Judaism Final 2019

Midrash

"Search"; rabbinical commentary on the scriptures and oral law A literary form that relates past scriptural events to help explain and interpret present events.

Kashrut/Kosher

"fitting;" ritually correct, with special reference to dietary laws Jewish dietary laws; they dictate which foods may be eaten Kashrut is the body of Jewish law dealing with what foods we can and cannot eat and how those foods must be prepared and eaten. "Kashrut" comes from the Hebrew root Kaf-Shin-Reish, meaning fit, proper or correct. It is the same root as the more commonly known word "kosher," which describes food that meets these standards. The word "kosher" can also be used, and often is used, to describe ritual objects that are made in accordance with Jewish law and are fit for ritual use. Contrary to popular misconception, rabbis or other religious officials do not "bless" food to make it kosher. There are blessings that observant Jews recite over food before eating it, but these blessings have nothing to do with making the food kosher. Food can be kosher without a rabbi or priest ever becoming involved with it: the vegetables from your garden are undoubtedly kosher (as long as they don't have any bugs, which are not kosher!). However, in our modern world of processed foods, it is difficult to know what ingredients are in your food and how they were processed, so it is helpful to have a rabbi examine the food and its processing and assure kosher consumers that the food is kosher. This certification process is discussed below. Kosher dietary laws are observed all year round, not just during Pesach (Passover). There are additional dietary restrictions during Pesach, and many foods that are kosher for year-round use are not "kosher for Passover." A bagel, for example, can be kosher for year-round use but is certainly not kosher for Passover! Foods that are kosher for Passover, however, are always kosher for year-round use. There is no such thing as "kosher-style" food. Kosher is not a style of cooking. Chinese food can be kosher if it is prepared in accordance with Jewish law, and there are many fine kosher Chinese restaurants in Philadelphia and New York. Traditional Ashkenazic Jewish foods like knishes, bagels, blintzes, and matzah ball soup can all be non-kosher if not prepared in accordance with Jewish law. When a restaurant calls itself "kosher-style," it usually means that the restaurant serves these traditional Jewish foods, and it almost invariably means that the food is not actually kosher. Food that is not kosher is commonly referred to as treif (lit. torn, from the commandment not to eat animals that have been torn by other animals). Why Do We Observe the Laws of Kashrut? Many modern Jews think that the laws of kashrut are simply primitive health regulations that have become obsolete with modern methods of food preparation. There is no question that some of the dietary laws have some beneficial health effects. For example, the laws regarding kosher slaughter are so sanitary that kosher butchers and slaughterhouses have been exempted from many USDA regulations. However, health is not the only reason for Jewish dietary laws. Many of the laws of kashrut have no known connection with health. To the best of our modern scientific knowledge, there is no reason why camel or rabbit meat (both treif) is any less healthy than cow or goat meat. In addition, some of the health benefits to be derived from kashrut were not made obsolete by the refrigerator. For example, there is some evidence that eating meat and dairy together interferes with digestion, and no modern food preparation technique reproduces the health benefit of the kosher law of eating them separately. In recent years, several secular sources that have seriously looked into this matter have acknowledged that health does not explain these prohibitions. Some have suggested that the prohibitions are instead derived from environmental considerations. For example, a camel (which is not kosher) is more useful as a beast of burden than as a source of food. In the Middle Eastern climate, the pig consumes a quantity of food that is disproportional to its value as a food source. But again, these are not reasons that come from Jewish tradition. The short answer to why Jews observe these laws is: because the Torah says so. The Torah does not specify any reason for these laws, and for a Torah-observant, traditional Jew, there is no need for any other reason. Some have suggested that the laws of kashrut fall into the category of "chukkim," laws for which there is no reason. We show our obedience to G-d by following these laws even though we do not know the reason. Others, however, have tried to ascertain G-d's reason for imposing these laws. In his book "To Be a Jew" (an excellent resource on traditional Judaism), Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin suggests that the dietary laws are designed as a call to holiness. The ability to distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil, pure and defiled, the sacred and the profane, is very important in Judaism. Imposing rules on what you can and cannot eat ingrains that kind of self control, requiring us to learn to control even our most basic, primal instincts. Donin also points out that the laws of kashrut elevate the simple act of eating into a religious ritual. The Jewish dinner table is often compared to the Temple altar in rabbinic literature. A Jew who observes the laws of kashrut cannot eat a meal without being reminded of the fact that he is a Jew.

