Jewish Day School Cliff Notes 2017-2018 5777-5778 A quick run-down with need-to-know info on: Jewish holidays Jewish language Jewish terms related to prayer service
SOURCES WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE INFORMATION FOR THIS BOOKLET WAS TAKEN FROM: www.interfaithfamily.com Living a Jewish Life by Anita Diamant with Howard Cooper FOR MORE LEARNING, YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN THE FOLLOWING RESOURCES: www.reformjudaism.org www.myjewishlearning.com Jewish Literacy by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin The Jewish Book of Why by Alfred J. Kolatch The Jewish Home by Daniel B. Syme Judaism for Dummies by Rabbi Ted Falcon and David Blatner
Table of Contents ABOUT THE CALENDAR 5 JEWISH HOLIDAYS Rosh hashanah 6 Yom Kippur 7 Sukkot 8 Simchat Torah 9 Chanukah 10 Tu B Shevat 11 Purim 12 Pesach (Passover) 13 Yom hashoah 14 Yom haatzmaut 15 Shavuot 16 Tisha B Av 17 Shabbat 18 TERMS TO KNOW A TO Z 20
About the calendar... JEWISH TIME- For over 2,000 years, Jews have juggled two calendars. According to the secular calendar, the date changes at midnight, the week begins on Sunday, and the year starts in the winter. According to the Hebrew calendar, the day begins at sunset, the week begins on Saturday night, and the new year is celebrated in the fall. The secular, or Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar, based on the fact that it takes 365.25 days for the earth to circle the sun. With only 365 days in a year, after four years an extra day is added to February and there is a leap year. The Hebrew calendar is both solar and lunar. The months are lunar and made up of either 29 or 30 days, which add up to a 354-day year, 11.25 days short of a solar year. The discrepancy is corrected with the occasional addition of a leap month tucked between the spring months of Adar and Nisan. A word on "time of year": the Jewish calendar and the secular, Gregorian calendar are not in sync, so (sometimes) people will have to look at a calendar to know exactly when a Jewish holiday is. This might lead to someone saying that a holiday falls "early" or "late" this year, in comparison to the Gregorian calendar. Page 5
JEWISH HOLIDAYS ROSH HASHANAH Hebrew name means: Head of the year idiomatically, New Year. What's It About? A solemn holiday beginning the calendar year with repentance from sin and the hope of renewal. Pronounce it: Some say rashashanuh (like it's one word) and some rohsh ha-shah-nah. When is it? Starts the evening of September 20, 2017 Foods: Apples and honey, round challah with raisins, honey cake, pomegranates, pumpkins and other round foods, sweet foods and foods that are gold-colored, like carrots. Activities: Many Jews who never come to synagogue the rest of the year go for the marathon of synagogue services on Rosh hashanah and Yom Kippur. One special activity that they don't want to miss is the sounding of the shofar, or ram's horn. At home, a special activity is eating apples dipped in honey. Many Jews send New Year's cards for this holiday. Probably the most important activity associated with this holiday comes between Rosh hashanah and Yom Kippur: trying to repair relationships and make apologies for bad behavior in the previous year. Symbols of Holiday: The shofar or ram's horn, apples and honey, pomegranates, the Book of Life. Greeting? You can say Happy New Year, or try the Hebrew version, Shanah Tovah. If you want to give a more complete version of the greeting, try L'shanah tovah tikatevu, May you be inscribed for a good year (in the Book of Life). Yiddishspeaking Jews say "Gut yontev." Page 6
YOM KIPPUR Hebrew name means: Day of Atonement. What's It About? A fast day of prayer and collective confession. Pronounce it: Some say yohm kee-poor, and some yohm kipper. When is it? Starts the evening of September 29, 2017 Foods: None. It's a fast day! Well, families do have traditions about what to eat when the fast is over, like a dairy meal, but there's nothing universal. Children under age 13 and other people whose health might be harmed don't fast. We also have a food drive for those who go hungry the other 364 days of the year. Activities: In addition to all the negatives involved in fasting not eating, not drinking, not washing, not wearing leather, not having sexual relations there are a lot of things to do on Yom Kippur. Mainly there are a lot of traditional prayers and things to read in the synagogue. For a lot of Jews who aren't very observant, Yom Kippur is special because it's the day they go to a memorial service, called Yizkor, to honor dead relatives. Symbols of Holiday: White clothing, sneakers worn with dress clothes (because of the prohibition on leather). Greeting? You can say Happy New Year or "have an easy fast." Some say Shanah Tovah, which is Hebrew for Happy New Year. The more targeted greeting for Yom Kippur is Gamar hatimah tovah--may you be sealed in the Book of Life. Page 7
