hebrew alphabet
Latkes
Fried potato pancakes, served at Hanukkah
Lulav
The interwoven branches of palm, willow, and myrtle used in the Sukkot celebration. Along with the etrog, these constitute the “four species” of Sukkot
Maccabees
The Maccabees, also spelled Machabees, were a group of Jewish rebel warriors who took control of Judea in the 2nd century BCE, which at the time was part of the Seleucid Empire.
Maimonides/Rambam
Maimonides was the first person to write a systematic code of all Jewish law, the Mishneh Torah; he produced one of the great philosophic statements of Judaism, The Guide to the Perplexed; published a commentary on the entire Mishna; served as physician to the sultan of Egypt; wrote numerous books on medicine; and, in his “spare time,” served as leader of Cairo’s Jewish community. D. 1204 CE
Makhzor
High Holy Day prayer book
Mazel Tov
Means congratulations and good luck in Hebrew and Yiddish.
Megillah
Any of the five sacred books of the Ketuvim in scroll form, that are read in the synagogue in the course of certain festivals. The Book of Ruth on Shavuot, Lamentations on Tisha be-Av
(Ketuvim = the 3rd section of the Tanak, the Hebrew Bible)
Mekhitzah
The wall or curtain separating men from women during religious services in a traditionally observant synagogue.
Menorah
A candelabrum. Usually refers to the nine-branched candelabrum used to hold the Hanukah candles (more properly called a hanukiyah.) Can also refer to the seven-branched candelabra used in the Temple.
Messiah
(Lit. “Anointed one”) Ancient priests and kings (and sometimes prophets) of Israel were anointed with oil. In Early Judaism, the term came to mean a royal descendant of the dynasty of David who would restore the united kingdom of Israel and Judah and usher in an age of peace, justice, and plenty; the redeemer figure. The concept developed in many directions over the centuries. The Messianic Age was believed by some Jews to be a time of perfection of human institutions; others believed it to be a time of radical new beginnings, a new heaven and earth, after divine judgment and destruction. The title came to be applied to Jesus. Jesus is also “Messiah” in Islam.
Mezuzah
A parchment scroll with selected Torah verses placed in a container and affixed to the exterior doorposts of Jewish homes and sometimes also to interior doorposts of rooms.
Mikveh
A ritual bath used for spiritual purification. It is used primarily in conversion rituals and after a woman’s menstrual cycles, but many Hasidim immerse themselves in the mikvah regularly for general spiritual purification.
Minhag
Custom that evolved for religious reasons and has continued long enough to become a binding religious practice. The world is also used more loosely to describe any customary religious practice
Minyan
A prayer quorum of ten Jews over the age of 13; in traditional congregations, only men are counted toward a minyan
Mishnah
The compilation of oral law and rabbinic commentary, edited ca 200 CE, that is the basis of the Talmud.
Mitnagdim
Religious opponents to the Hasidic movement. They were intellectual elites who felt threatened by the popularity of Hasidim.
Mitzvah (pl. Mitzvot)
Obligation or commandment, colloquially a good deed.
Mizrahi
Mizrahi (in Hebrew, “Eastern” or “Oriental”) Jews come from Middle Eastern ancestry. Their earliest communities date from Late Antiquity.
Mohel
A Specialist who performs a circumcision at a Brit (often pronounced “moyl”)
Ner Tamid
“Eternal Light” that hangs in front of the Ark in a synagogue
Nevi’im
The second part of the Jewish Scriptures which contains the writings of the prophets
New Testament
The second part of the Christian Bible (after the Old Testament), focusing on Christ’s life, resurrection, and teachings, and the early spread of the Christian church. Originally written in Greek.
Old Testament
The first part of the Christian Bible, twice as long as the second part (the New Testament). The Protestant OT consists of the same books that are in the Jewish Bible, in a different order. The Catholic OT contains more books than either the Protestant OT or the HB.
Oneg Shabbat
(Hebrew: “Joy of Sabbath”) Usually refreshments are provided to complement the congenial atmosphere
Orthodoxy
Conforming to an established doctrine (Correctness of belief)
Orthopraxy
Correctness or orthodoxy of action or practice
Pact of Umar/Omar
Pact between “people of the book” (Christians and Jews) and the Muslim rulers. Granted certain legal protections to monotheistic religious minorities.
Parashah
(Hebrew, “section”) Prescribed weekly section of biblical Torah (Pentateuch) read in synagogue liturgy on an annual cycle.
Pentateuch
Term for the first 5 books of everybody’s Bible. These are (in order): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. (See Torah.)
Pharisees
Jewish sect of the Second Temple period; perhaps predecessors of the Rabbis
Pikuakh nefesh
(Saving a Life) The principle that saving a life takes precedence over almost all other ritual obligations
Pogrom
A word of Russian origin which literally translates to “wreak havoc/violently destroy.” It initially came from the massacres of Jewish people in late 1800s Russia. Further pogroms occurred in WWII Era Russia as well as Germany.
Ptolemaic empire
Hellenistic dynasty based in Egypt
Rashi
Acronym for Rabbi Schlomo ben Isaac (ca. 1040-1105), French talmudic and biblical scholar. He was the author both of a commentary on the whole Bible and of a commentary on the Talmud Bavli (Babylonian Talmud), both of which became extremely popular. His scriptural interpretation, largely taken from earlier sources, favored the contextual sense of the text rather than a set of atomistic interpretations to each phrase: his talmudic commentary was part of a greater effort to interpret Jewish law for an increasingly far-flung population.
