Glossary

The Hebrew word for “my Lords,” and plural form of Adon, or “Lord.” Althought it is plural, it is an “emphatic plural” or “plural of majesty” and refers only to one God. Adonai is referenced many times throughout the ancient texts as one of the names for God.

The term Adonai first appears in Genesis of the Torah.

Literally meaning to “going up,” aliyah has long been associated with both immigration to Israel and the act of being called up to the bema to read from the Torah.

Jews who descend from diaspora populations of Central and Eastern Europe and historically spoke Yiddish. Ashkenazi Jews make up approximately 90% of the Jewish population in the U.S.

“Black Sabbath” is the first-ever compilation to showcase legendary Black artists covering Jewish songs. Featuring Aretha Franklin, Lena Horne, Cab Calloway, and many others, it uses popular music to shed light on the historical…(more)

Hebrew for “covenant,” bris is a traditional Jewish ceremony where a mohel (or mohelet) circumcises a baby boy on the 8th day. The ceremony includes blessings for the infant and the family.

The Yiddish word for grandmother.

A Hasidic sect of Orthodox Judaism belonging to a dynasty dating back to 18th century Russia. The group remains highly influential in Jewish communities and maintains a presence worldwide, teaching its values relating to Jewish practice, ethics, and religion.

The traditional canopy that couples stand under during a Jewish wedding ceremony. It’s comprised of a piece of cloth (traditionally a tallit, i.e. prayer shawl) supported by four pillars. The chuppah symbolizes the new home created by the couple’s union. It’s often given special design consideration during wedding planning.

A liberal denomination of Judaism that tries to balance a fidelity to modernity and tradition and religious observance.

The term for the ten days spanning Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

An ethnoreligion is a religion where ethnic membership (whether by birth, or a “legal fiction” such as conversion) is an important part of the core identity.

Exodus refers to both the journey of Jews out of Egypt (and slavery) and the name of the foundational text in the Torah. This is one of the most-known stories about Jews and Israel. Moses answered the call of the burning bush, led the enslaved Jews across the desert and seas, and settled into the promised land, which would become Israel.

Meaning “telling” in Hebrew, a Haggadah is a guide used during a Passover seder.

An ever evolving set of daily practices and rules that address how a traditional Jew behaves. They involve practices on religion, civil participation, and other aspects of everyday living.

Delicious triangular pastries traditionally eaten during Purim.

Harissa is a hot chili pepper paste that originated in Tunisia. It contains roasted red peppers, Baklouti peppers (Tunisian chili peppers), olive oil, and a blend of spices. A variant called Rose Harissa is made with rose petals. 

Hebrew for “separation,” havdalah is a ceremony that marks the end of Shabbat each Saturday night. It consists of blessings over wine, spices, and fire to exit Shabbat and enter the new week.

The Holocaust refers to the multiyear, mass subjugation and murdering of 6 million Jews under the Third Reich. While other groups such as Romani and gay men were targeted with similar precision and violence, the sheer intensity of institutionalized antisemitism and the scale of the devastation of European Jewish communities was such, that histories understandably tend to focus on Jewish suffering during this period.

The Hoshen is a bejeweled rectangular “breast plate” (with twelve multi-colored squares in the center) and worn by the “High Priest of the Israelites.”…(more)

The Idelsohn Society for Musical Preservation is a volunteer-run, non-profit organization, made up of a small-but-dedicated team from the music industry and academia. The Society takes its name from Abraham Zevi Idelsohn…(more)

Intergenerational or “inherited” trauma refers to the notion that the negative effects of traumatic experiences can be passed down to future generations…(more)

Israel has at least four meanings in Jewish culture:
1) The name given to Jacob after he wrestles with an angel.
2) A name that traditionally refers collectively to the Jewish people.
3) The name of the ancient Northern Kingdom of Israel that fell to the Assyrians in the 8th century BCE.
4) The name for the modern nation state officially founded in 1948.