SUKKOT Hebrew name means: Booths or tabernacles. The singular is sukkah. What's it about? In ancient times when the Temple stood in Jerusalem, this was a pilgrimage holiday to celebrate the harvest. In our time it still coincides with the harvest. Pronounce it: Some say sue coat and some say sukkiss. When is it? Starts the evening of October 4, 2017 Foods: No specific special food, just more big sumptuous meals. Activities: Before the holiday, communities and some individual families build a sukkah or hut in the back yard or on the back porch. The sukkah is open to the elements. During the holiday an important activity is eating in the sukkah. There is also a ritual involving blessing and waving the etrog a citron and the lulav a palm branch bound with myrtle and willow. Symbols of Holiday: The sukkah, the lulav and the etrog. Greeting? Hag Sameah (Happy holiday) with a heavy gutteral h at the beginning of the first word and the end of the second. Or if you are really sophisticated, Moadim l'simcha, which means "festivals for joy." You may also hear "gut yontev," which is Yiddish for happy holiday. Page 8
SIMCHAT TORAH Hebrew name means: Rejoicing in the Torah. What's it about? At the end of Sukkot, there is one more holiday to celebrate finishing the reading of the Torah scroll for the year and starting it over again. Pronounce it: The ch in Simchat is one of those heavy gutteral ones. Some say simchas to-rah instead. When is it? Some celebrate Shemini Atzeret (Eighth Day of Assembly) and Simchat Torah on two days, as Reform Jews we follow the same calendar as our Israeli family and celebrate both on one day. Starts the evening of October 11, 2017. Foods: No specific special food, just more big sumptuous meals. Activities: This is a synagogue holiday with another really long service, but in the middle of it, people get up, process through their building with the scrolls and then dance with them. The more traditional they are, the crazier they get with the dancing. It's also a chance to honor a lot of people by calling them up to make blessings on the Torah, because there is a reading from the end of the scroll the death of Moses and another from the beginning--the creation of the world. In some congregations the assembled people unroll the Torah scroll and stand in the middle of the parchment before they start the cycle again. Symbols of Holiday: The Torah scroll, flags that children carry, dancing people. Greeting? Hag sameah (Happy holiday) with a heavy gutteral h at the beginning of the first word and the end of the second. Or if you are really sophisticated, Moadim l'simcha, which means "festivals for joy." You may also hear "gut yontev," which is Yiddish for happy holiday. Page 9
CHANUKAH Hebrew name means: Dedication. What's it about? Chanukah is an 8-day holiday that commemorates the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrians and the Jewish recapture and rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE. Pronounce it: The initial Ch in Chanukah is a gutteral one, like the j in José. So Hhhhhhanooka. You'll be fine, don't worry. When is it? Starts the evening of December 12, 2017 Foods: Fried foods, especially potato pancakes, called latkes, and jelly doughnuts called sufganiyot. Activities: The main observance is lighting the candles in a ceremonial lamp called a hanukkiah or Chanukah menorah. Playing with a top called a dreidel is another fun tradition. Chanukah is a minor holiday in the sense that there is no requirement to abstain from work. Symbols of the holiday: Menorah, candles, dreidel. Greeting? Happy Chanukah! Page 10
TU B SHEVAT, THE NEW YEAR FOR TREES Hebrew name means: 15th day of Hebrew month of Shevat What's it about? When the Temple in Jerusalem was still standing, Jews offered the first fruits of their trees on the Shavuot holiday. The trees had to be at least four years old, and this date was for figuring out the age of the trees. You could call it the official tree birthday. These days it's a great time to think about trees and the environment. Pronounce it: too beesh'vat When is it? Starts the evening of January 30, 2018 Foods: Fruit, nuts and other things that grow on or in trees Activities: Many ordinary Jews have reclaimed the mystical practice of the Tu B Shevat Seder, or ritual meal a great opportunity to explore environmentalist themes in Judaism. Another practice is to plant trees. This is a minor holiday in that there is no traditional obligation not to work. Symbols of holiday: Trees and tree fruit Greeting? There is no official greeting for this holiday. Hag Sameah (Happy holiday) with a heavy gutteral h at the beginning of the first word and the end of the second. Page 11