Agunah

Agunah is a halakhic term for a Jewish woman who is "chained" to her marriage. The classic case of this is a man who has left on a journey and has not returned, or has gone into battle and is MIA.

Shavuot

(Judaism) Jewish holy day celebrated on the sixth of Sivan to celebrate Moses receiving the Ten Commandments Shavuot or Shovuos, in Ashkenazi usage; Shavuʿoth in Sephardi and Mizrahi Hebrew, is known as the Feast of Weeks in English and as Pentecost in Ancient Greek. It is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan. Shavuot has a double significance.

Bat Mitzvah

(Judaism) an initiation ceremony marking the 12th birthday of a Jewish girl and signifying the beginning of religious responsibility Bar Mitzvah is a Jewish coming of age ritual for boys. Bat Mitzvah is a Jewish coming of age ritual for girls. The plural is B'nai Mitzvah for boys, and B'not Mitzvah for girls. According to Jewish law, when Jewish boys become 13 years old, they become accountable for their actions and become a bar mitzvah. The meaning of the ceremony flows out of the planning details, which themselves are determined by a familial vision of what the event will be. Families must decide with whom they will share the event, when it will take place, what kind of celebration will follow it, whether it will involve social action, and on and on. The history of the bar mitzvah dates back to a fifth-century rabbinic text references a blessing (still part of a traditional bar mitzvah) recited by the father thanking God for freeing him from responsibility for the deeds of his child, who is now accountable for his own actions. A 14th-century text mentions a father reciting this blessing in a synagogue when his son has his first aliyah . By the 17th century, boys celebrating this coming of age were also reading from the Torah, chanting the weekly prophetic portion, leading services, and delivering learned talks. Religious reformers of 19th-century Europe, uncomfortable with the ritual focus of the bar mitzvah, developed the confirmation ceremony, which celebrated the acquisition of the principles of Jewish faith by older teens. The confirmation ceremony quickly included girls as well as boys and spread to Reform and later Conservative congregations in the United States. The bat mitzvah celebration made a late appearance in the United States with the bat mitzvah of Judith Kaplan (daughter of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan) in 1922. In the last half century, the bat mitzvah has been widely observed in liberal congregations, but has developed more slowly among traditional Jews, because women are not legally obligated by Jewish law to perform public mitzvot. In the last three decades, an adult bar/bat mitzvah ceremony has developed that is not a coming of age, but rather an affirmation of Jewish identity for Jews who did not have bar/bat mitzvahs as children. Usually, the child will begin preparations for his or her bar/bat mitzvah about a year before the big day. At the bar/bat mitzvah, the child will generally get an aliyah and usually chant the haftarah (prophetic reading) as well. Many children also chant all or some of the weekly Torah portion and/or lead all or part of the prayer services.

Bar Mitzvah (Judaism)