The Jazz Singer is a 1980s film starring Neil Diamond as a talented vocalist torn between tradition and family, and his dreams of becoming a successful pop singer. Starring Neil Diamond and Laurence Olivier, The Jazz Singer tells the story of fifth-generation cantor Yussel Rabinovitch (played by Diamond)…(more)

The Jewish or Hebrew calendar is a lunisolar calendar governed by a relatively complex set of rules and stipulations dating back to year one, which is estimated to be in the year 3761 BC. This was established as the biblical Date of Creation by Maimonides.

Legends of Jews using magic beams of power have a long and august history. Stories that involve laser beams shooting out of eyes play a narrative role amongst two of the most important 2nd century CE rabbis, whose teachings are anthologized in the Talmud…(more) 

The Kaddish (קדיש‎) is a daily prayer recited during Jewish services. It requires a minyan (ten people) to be said. Though recited at each prayer service, the Kaddish is perhaps better known as the Mourner’s Kaddish, as it is a central part of the Jewish grieving…(more)

Kitniyot (קִטְנִיּוֹת) refers to grains that are typically not permitted for consumption during Passover according to Ashkenazi and some Sephardic customs. However, there is a long-standing custom that several Sephardic and North African Sephardic communities permit the consumption of kitniyot over Passover.

Literally translated from Hebrew to mean “fit” or “appropriate,” Kosher foods follow a strict set of laws set forth in the Torah.

Kubbeh (Kubbe, Kubba) can refer to either bulgur and wheat dumplings stuffed with a meat filling, or to a family of Iraqi and Kurdish-Jewish dishes consisting of these filled dumplings in a soup base. The dumpling filling and soup broth vary depending on the recipe and the region.

Lag B’Omer is a minor holiday between Passover and Shavuot (the period of Omer) that occurs approximately one month after Passover.

The holiday is marked by a festive atmosphere associated with bonfires and weddings, symbolizing light and happiness.

It’s hard to think of Hanukkah without latkes, a flattened, pancake typically made from potatoes and fried in oil.

There are numerous stories relating to the importance of this delicious dish. Some theories suggest that the oily nature of latkes symbolizes the miracle of Hannukah (where a small amount of oil lit the ancient temple for an absurdly long amount of time) and that ancient Jewish people ate potatoes.

Lionel Ziprin was a born-again Hasidic Jew whose past was anchored in the artistic movements of the ’50s and ’60s. As a child, he was plagued by epilepsy and rheumatic fever, after which he had visions, such as seeing the Bible come to life in his grandfather’s house…(more)

Stemming from the Hebrew word for “bitter,” maror refers to the bitter herbs eaten during a Passover seder.

A flat plateau sitting on a rock cliff in the Judean Desert, Masada is a popular site visited by locals and tourists alike. The site of an ancient Roman siege on a rebellious group of Judeans, this rocky outcrop has come to represent the strength of the Jewish people and their connection to the land in Israeli society.

Hebrew for “scroll,” megillah refers to any one of the five scrolls read or chanted during key periods of the Jewish year. The five megillot (pl) are Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and Esther.

Mi Sheberach is the traditional prayer for healing in Jewish communities. A version of the Mi Shebeirach was popularized by the Jewish folk musician Debbie Friedman, which is embedded below. The prayer’s name is taken from the first two words that are recited…(more)

A ritual bath, most commonly used by women, in which Jews ritually cleanse themselves in order to perform certain ritual actions.

Mimouna is a Sephardic festival traditionally celebrated by Maghrebi Jewish communities (Morocco, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia) on the day after Passover…(more)

The word minyan ( מִנְיָן) means count or number in Hebrew. A minyan has historically been deemed the number of Jewish men over age 13 required to have a religious service. That number being 10…(more)

Meaning “commandment,” a mitzvah is taken very seriously by more devout Jews, who consider them to be guidelines from God. You’ve likely heard “mitzvah” used in everyday contexts regarding a kind act. But did you know there are technically 613 mitzvot (pl) in the Hebrew Bible? Those are a lot of guidelines!

