Chumash: The first five books of the Hebrew Bible arranged together for the purpose of study.

Gentiles: Persons who are not Jews. Because Judaism centers on a particular people (the chosen people of God, the descendents of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), the tendency has been to define all on-Jews as belonging to the "nations of the world." The Hebrew for "nation" is goy; hence, an individual Gentile is referred to as a goy, plural goyim. Originally the term goy was used simply as a designation and had none of the pejorative meanings it later often assumed.

Halakhah: The aspect of Judaism that is concerned with Jewish law as a whole. Judaism is not content only with providing broad religious, social, and ethical principles, but expects its adherents to embody the principles through one’s daily actions.

Hanukkah: A festival celebrating the victory of the Maccabees over the forces of Antiochus after a three-year battle in the second century BCE. Lasting eight days, it is a celebration of lights demonstrated in the lighting of the Menorah, an eight candle candelabra, and additions to the liturgy.

Hasidism: A movement founded by Baal Shem Tov in 18^th century southeastern Poland. An idea common to the varieties of Hasidism is the pervasiveness of the divine presence behind and in all created things through the divine sparks. The task of the true Hasid is to rescue the divine sparks by engaging in mitzvah, moral acts in all one’s worldly dealings, In order to sanctify the world.

Kabbalah: The mystical system developed in the 11^th and 12^th centuries and later reinterpreted by Isaac Luria in the 16^th century. In the Kabbalah, the medieval Jewish philosophers discuss at length the question of the divine attributes, such as what meaning can be given to statements such as "God is wise," or "God is good," since anthropomorphic descriptions are totally inapplicable to that which is beyond all human experience. Ein Sof and the ten Sefirot are discussed here.

Kosher: The most frequent use of the term kosher is in connection with dietary laws. A food that is permitted for a Jew to eat is called kosher if it has been prepared in the right way. The term kosher can apply to other matters as well, as when a Scroll of the Torah is declared to be kosher, that is, properly written. In modern slang the term is applied to anything that Is right and above-board.

Krias Shema: The Jewish declaration of faith from Deuteronomy, that God is one. Deuteronomy states that this recitation of the central proclamation should be spoken of when lying down and when rising up. It is a custom to teach children to say the first verse of the Shema as soon as they begin to talk.

Pesach: Passover, a spring festival lasting seven days (eight for Jews outside of Israel), that celebrates the Exodus from Egypt. The historical character of the festival emphasizes the birth of the Jewish people and their freedom. One of the holiest celebrations, it begins with a feast on the first day and ends with a feast on the eighth day, Jews are commanded to eat only unleavened bread (matzo) rather than leavened bread during this time (referring to the story of the Exodus).

Rabbi: A scholar of Jewish law who acquires knowledge and authority through study, in this case primarily of Torah and Talmud.

Reb: The word is a Yiddish title of respect for a Jewish teacher or other respected person in the community. It is always used with a person’s name (e.g. Reb Lev).

Rebbe: Pronounced REBB-uh, or REBB-ee, for Hasidism, the Rebbe is regarded as a spiritual master and guide in a mystical sense. The Rebbe is a saintly mystic who understands the various levels of the soul and can advise the members of the community on all aspects of life. Each Hasidic groups is centered on the teachings of a particular Rebbe, and the sects are usually named after the town where the Rebbe was from, even if the Hasidim no longer live there.

Ribbono Shel Olom: "Master of the Universe," God, Creator of the world and all its creatures.

Seder: A feast commemorating the exodus from Egypt depicted in the book of Exodus in the Hebrew Bible. The service begins with the invitation extended to the poor to share the food and ends with, "Next year in Jerusalem." The recital of the traditional Haggadah is the most essential part of the Seder service. Primarily the narrative of Passover, the Haggadah tells the story of the entry into Egypt and of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery.

Sefirot: The powers or potencies of the Godhead as taught by the Kabbalah. Ein Sof – the infinite aspect of the Godhead that is completely concealed and beyond human comprehension – produces by a process of emanation the ten powers (sefirot) through which the Godhead becomes manifest in the world. The ten sefirot are the source of all cosmic energy and vitality.

Shabbos: The Sabbath, the central holy day celebrating the connection between God and the people. Celebrated every week, it begins Friday at sunset and lasts until nightfall on Saturday. Aspects of the Sabbath include refraining from ‘work’ and seeking rest. The Sabbath is a day when all human effort comes to a standstill in order for people to give their attention solely to God.

Sidecurls: Earlocks or payos. The Torah says: "You shall not clip your hair at the temples or mar the edges of your beard. You shall not lacerate your bodies for the dead or tattoo any marks upon yourself" (Leviticus 19:27-28). This, as well as other passages, has given rise to the practice among strictly observant Jews not to shave their beards or sidelocks, the length of which is to reach the lobes of the ears.

Simchas Torah: It is a custom to read the Torah scrolls in an annual cycle. The weekly portions are arranged so that the final portion of the Torah (Deuteronomy 33 and 34) is left to be completed on this day. On the eve of Simchas Torah and during the day all the scrolls are taken from the Ark of the Covenant and carried in procession 7 times around the synagogue, accompanied by singing and dancing and general merriment.

Talmud: A collection, spanning thousands of pages, of interpretations and commentary on the Torah as well as stories about ancient saints and sages that illustrate how one should live out

Torah. There are two forms of Talmud, the better known of which is the Babylonian Talmud.

Torah: 1) Instruction from God; God’s laws and teaching for the Jewish people and in a wider sense for all humankind; 2) The first five books of the Hebrew Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy); 3) The whole of the Hebrew Bible; 4) The entire corpus of the Oral Tradition (Midrash, Mishnah, Talmud). The precise meaning of this word is best

determined by the context in which it appears.

Wig: A wig is worn by strictly observant, Jewish, married women in certain circles as an emblem of modesty. Likewise, the men keep their heads covered with hats.

Yeshiva: A school for studying Torah primarily, but may include other subjects such as math and history when the Yeshiva is the primary school for the community.

Yiddish: Language used frequently by Eastern European Jews incorporating elements of Hebrew and German.

Yom Kippur: Day of Atonement. Yom Kippur is judgement day, the culmination of the Ten Days of penitence that begins with Rosh Hashanah. The Rabbis say that Moses came down from the Mount on Yom Kippur with the second stone tablets, bringing the people the message that God had shown mercy to them and had pardoned them for the sin of worshipping a false god. Although Yom Kippur is a day of fasting and self-denial, it is also a day o joy on which sin is pardoned and reconciliation achieved with God and one’s neighbor.

Zemiros: Songs sung at the table on Shabbos. Each community, and even individual families, often has its own special melodies for the zemiros. The idea behind the zemiros is the need to celebrate Shabbos as a day of joy.