(Judaism) an initiation ceremony marking the 13th birthday of a Jewish boy and signifying the beginning of religious responsibility is a Jewish coming of age ritual for boys. Bat Mitzvah is a Jewish coming of age ritual for girls. The plural is B'nai Mitzvah for boys, and B'not Mitzvah for girls. According to Jewish law, when Jewish boys become 13 years old, they become accountable for their actions and become a bar mitzvah. Under Jewish Law, children are not obligated to observe the commandments, although they are encouraged to do so as much as possible to learn the obligations they will have as adults. At the age of 13 (12 for girls), children become obligated to observe the commandments. The bar mitzvah ceremony formally, publicly marks the assumption of that obligation, along with the corresponding right to take part in leading religious services, to count in a minyan (the minimum number of people needed to perform certain parts of religious services), to form binding contracts, to testify before religious courts and to marry. A Jewish boy automatically becomes a bar mitzvah upon reaching the age of 13 years, and a girl upon reaching the age of 12 years. No ceremony is needed to confer these rights and obligations. The popular bar mitzvah ceremony is not required, and does not fulfill any commandment. It is certainly not, as one episode of the Simpsons would have you believe, necessary to have a bar mitzvah in order to be considered a Jew! The bar or bat mitzvah is a relatively modern innovation, not mentioned in the Talmud, and the elaborate ceremonies and receptions that are commonplace today were unheard of as recently as a century ago. In its earliest and most basic form, a bar mitzvah is the celebrant's first aliyah. During Shabbat services on a Saturday shortly after the child's 13th birthday, or even the Monday or Thursday weekday services immediately after the child's 13th birthday, the celebrant is called up to the Torah to recite a blessing over the weekly reading. Today, it is common practice for the bar mitzvah celebrant to do much more than just say the blessing. It is most common for the celebrant to learn the entire haftarah portion, including its traditional chant, and recite that. In some congregations, the celebrant reads the entire weekly torah portion, or leads part of the service, or leads the congregation in certain important prayers. The celebrant is also generally required to make a speech, which traditionally begins with the phrase "today I am a man." The father traditionally recites a blessing thanking G-d for removing the burden of being responsible for the son's sins (because now the child is old enough to be held responsible for his own actions). In modern times, the religious service is followed by a reception that is often as elaborate as a wedding reception. In Orthodox and Chasidic practice, women are not permitted to participate in religious services in these ways, so a bat mitzvah, if celebrated at all, is usually little more than a party. In other movements of Judaism, the girls do exactly the same thing as the boys. It is important to note that a bar mitzvah is not the goal of a Jewish education, nor is it a graduation ceremony marking the end of a person's Jewish education. We are obligated to study Torah throughout our lives. To emphasize this point, some rabbis require a bar mitzvah student to sign an agreement promising to continue Jewish education after the bar mitzvah. Sadly, an alarming number of Jewish parents today view the bar or bat mitzvah as the sole purpose of Jewish education, and treat it almost as a Jewish hazing ritual: I had to go through it, so you have to go through it, but don't worry, it will all be over soon and you'll never have to think about this stuff again.

Seder

(Judaism) the ceremonial dinner on the first night (or both nights) of Passover "Order"; a special ritual meal at Passover, recalling the Hebrews' exodus from Egypt a Jewish ritual service and ceremonial dinner for the first night or first two nights of Passover.

Torah

A Hebrew word meaning "law," referring to the first five books of the Old Testament. The first five books of Jewish Scripture, which they believe are by Moses, are called this

Siddur

A Jewish prayer book, containing a set order of daily prayers. Jewish prayer book

Marriage

A Jewish wedding is a wedding ceremony that follows Jewish laws and traditions. While wedding ceremonies vary, common features of a Jewish wedding include a ketubah which is signed by two witnesses, a wedding canopy, a ring owned by the groom that is given to the bride under the canopy and the breaking of a glass. As part of the wedding ceremony, the husband gives the wife a ketubah. The word "Ketubah" comes from the root Kaf-Tav-Beit, meaning "writing." The ketubah is also called the marriage contract. The ketubah spells out the husband's obligations to the wife during marriage, conditions of inheritance upon his death, and obligations regarding the support of children of the marriage. It also provides for the wife's support in the event of divorce. There are standard conditions; however, additional conditions can be included by mutual agreement. Marriage agreements of this sort were commonplace in the ancient Semitic world. The ketubah has much in common with prenuptial agreements, which are gaining popularity in the United States. In the U.S., such agreements were historically disfavored, because it was believed that planning for divorce would encourage divorce, and that people who considered the possibility of divorce shouldn't be marrying. Although one rabbi in the Talmud expresses a similar opinion, the majority maintained that a ketubah discouraged divorce, by serving as a constant reminder of the husband's substantial financial obligations if he divorced his wife. The ketubah is often a beautiful work of calligraphy, framed and displayed in the home. The Process of Marriage: Kiddushin and Nisuin The process of marriage occurs in two distinct stages: kiddushin (commonly translated as betrothal) and nisuin (full-fledged marriage). Kiddushin occurs when the woman accepts the money, contract or sexual relations offered by the prospective husband. The word "kiddushin" comes from the root Qof-Dalet-Shin, meaning "sanctified." It reflects the sanctity of the marital relation. However, the root word also connotes something that is set aside for a specific (sacred) purpose, and the ritual of kiddushin sets aside the woman to be the wife of a particular man and no other. Kiddushin is far more binding than an engagement as we understand the term in modern English; in fact, Rambam speaks of a period of engagement before the kiddushin. Once kiddushin is complete, the woman is legally the wife of the man. The relationship created by kiddushin can only be dissolved by death or divorce. However, the spouses do not live together at the time of the kiddushin, and the mutual obligations created by the marital relationship do not take effect until the nisuin is complete. The nisuin (from a word meaning "elevation") completes the process of marriage. The husband brings the wife into his home and they begin their married life together. In the past, the kiddushin and nisuin would routinely occur as much as a year apart. During that time, the husband would prepare a home for the new family. There was always a risk that during this long period of separation, the woman would discover that she wanted to marry another man, or the man would disappear, leaving the woman in the awkward state of being married but without a husband. Today, the two ceremonies are normally performed together. Because marriage under Jewish law is essentially a private contractual agreement between a man and a woman, it does not require the presence of a rabbi or any other religious official. It is common, however, for rabbis to officiate, partly in imitation of the Christian practice and partly because the presence of a religious or civil official is required under United States civil law. As you can see, it is very easy to make a marriage, so the rabbis instituted severe punishments (usually flogging and compelled divorce) where marriage was undertaken without proper planning and solemnity.