PURIM Hebrew name means: Lots. Refers to Esther 3:7, in which the villain Haman draws lots to set the date for the Jews' destruction. What's it about? Celebration of a narrow escape from genocide described in the biblical Book of Esther. Pronounce it: Poor-im. When is it? Starts the evening of February 28, 2018 Foods: Triangular pastries called hamantashen (Haman's pockets), named for the bad guy in the Book of Esther. Some Jews also eat other foods with things hidden inside, like dumplings, other sweets and goodies, and drink alcoholic beverages. Activities: On Purim we read the Book of Esther, wear costumes, eat triangular cookies and other treats, and use noisemakers. It's also traditional to give money to charity, send anonymous packages of goodies to your friends (called mishloach manot or shaloch mones) and to get drunk. This is a minor holiday in that there is no traditional obligation not to work. Symbols of Holiday: Masks, costumes, noisemakers called graggers, hamantashen. Greeting? Happy Purim! You can say "Purim Sameah," which means "happy Purim," if you can pronounce the heavy gutteral h at the end of Sameah. Page 12
PESACH OR PASSOVER Hebrew name means: Pesach means Passover. It refers to Exodus 12:23, when God passed over the Israelites. What's it about? Passover celebrates God liberating the Israelites from Egyptian bondage and is probably the single most theologically important holiday in the Jewish calendar (no pressure). The holiday lasts eight days, though some communities may celebrate only a week. Pronounce it: If you can't say the guttural h sound represented by the ch in Pey-sach, say Passover. When is it? Starts the evening of March 30, 2018 Foods: Traditionally, Jews eat no bread or leavened food on Passover and do eat matzah, an unleavened bread. There are many food traditions that spring from this, including all the many foods made of ground matzah (called "matzah meal"). These include things like matzah balls, gefilte fish and sponge cake. Cookies and cakes made out of nuts, like macaroons, are also big on Passover, as are candies that follow the special rules of keeping kosher for this holiday. Activities: Observant Jews don't eat bread or other leavened foods and have big holiday meal called a seder where they retell the story of the Exodus from Egypt. This is a major holiday, meaning that traditional Jews take days off of work at the beginning and end of the eight days of the holiday, but work in the middle. Symbols of Holiday: Matzah, lambs (because of the historical Passover sacrifice), eggs, horseradish root, salt water. Greeting? It's fine to say "Happy Pesach" or "Happy Passover." Some people say "Hag Sameah v'kasher" have a happy and kosher holiday. Page 13
YOM HASHOAH HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY Hebrew name means: Holocaust day. What's it about? Europeans commemorate the Holocaust on the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Jan. 27, 1945, but the Israeli government wanted a date that would honor Jewish resistance to the Nazi genocide of World War II. After some debate, the Jewish community as a whole agreed on the 27th day of the Hebrew month Nisan, since it was during the period of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, an act of Jewish heroism and resistance, but still falls after Passover. Pronounce it: Yohm ha-show-ah. When is it? Starts the evening of April 11, 2018 Foods: This is a new holiday. It's not traditional to fast, nor to eat particular foods. Activities: Because this is a new holiday, there are no traditional activities. In many Jewish communities, there are commemorative events. Some light special yahrzeit (annual memorial) candles. Symbols of holiday: Memorial candles, yellow stars of David, images of the Holocaust. Greeting? None. Page 14
