Glossary

Ashkenazi: Jews who trace their lineage to medieval Germany and France.

Bar / bat mitzvah: Ceremony marking the age at which one assumes most religious obligations under Jewish law, typically 13 for boys and 12 for girls.

Dvar Torah: Sermon. Literally ‘a word of Torah’ in Hebrew.

Eruv: An enclosure—typically a thin wire—connecting existing city-structures. Under Jewish law, this allows observant Jews to carry objects in public on Shabbat.

Havdalah: Ceremony held to mark the end of Shabbat. Literally ‘separation’ in Hebrew.

Ḥazzan: Cantor, i.e., the individual responsible for leading prayer services.

Kosher: Food adhering to Jewish dietary laws (Kashrut).

Purim Shpiel: Play or skit performed on Purim, often satirizing the story told in the Book of Esther.

Rosh Hashanah: The Jewish New Year, observed on the first two days of the Jewish month of Tishrei (usually falling in September or October).

Seliḥot: Penitential prayers recited in the lead-up to Rosh Hashanah.

Sephardic: Jews who trace their lineage to medieval Spain and Portugal, prior to the expulsions of the 15th century.

Shabbat: The Jewish Sabbath, observed from sundown on Friday until nightfall on Saturday.

Shofar: An instrument made from an animal horn (usually a ram), blown on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Synagogue: Jewish house of worship.

Torah: The Five Books of Moses, written in Hebrew on parchment scrolls and housed in the Torah ark in the synagogue.

Yom Kippur: Jewish holiday observed on the 10th day of the Jewish month of Tishrei (usually falling in September or October), considered the holiest day of the year. Literally ‘Day of Atonement’ in Hebrew.