Chuppah

A chuppah, also huppah, chipe, chupah, or chuppa, is a canopy under which a Jewish couple stand during their wedding ceremony. It consists of a cloth or sheet, sometimes a tallit, stretched or supported over four poles, or sometimes manually held up by attendants to the ceremony.

Divorce

A get or gett (/ɡɛt/; Hebrew: גט‎, plural gittin גיטין) is a divorce document in Jewish religious law, which must be presented by a husband to his wife to effectuate their divorce.

Rabbi

A highly respected teacher of Jewish law or theology a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. The basic form of the rabbi developed in the Pharisaic and Talmudic era, when learned teachers assembled to codify Judaism's written and oral laws. The first sage for whom the Mishnah uses the title of rabbi was Yohanan ben Zakkai, active in the early-to-mid first century CE.

Mezuzah

A scroll inscribed with verses of the Shema that many Jews fasten to their doorpost. a parchment inscribed with religious texts and attached in a case to the doorpost of a Jewish house as a sign of faith.

Kippah/Yarmulke

A small circular cap worn by Jewish men a skullcap worn in public by Orthodox Jewish men or during prayer by other Jewish men

Rosh Chodesh

The first days of each Hebrew month. Beginning of the Month; lit. Head of the Month) is the name for the first day of every month in the Hebrew calendar, marked by the birth of a new moon. It is considered a minor holiday, akin to the intermediate days of Passover and Sukkot.

Pidyon Haben

The rite of relieving the first-born male child born to parents not descended from Aaron or Levi of certain religious obligations by redeeming him from a member of the priestly class. It is celebrated 30 days after the child's birth. The father pays five silver shekels (today, typically five dollars in coins) to have the child released from his obligations. The pidyon haben or redemption of the first-born son is a mitzvah in Judaism whereby a Jewish firstborn son is "redeemed" by use of silver coins from his birth-state of sanctity, i.e. from being predestined by his firstborn status to serve as a priest. The redemption is attained by giving five silver coins to a Kohen.

Sh'loshim

The thirty-day period following burial (including shiva) is known as shloshim (Hebrew: שלושים, "thirty"). During shloshim, a mourner is forbidden to marry or to attend a seudat mitzvah (religious festive meal). Men do not shave or get haircuts during this time.

Codes

There are many formal codes of Jewish law that have developed over the past two thousand years. These codes have influenced, and in turn, have been influenced by, the responsa; History of Responsa thus provides an informative complement to the survey below. The Torah and the Talmud are not formal codes of law - they are sources of law.

Tzedakah

Tzedakah or Ṣ'daqah in Classical Hebrew, is a Hebrew word literally meaning "justice" or "righteousness", but commonly used to signify charity Notably, this concept of "charity" is different from the Jews today, the term tzedakah connotes giving charitable contributions, but the term originates in another realm. In the Bible, tzedakah means "righteous behavior" and is often paired with "justice." In Jewish thought and tradition, material support for those in need is not a matter of "charity"-a term that implies generosity beyond what may be expected-but a requirement. As in most areas of life, here too Jewish tradition makes practical demands and specifies expectations. Tzedakah Themes and Theology Biblical prophets castigated the Israelites for neglecting and even exploiting the poor, insisting that God has particular concern for those in need. The rabbis of classical Judaism praised tzedakah, calling it, for example, "equal in value to all the other mitzvot [commandments] combined." They also praised those who practice it, saying that they attain the level of holiness of someone who brought sacrifices in the ancient Temple. The Rosh Hashanah liturgy lists tzedakah alongside repentance and prayer as a human act capable of averting a negative divine decree. History and Development of Tzedakah Although the term tzedakah is applied to giving to individuals in need only in post-biblical Judaism, the Bible is replete with admonitions to show concern for the poor. Biblical laws like those calling on farmers to leave aside some of their crops during harvest for the landless become in rabbinic Judaism the basis for an extensive social welfare system built on individual initiative and shared responsibility. Communities of sufficient size created voluntary societies to care for the ill, provide for newlywed couples, house travelers, bury the dead, and offer interest-free loans to the needy. This tradition of grassroots organizing to assist those in need is even now a distinguishing feature of Jewish communities.