YOM HA-ATZMAUT ISRAEL INDEPENDENCE DAY Hebrew name means: Independence day. What's it about? The modern State of Israel formally declared independence from Great Britain on May 14, 1948. In order to make this political milestone into a religious holiday, Jews decided to tie the holiday to the Hebrew date, Iyar 5. Jews outside the Land of Israel also celebrate this as a holiday. (The day before April 17th we celebrate we remember those who have given their lives establishing and defending the State of Israel on Yom HaZikaron the Day of Remembrance.) Pronounce it: Yohm ha-aatz-mah-oot. When is it? Starts the evening of April 18, 2018 Foods: Jewish communities hold fairs or other big events serving falafel and other Israeli foods. Activities: In many U.S. Jewish communities, it's the custom to have a fair or other celebration. Some religious Jews add celebratory liturgy to weekday prayers. Symbols of holiday: Israeli flags, music, foods. Greeting? No official greeting, but some might like to hear "Happy Israel Independence Day." Page 15
SHAVUOT Hebrew name means: Weeks, because it was traditional to count the weeks between Passover and Shavuot. What's it about? Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai. It was a pilgrimage holiday when the Temple was standing in Jerusalem, when farmers brought the first fruits of their four-year-old trees. It's a one day holiday in the land of Israel, though Orthodox and Conservative Jews in the Diaspora keep it for two days. Pronounce it: Shah-voo-oat. Some Jews also say Shah-voo-iss. When is it? To determine when we celebrate we count 7 weeks from the second night of Passover. This year it starts the evening of May 19, 2018. Foods: Dairy foods are traditional on Shavuot, some say because the Jews learned that all their meat was not kosher when they received the Torah! Traditional foods include blintzes and cheesecake. Activities: One of the traditional texts for Shavuot is the book of Ruth. Reform Judaism therefore chose Shavuot as the holiday on which to hold Confirmation ceremonies, when teenagers reaffirm their Jewish beliefs. Some Jews follow the mystical custom of an all-night study session, called a Tikkun Leil Shavuot, on the eve of Shavuot. Symbols of holiday: The Ten Commandment tablets, blintzes, cheesecake. Greeting? Hag Sameah (Happy holiday) with a heavy gutteral h at the beginning of the first word and the end of the second. Or if you are really sophisticated, Moadim l'simcha, which Page 16
TISHA B'AV Hebrew name means: Ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av. What's it about? This fast day commemorates the Roman destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE. In the medieval period, Jews began attaching other calamities to the day, including the expulsion from Spain in 1492, making it an all-purpose day of mourning. Pronounce it: Teesha beh-ahv. When is it? Starts the evening of July 21, 2018 Foods: A fast day with no food or water. Activities: Though this is a major fast day with no food, water or washing, it is a minor holiday in the sense that there is no requirement to abstain from work. The main activity is the chanting of the book of Lamentations in the synagogue, during which it's traditional to sit on the floor in the dark. Medieval Jews wrote long dirges for the holiday that are also part of the services for this holiday in some synagogues. Symbols of the holiday: No major visual symbols some might remember it by photos of Jerusalem. Greeting? An odd feature of Tisha B'Av is that it's traditional not to greet people during the fast. This comes from Jewish mourning practices. When one visits a house of mourning, it's not usual to greet people either. It's OK if you slip up and say hello by accident in either case you'd be surprised how polite people are. Page 17
But the most important holiday of all is SHABBAT Hebrew name means: Sabbath though the English word actually came from Shabbat! What's it about? A day of rest and enjoyment at the end of every week that religious people undertake in imitation of God, who rested on the seventh day of creation. Pronounce it: Shah-baht. It's sometimes spelled Shabbos and pronounced shabiss. When is it? Once a week! Shabbat lasts from 18 minutes before sundown on Friday until an hour after sundown on Saturday evening. Foods: Religious Jews try to eat especially delicious food on Shabbat, so if you are having Shabbat for the first time, the rule is yummy. It's traditional to have two loaves of special bread among Jews in the United States, the bread is challah, a braided egg bread. It's also an old custom to make stew called hamin or cholent (with a normal English ch, not a heavy h sound) that is cooked overnight so that one can have hot food for Saturday lunch without having to do the work of cooking. Activities: Shabbat begins with the