Responsa
Answers to questions on halakhah and observances, given by Jewish scholars on topics addressed to them. They originated during the geonic period
Rosh Hashanah
Hebrew for the head of the year. Jewish new year celebration in the fall of the year the month of Tishri
Sabbath
The seventh day of the week (from Friday evening to Saturday evening) that is considered a day of rest and (among the Orthodox) observed with strict restrictions on work.
Sefer Torah
A Torah scroll
Seleucid
Hellenistic dynasty based in Syria
Sephardim
Jews who trace their heritage back to medieval Spain
Shabbat
(Hebrew) The Jewish Sabbath, beginning at sundown Friday night and ending at sundown the following evening. (In Ashkenazi pronunciation it is transliterated as Shabbos, in Yiddish usually as Shabbes.)
Shabbat (Sabbath) Bride
A spiritual representation of the Sabbath, one should prepare for the Sabbath in the same way they should prepare for a bride. It symbolizes the love, devotion, and joy associated with the Sabbath.
Shabbat Shalom
A greeting given on Shabbat, meaning “[may you have] the peace of the Sabbath.”
Shabbatai Tzvi
A sephardic Jew who self proclaimed himself as the Jewish Messiah and gained a lot of following (called the Sabbatean Movement). He did weird things like marry a Torah Scroll and place his name in holy texts. He later was forced to convert to Islam and ended the movement.
Shavuot
Celebrates the giving of the Torah at Sinai.
Shivah
A period of seven days of mourning that begins immediately after the burial of a person, ends on the sundown of the seventh day. The mourners stay home, seated on low stools or the floor, and receive community members bringing food. Traditionally a minyan (sometimes called a “shiva minyan”) gathers daily in the home throughout the period of shiva to recite a liturgy including the mourners’ kaddish.
Sh’ma
(Hebrew, “hear”) Title of the fundamental, monotheistic statement of Judaism, found in Deuteronomy 6:4 (“Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God the LORD is One”)
Shofar
Ram’s horn sounded at Rosh Hashanah morning worship and at the conclusion of Yom Kippur, as well as other times in that period during the fall.
Siddur
(Hebrew, “to order”) Jewish prayer book used for all days except special holidays.
Simkhat Torah
Hebrew rejoicing with the torah. A festival which celebrates the conclusion of the annual reading of the Torah
Sukkah
(lit. “Booth”) The temporary dwellings Jews traditionally live in during the holiday of Sukkot. Jewish families are supposed to eat in the sukkah during the holiday of Sukkot.
Sufganiyah (plural, sufganiyot)
Jelly donut, usually eaten to celebrate Hanukah.
Sukkot
A Jewish harvest festival beginning on the 15th of Tishri and commemorating the temporary shelters used by the Jews during their wandering in the wilderness. (In Yiddish, “Sukkos”)
Synagogue
The central institution of Jewish communal worship and study since antiquity, and by extension, a term used for the place of gathering.
Tallit (tah-LEET) or tallis (TAH-lis)
A large, four-cornered shawl with fringes and special knots at the extremities, worn during Jewish morning prayers.
Talmud
Rabbinic Judaism produced two Talmuds: the one known as “Babylonian” is the most famous in the western world, the other, known as the “Palestinian” or “Jerusalem” Talmud
Tanak
Corresponds more or less to the ‘Old Testament.’ An acronym of its three parts: Torah, Nevi’im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings)”. Sometimes spelled Tanakh.
Tanna, pl. Tannaim
(Hebrew, “repeater, reciter”; adj. Tannaitic, pl. tannaim) A Jewish sage from the period of Hillel (around the turn of the era) to the compilation of the Mishnah (200 C.E.), distinguished from later amoraim. Tannaim were primarily scholars and teachers. The Mishnah, Tosefta, and halakhic midrashim were among their literary achievements.
Tefillah
Prayer. The Amidah, the standing prayer, is often referred to as Ha-Tefillah, “The Prayer.”
Teshuvah
The Hebrew word for “repentance”. Means turning away from sin and toward the good. This is the central goal between the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Tetragrammaton
(Greek for “four-lettered [name]”) The four-letter “forbidden name” of God.
Torah
Jewish term for the first 5 books of the Bible. See Pentateuch. Jews may also use this term to refer to the Torah scroll (read in synagogue) or the entire body of Jewish religious teaching.
Transliteration
To represent or spell in the characters of another alphabet
Tzedakah
(Hebrew “righteousness” or “justice”) Term in Judaism usually applied to deeds of charity and philanthropy
Ushpizin
Aramaic meaning “honored guests”
Vilna Gaon
The sage of Vilna (Lithuania) in mid-1700s, with halakhic authority. Strongly opposed to the hasidim.
Yeshiva
(pl. Yeshivot; from the Hebrew meaning “seated”) A Jewish rabbinic academy of higher learning.
Yom Kippur
(Hebrew “Day of Atonement”) Annual day of fasting and atonement, occurring in the fall on Tishri 10 (just after Rosh Hashanah); the most solemn and important occasion of the religious year.
Zion, Zionism
Zion is an ancient Hebrew designation for Jerusalem, but already in biblical times it began to symbolize the national homeland. In this latter sense it served as a focus for Jewish national-religious hopes of renewal over the centuries. Ancient hopes and attachments to Zion gave rise to Zionist longings and movements since antiquity, culminating in the modern national liberation movement of that name.