Yahrtzeit (annual)

Yahrtzeit is a Yiddish word that means "anniversary," and is used specifically to refer to the day on which a person passed away. On the day of the yahrtzeit, there are various customs one can do to honor the memory of the departed. As with kaddish and yizkor, the observance of the yahrtzeit, particularly for parents, has the ability to bring great benefit and merit to the soul of the departed. Yahrtzeit is a time for reflection and introspection. It is customary to think about the best values that your relative exemplified in his or her life, to consider the meaningful and enduring ways in which he or she shaped your life, and to commit to making a renewed effort to live a more spiritual, moral, and more giving life. If you have been considering adding a little more Judaism to your life, yahrtzeit is an appropriate time to make such a commitment. Any element of personal growth that one undertakes in connection to the passing of a parent or other relative, makes an eternal difference for that relative's soul. On the day of the yahrtzeit, one should light a twenty-four hour candle at home. Special twenty-four hour yahrtzeit candles can be purchased at Jewish bookstores and often in grocery stores with a kosher food section. In lieu of a yahrtzeit candle, any twenty-four hour candle will do. The Jewish day begins at night, so the candle should be lit at the onset of the evening. Even if the candle burns for longer than twenty-four hours, it should not be extinguished. If the yahrtzeit falls on a Saturday, the candle must be lit on Friday afternoon before sunset. Yahrtzeit is a time for reflection and introspection. It is customary to think about the best values that your relative exemplified in his or her life... In the book of Proverbs, King Solomon wrote that "G-d's candle is the soul of man." Like the silent flame of a candle, a person's soul is always reaching upwards, longing to go higher and higher. If you have lost a parent or other loved one, and if in their memory you strive to take your soul and your life to a higher plane of living, then the departed soul is elevated as well. There is an ancient custom to light a candle in synagogue on the yahrzeit. Today, it is quite common for people to purchase a memorial plaque with their parents name on it in synagogue. These plaques come with small lights that are lit each year on the yahrtzeit. If you forgot to light a yahrtzeit candle at home, you should donate at least a few dollars to charity in memory of the person. Some people fast on the yahrtzeit of a parent. In some synagogues, it is customary to attend morning services on the yahrtzeit even if one does not regularly attend synagogue. Following the service, one sponsors a small snack with drinks for the congregants and people wish one another L'chayim—"to life." This practice is known as a tikkun, a "spiritual rectification," and benefits the soul of the departed. If possible, one should attend all synagogue services on the yahrtzeit and recite the kaddish. To find a local synagogue or to learn how to say kaddish, click here. If possible, one should visit a parent's grave on the yahrtzeit. It is customary to study portions of the Torah, specifically brief passages from the Talmud, in memory of the departed soul. Before beginning your study you should say: Merciful G-d, may the Judaism that I am about to study serve as a merit and a blessing for my (relationship) whose name is ____ __ (son/daugter) of (fathers name). May his/her soul be bound in the bond of eternal life and may his/her resting place be one of peace.

yom hashoah (judaism)

Yom Hazikaron laShoah ve-laG'vurah, known colloquially in Israel and abroad as Yom HaShoah and in English as Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Holocaust Day, is observed as Israel's day of commemoration

Tu B'shvat

a Jewish holiday occurring on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat. It is also called "Rosh HaShanah La'Ilanot", literally "New Year of the Trees." In contemporary Israel, the day is celebrated as an ecological awareness day, and trees are planted in celebration. The fruits that ripened from Tu BiShvat on were counted for the following year's tithes

Havdalah

a brief service at the end of Shabbat A family ceremony on Saturday night marking the end of Sabbath A religious ceremony that symbolically ends the Shabbat, usually recited over kosher wine or kosher grape juice.