lighting of candles. There are special synagogue services and blessings to say at meals. The point of Shabbat is not to work. Some use a strict set of rabbinic definitions to figure out what does and doesn't count as work, and those folks don't drive, carry money, write or watch TV on Shabbat. Others don't use these definitions, but they just take the day off. Whether one is a strict constructionist or a loose constructionist, Shabbat is a great day to hang out with family and friends, eat a lot, take walks, study Torah, sing songs, read stories to children, take a nap, and just generally relax and unplug. Symbols of the holiday: Candles, challah, wine, flowers. Greeting? Shabbat shalom, which means peaceful sabbath. Yiddish speakers say gut Shabbos, pronounced goot shabiss. Page 18
TERMS TO KNOW A TO Z
TERMS TO KNOW A TO Z ALEF BET The Hebrew alphabet, of which alef and bet are the first two letters. BET ALEF ASHKENAZI Having Jewish family origins in Germany or Eastern Europe. BAR MITZVAH Hebrew for "son of the commandment." In modern Jewish practice, Jewish boys come of age at 13. When a boy comes of age, he is officially a bar mitzvah and considered an adult. The term is commonly used as a short-hand for the bar mitzvah's coming-of-age ceremony and/or celebration. The female equivalent is "bat mitzvah" ( daughter of the commandment ). BARUCH ATAH ADONAI Hebrew for "Blessed are You my God." Introductory words to many Jewish prayers. "Adonai" may be translated in other ways, such as Lord or Ruler. BENCHING In Yiddish, "bentshn" means "to bless." It means "blessing" and refers to saying the blessing after meals, "Birkat Hamazon" (Hebrew for "Blessing on Nourishment"). BIBLE: SEE TANAKH Page 20
TERMS TO KNOW A TO Z BIMAH The elevated area or platform in a synagogue, from which the Torah is read. Worship service leaders, such as clergy, may lead services from the bimah as well. BIRKAT HA MAZON Hebrew for Blessing on Nourishment, the blessing after meals. BOKER TOV Hebrew for good morning. If someone greets you with Boker Tov you can reply BOKER OR (Hebrew meaning morning light ). CANTOR A leader of synagogue services trained in Jewish liturgical (worship) music ("Hazzan" in Hebrew). CELEBRATION DAYS AT TEMPLE BETH AM DAY SCHOOL When school falls on a Jewish holiday, we do not hold class as usual. Instead, we have a celebration day in which classroom time is devoted to learning and celebrating the holiday. The Elementary School also participates in the congregation s holiday services. Parents are invited and encouraged to join their children for services from 10:30am noon. The entire school is dismissed at half day. CHALLAH A braided loaf of egg bread. It is customary to begin Sabbath and holiday meals by saying blessings and eating challah. Page 21
To Order Call: TERMS TO KNOW A TO Z CHUTZPAH A Yiddish word meaning audacity, for good or for bad; commonly used to imply something was gutsy. CHUMASH One of the terms used for the Torah or Five Books of Moses. From the Hebrew for five. CONSERVATIVE Religious movement developed in the United States during the 20th Century as a more traditional response to modernity than that offered by the Reform movement. DAVEN Yiddish for "prayer." It is often used as a verb in English. ("I'm going to daven Saturday morning.") DREIDEL Yiddish for "spin," a four-sided spinning top played with during the Jewish holiday of Chanukah; in Hebrew a sevivon. D'VAR TORAH Hebrew for "word of Torah," a lesson or sermon based on the weekly reading of the Torah. At Temple Beth Am Day School, each of our 5th grade students has the opportunity to deliver a d var Torah to the student body. GEFILTE FISH Yiddish for "stuffed fish," a patty made of ground up varieties of fish, matzah meal and spices, boiled in fish broth. A popular dish on Passover, sometimes served on Shabbat and other holidays as well. Page 22
To Order Call: TERMS TO KNOW A TO Z GELT Yiddish for "money," usually refers to chocolate coins given on Chanukah (and used as bets during the dreidel game). HA'SHEM Hebrew for "The Name." Used as a substitute for the Hebrew name for God, which traditional Orthodox Jews are forbidden from uttering outside of prayer. HAVDALAH Hebrew for "separation" or "distinction," the Saturday evening ceremony that separates Shabbat from the rest of the week. The Rabbis of the Talmud teach we can extend Shabbat and make Havdalah as late as Tuesday! As a school, we begin the week with a communal Havdalah on Monday morning. Havdalah braided candle, spices and wine used in ceremony HORAH Hebrew, derived from the Greek word for "dance." A variety of dances often done in a circle, popular in Israel and danced at Jewish celebrations such as weddings. KABBALAT SHABBAT Special Friday night service that welcomes in the Sabbath. On Friday mornings we have a Kabbalat Shabbat assembly to bring the school together to pray, learn, sing, and help us end the week peacefully. Page 23