Mizrahi (or Mizrachi) Jews are descendants of Jews from North Africa and the Middle East. The oldest and largest Mizrahi communities were in modern-day Iraq, Iran, and Yemen. However, since there are many Jewish communities across these regions, not all Middle Eastern and North African Jews identify as Mizrahi. Today, most Mizrahi Jews live in the U.S. and Israel.

Naches is Yiddish for pride or joy in the accomplishment of one’s children. For many, family is at the root of the Jewish experience, and naches is often the ultimate expression of raising the next generation with meaning…(more)

A loose denomination of Judaism that maintains traditional observance and practices.

A category of kosher food in which the ingredients contain no meat or dairy.

Queen Esther has been celebrated through time in art, literature, and the annual festival, Purim. In the 5th Century BC, the Persian King Ahasuerus, dissatisfied with his wife…(more)

A spiritual leader and teacher in the Jewish faith. Rabbi are trained in the law, practices, and religious themes that comprise Judaism — though they may also be involved deeply in matters of activism, education, and more.

A liberal denomination of Judaism that viewed Judaism less as a religion that makes true or false supernatural claims than as a socially dependent, historical complex way of being in the world. Practically, this might look like resisting belief in God, but deciding to observe more traditional forms of Jewish practice as a means of honoring one’s heritage and forebears.

The oldest denomination of Judiasm, the Reform movement is a liberal denomination that does not view halakha or observance of religious rituals to be binding actions on all Jews.

Hebrew for “order,” the seder is a deeply performative, highly structured ritual meal traditionally held at Passover.
Guests read the seder from a Haggadah and loosely recount the story of the Exodus with lots of other commentary.

Meaning to “hear,” Shema is one of the most important daily prayers in Judaism that acknowledges a commitment to the oneness of God.

(שבעה) is the Jewish tradition of observing a seven-day period of mourning for close relatives following the burial of the deceased…(more)

Named after temporary makeshift structures called a “sukkah,” Sukkot is a week-long holiday that takes place five days after Yom Kippur.

Also called a temple or shul (Yiddish), a synagogue is the central place of gathering in Judaism. Jews come to the synagogue for prayer, study, and other community services provided by the congregation.

While the Torah is the heart of the Jewish faith, the Talmud is a sacred collection of laws and commentaries. Considered a seminal piece of rabbinic law, the Talmud is typically studied alongside the Torah.

One of the most used Jewish phrases applied to society at large, tikkun olam is loosely translated to “repair the world.”

The heart of religious Jewish faith and law, the Torah technically refers to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (or Tanakh).

Unleavened refers to a type of bread made without the benefit of leavening agents, known as raising agents. The most popular of these agents is yeast, but other agents include ginger beer, kefir, and sourdough starter…(more) 

Verklempt is Yiddish for “overcome with emotion.” It is one of the most popular Yiddish words to have permeated culture. The origins trace back to…(more)

A pointer that’s used while ritually reading a Torah scroll.

A place or school where Jews study the Torah, Jewish law, and other rabbinic subjects and traditions. It’s also used as a name for Jewish schools for young children.

A fusion language based grammatically in Middle-High German, but with significant admixture from Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic, and other languages. Yiddish is considered to have become a Jewish vernacular as early as the 9th century…(more)

One of the holiest days in the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur is the “Day of Atonement” — the day that Jews ask God’s forgiveness for their sins from the previous year. Those who observe abstain from food, drink, and merriment for the duration of the holiday, spending the day in synagogue.

Za’atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend consisting of dried sumac, sesame seeds, salt, and savory herbs such as oregano, marjoram, or thyme. Depending on the region, cumin, coriander, fennel seeds, or caraway seeds may also be added. Za’atar is frequently used in Middle Eastern and North African cuisine. 

Zeyde is the historical Yiddish word for grandfather, while Bubbe means grandmother. Though it is a term that may be diminishing in popularity, it rose in prominence in the 2020 election, as Bernie Sanders became known as Zeyde or Zayde Bernie. This was perhaps the largest injection of Yiddish into the political and mainstream world since Joe Lieberman…(more)