Purim (Lots)

a carnival (commemorates events told in book of Esther) The early Spring celebration involving the reading of the story of Esther Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from Haman, an Achaemenid Persian Empire official who was planning to kill all the Jews, as recounted in the Book of Esther

Jewish calendar

a lunar calendar (354 days) the calendar the Jews use to determine religious and secular holidays

Sukkot (Tabernacles)

a major Jewish festival held in the autumn (beginning on the 15th day of Tishri) to commemorate the sheltering of the Israelites in the wilderness. The origins of Sukkot are found in an ancient autumnal harvest festival. Indeed it is often referred to as hag ha-asif, "The Harvest Festival." Much of the imagery and ritual of the holiday revolves around rejoicing and thanking God for the completed harvest. The sukkah represent the huts that farmers would live in during the last hectic period of harvest before the coming of the winter rains. As is the case with other festivals whose origins may not have been Jewish, the Bible reinterpreted the festival to imbue it with a specific Jewish meaning. In this manner, Sukkot came to commemorate the wanderings of the Israelites in the desert after the revelation at Mount Sinai, with the huts representing the temporary shelters that the Israelites lived in during those 40 years. Many of the most popular rituals of Sukkot are practiced in the home. As soon after the conclusion of Yom Kippur as possible, often on the same evening, one is enjoined to begin building the sukkah, or hut, that is the central symbol of the holiday. The sukkah is a flimsy structure with at least three sides, whose roof is made out of thatch or branches, which provides some shade and protection from the sun, but also allows the stars to be seen at night. It is traditional to decorate the sukkah and to spend as much time in it as possible. Weather permitting, meals are eaten in the sukkah, and the hardier among us may also elect to sleep in the sukkah. In a welcoming ceremony called ushpizin, ancestors are symbolically invited to partake in the meals with us. And in commemoration of the bounty of the Holy Land, we hold and shake four species of plants (arba minim), consisting of palm, myrtle, and willow (lulav ), together with citron (etrog ).

Yizkor

a memorial service held by Jews on certain holy days for deceased relatives or martyrs.

Mechitza

a partition, particularly one that is used to separate men and women in Jewish law is a partition, particularly one that is used to separate men and women.

Shofar (Ram's horn)

a ram's-horn trumpet used by ancient Jews in religious ceremonies and as a battle signal, now sounded at Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. musical instrument used for religious purposes, most commonly for the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

dreidel

a small four-sided spinning top with a Hebrew letter on each side, used by the Jews. Each side of the dreidel bears a letter of the Hebrew alphabet: נ (Nun), ג (Gimel), ה (Hei), ש (Shin), These letters were originally a mnemonic for the rules of a gambling game played with a dreidel: Nun stands for the Yiddish word nisht ("nothing"), Hei stands for halb ("half"), Gimel for gants ("all"), and Shin for shtel ayn ("put in"). However, nowadays they are commonly regarded to represent the Hebrew phrase nes gadol hayah sham ("a great miracle happened there"). For this reason, dreidels in Israel replace the letter Shin with a letter Peh, to represent the phrase nes gadol hayah poh ("a great miracle happened here").[2] While not mandated (a mitzvah) for Hanukkah (the only traditional mitzvot are lighting candles and saying the full hallel), spinning the dreidel is a traditional game played during the holiday.[3]

Israel

an ancient kingdom of the Hebrew tribes at the southeastern end of the Mediterranean Sea A Jewish state on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean, both in antiquity and again founded in 1948 after centuries of Jewish diaspora. Israel, a Middle Eastern country on the Mediterranean Sea, is regarded by Jews, Christians and Muslims as the biblical Holy Land. Its most sacred sites are in Jerusalem. Within its Old City, the Temple Mount complex includes the Dome of the Rock shrine, the historic Western Wall, Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Israel's financial hub, Tel Aviv, is known for its Bauhaus architecture and beaches. Jeruselam

Mishnah

an authoritative collection of exegetical material embodying the oral tradition of Jewish law and forming the first part of the Talmud. Written down in about AD 200; contains collected teachings of the rabbis of the preceding four centuries; along with the Talmud, is the most important text of the oral Torah. Oral Torah

N'vi'im/Prophets

between the Torah (instruction) and Ketuvim (writings). The Nevi'im are divided into two groups. The Former Prophets (Hebrew: נביאים ראשונים Nevi'im Rishonim) consists of the narrative books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings; while the Latter Prophets (Hebrew: נביאים אחרונים Nevi'im Aharonim) include the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and The Twelve minor prophets.