To Order Call: TERMS TO KNOW A TO Z KASHRUT Hebrew for "fit" (as in, "fit for consumption"), system of laws that govern what Jews may and may not eat. One practices kashrut ; individual foods are deemed kosher or not. Our campus does practice kashrut. Please see the parent-student manual for acceptable and unacceptable food choices for your child. KIDDUSH Hebrew for "sanctification," a blessing recited over wine or grape juice to sanctify the Sabbath and Jewish holidays. KIPPAH Hebrew for "skullcap," also known in Yiddish as a "yarmulke," the small, circular headcovering worn by male Jews in most synagogues, and female Jews in more liberal congregations. Traditional Jews wear kippot (plural of kippah) all the time. Worn as a sign of reverence for God. Reform Judaism recognizes the kippah as an important ritual object but does not require it to be worn. As a school, we teach our students about the kippah, and they are given their own to wear; then it is their choice if they would like to wear it to services or at other times. KOSHER: SEE KASHRUT L'CHAYIM Hebrew for "to life," usually said as a celebratory toast. When couples become engaged, a celebration for them is often called a "l'chayim" as friends and family will offer the couple toasts. L'DOR VA'DOR Hebrew for "from generation to generation." Page 24
To TERMS Order TO Call: KNOW A TO Z MACHZOR The special High Holiday prayer book. Hebrew for cycle (referring to the cycle of the year). MAGEN DAVID Hebrew for "shield of David," it is more commonly recognized as the Star of David, a six-point star. The symbol has origins in the Torah, and has been used as a symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism in Europe since the Middle Ages. MAZAL TOV Hebrew for "good luck," a phrase used to express congratulations for happy and significant occasions. Yiddish spelling and pronunciation is Mazel Tov. MENSCH Yiddish term for an honorable, decent person, usually means "a person of integrity and honor," someone of good character and a deep sense of what is right. One of our goals as a school is that your child learn to be a mensch. MEZUZAH Hebrew for "doorpost." It now refers to a small box containing a parchment scroll inscribed with the Hebrew text of the Shema prayer, which is affixed to the doorposts of Jewish homes. Strictly speaking, mezuzah only refers to the scroll itself, not the case in which it's housed. Each of our classrooms has a mezuzah. MIDDAH A value or character trait. Part of our curriculum is character development. Every month your child will learn about a new middah; we call it the Middah of the Month. Page 25
To Order Call: TERMS TO KNOW A TO Z MINYAN Hebrew for "count," it refers to the quorum of ten Jewish adults (in some communities only men are counted; in others, like ours, both men and women) required to hold a Torah service, recite some communal prayers, and the home-based recitation of the Kaddish. MITZVAH Hebrew for "commandment." It has two meanings. The first is the commandments given in the Torah. ("You should obey the mitzvah of honoring your parents!") The second is a good deed. ("Helping her grandmother carry her groceries home was such a mitzvah!") Plural form of mitzvah is mitzvot. MOTZI Hebrew for "brings forth" or "expels," the first unique or identifying word of the blessing over bread ("...brings forth bread from the earth"). Some say this blessing over bread, others recite it as a catch-all before a meal. At Temple Beth Am Day School, the motzi is said as a class before every meal. ONEG SHABBAT Hebrew for "Sabbath joy," the term for the light refreshments served after a Shabbat service. ORTHODOX An Orthodox Jew is one who believes that all of Jewish law is binding and must be followed. Page 26
To Order Call: TERMS TO KNOW A TO Z PARASHAH Hebrew for portion. The weekly Torah portion read during Shabbat services. The Torah is divided into 54 sections (parshiyot, plural form of parashah). One (and occasionally two) is read each week. At Temple Beth Am Day School, every Friday, a student or the rabbi will tell the school what the parashah is for that week and will teach some of the lessons we glean from it. Alternate spellings: Parasha, parsha, parshah. RABBI Hebrew for "teacher", a seminary-ordained member of the clergy. The Rabbis refers to the men who codified the Talmud. RECONSTRUCTIONISM Religious movement begun in the United States in the twentieth century by Mordecai Kaplan, which views Judaism as an evolving religious civilization. REFORM A movement begun in nineteenth century Germany that sought to reconcile Jewish tradition with modernity. Reform Judaism does not recognize the divine authority of Halachah (an umbrella term for the entire body of Jewish law). SEPHARDIC Referring to the culture of Jews who are descendants of the Jews of Medieval Spain and now used to describe Jews of the Mediterranean region. Sephardim are distinguished from Ashkenazim (having Jewish family origins in Germany or Eastern Europe) and have slightly differing customs and practices. Page 27
To Order Call: TERMS TO KNOW A TO Z SHABBAT The Hebrew word for the Jewish Sabbath, from sunset on Friday to nightfall on Saturday. SHABBAT SHALOM Hebrew for "Sabbath [of] peace," a greeting on or before the Jewish Sabbath. SHALOM A universal Hebrew greeting which means hello, good-bye and peace. SHAVUAH TOV Hebrew for "a good week," a typical greeting on Saturday night, after Havdalah, as the new week starts. SHEHECHEYANU Hebrew for "Who has given us life," part of a blessing thanking God for bringing us to a special or new moment. This is a great blessing to say when you or your child have a unique or joyful experience. SHEMA Hebrew for "hear" or listen, the first word and name of the central Jewish prayer and statement of faith. The most often-recited Jewish statement that declares God s Oneness, Listen, Israel, Adonai our God is One (Deuteronomy 6:4). It is written on the scroll of a mezuzah. SHUL Yiddish for "synagogue" or temple. Page 28
To Order Call: TERMS TO KNOW A TO Z SIDDUR Hebrew for "prayer book," the plural is "siddurim." At Temple Beth Am Day School, every year, the siddur is written by the graduating 5th grade class. SIMCHAH Hebrew for "gladness" or "joy," it is often used to refer to a festive occasion or celebration, like a wedding, bat mitzvah, or bris. STAR OF DAVID Known in Hebrew as "magen David" (literally, "shield of David"), it is more commonly recognized as the Star of David, a six-point star. The symbol has origins in the Torah, and has been used as a symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism in Europe since the Middle Ages. SYNAGOGUE Derived from the Greek word for "assembly," a Jewish house of prayer. Synagogue refers to both the room where prayer services are held and the building where it occurs. In Yiddish, "shul." Reform synagogues are often called "temples." TALLIT Hebrew for "prayer shawl," a ritual item that is worn, generally at morning worship services, and has specially knotted fringes (tzitzit) attached to the four corners. The plural form is "tallitot." Tallis in Yiddish (the plural form is "talleisim.") Page 29
To Order Call: TERMS TO KNOW A TO Z TALMUD Hebrew for "instruction" or "learning," a central text of Judaism, recording the Rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history. It has two parts: Mishnah (redacted c. 200 CE) and Gemara (c. 500 CE), an elucidation of the Mishnah. TANAKH Hebrew acronym for the Bible. It stands for "Torah (Five Books of Moses), Nevi'im (Prophets), Ketuvim (Writings)." TEFILLAH Hebrew for "prayer." The plural form is "tefillot." TEMPLE Reform synagogues are often called "temples." "The Temple" refers to either the First Temple, built by King Solomon in 957 BCE in Jerusalem, or the Second Temple, which replaced the First Temple and stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem from 516 BCE to 70 CE. TORAH The first five books of the Hebrew Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy), or the scroll that contains them. Page 30
To Order Call: TERMS TO KNOW A TO Z TZEDAKAH Literally means justice ; in practice it is righteous giving; charity. YARMULKE: SEE KIPPAH YIDDISH A language, literally meaning "Jewish," once widely used by Ashkenazi communities. It is influenced by German, Hebrew and Slavic languages, and is written with the Hebrew alphabet. It is comparable to the language of many Sephardi communities, Ladino. ZION Hebrew term, synonymous with Jerusalem. Acknowledgement: We would like to thank the parents who attended a Parlor Meeting at the home of Dr. Deborah R. Starr, Head of School, who recommended the need for this booklet. Page 31
The Janet z l and Richard Yulman Campus 5950 N. Kendall Drive Pinecrest, FL 33156 www.tbam.org/dayschool 305.665.6228