Abortion

bortion is one of the most contentious issues in American politics, and since the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion nationwide, the issue has been a top concern by activists on both sides in assessing both Supreme Court nominees and political candidates. The anti-abortion cause has been embraced by many religious Christian groups, including the Catholic church. Most American Jews strongly support legalized abortion: A 2015 Pew Research Forum survey found that 83 percent of American Jews, more than any other religious group, say abortion "should be legal in all/most cases." However, Judaism's position on abortion is nuanced, and both principal camps in the American debate over abortion rights can claim support from Jewish texts. Is Judaism "pro-choice" or "pro-life"? While Judaism takes a far less stringent approach to abortion than do many pro-life denominations of Christianity, providing explicit exceptions for threats to a mother's life and rabbinic support for terminating a pregnancy in a host of other situations, there is nonetheless broad objection to abortion in cases without serious cause. In addition, despite the consensus that abortion is permitted in cases where continuing the pregnancy poses a threat to the life of the mother, there is disagreement over just what constitutes a threat. Jewish law does not share the belief common among abortion opponents that life begins at conception, nor does it legally consider the fetus to be a full person deserving of protections equal those accorded to human beings. In Jewish law, a fetus attains the status of a full person only at birth. Sources in the Talmud indicate that prior to 40 days of gestation, the fetus has an even more limited legal status, with one Talmudic authority (Yevamot 69b) asserting that prior to 40 days the fetus is "mere water." Elsewhere, the Talmud indicates that the ancient rabbis regarded a fetus as part of its mother throughout the pregnancy, dependent fully on her for its life — a view that echoes the position that women should be free to make decisions concerning their own bodies. At the same time, feticide is prohibited by Jewish law, though there is disagreement over the exact source of this prohibition and how serious an infraction it is. Some consider it biblical in origin based on a verse (Genesis 9.6) that prohibits shedding the "blood of man within man" — a phrase understood to refer to a fetus. Moreover, Judaism teaches that the body is ultimately the property of God and is merely on loan to human beings. Multiple prohibitions in Jewish law— including prohibitions on suicide, getting tattoos and wounding oneself— collectively serve to reject the idea that individuals enjoy an unfettered right to make choices regarding their own bodies. As a public policy matter, many of the major American Jewish organizations have been vocal in support of broadening or protecting abortion access. Orthodox organizations, however, do not support broad legal protections for abortion. Does Jewish law ever explicitly permit abortions? Yes, but only under very limited circumstances. The most common situation, explicitly described in the Mishnah , is where the mother's life is imperiled by her pregnancy. Some consider such an abortion not merely permissible, but mandatory. However, once the baby's head has emerged from the mother (some authorities say the majority of its body, some say merely any limb), termination is no longer allowed, since Jewish law does not permit sacrificing one life to save another. Short of clear threats to a mother's life, the permissibility of abortion is controversial in Jewish texts. There are Orthodox rabbinic sources that support abortion when a mother's health is in danger even if her life is not at risk; when a fetus is conclusively determined to suffer from severe abnormalities; when a mother's mental health is in danger; or when the pregnancy is the result of a forbidden sexual union. However, these rulings are not universally accepted, and many Orthodox rabbis are cautious about laying down firm standards, insisting instead that cases be judged individually. The Conservative movement is somewhat more lenient in all these cases, explicitly understanding threats to a mother's life as extending to psychological threats to her mental well-being. In 1983, the Conservative movement's rabbinical authorities permitted abortion only "if a continuation of pregnancy might cause the mother severe physical or psychological harm, or when the fetus is judged by competent medical opinion as severely defective." The Reform movement has historically taken a similar approach. In 1958, the movement's rabbinate determined that abortion is permitted for sake of the mother's mental well-being if there is "strong preponderance of medical opinion that the child will be born imperfect physically, and even mentally." In 1985, the psychological justification was explicitly extended to cases of rape and incest, while emphasizing opposition to abortion for "trivial reasons" or "on demand." In published responsa, the movement has rejected abortion in cases where the birth might pose hardships for other family members. At the same time, both the Reform and Conservative rabbinates have been vocal in support of keeping abortion legal and accessible.

Chevra Kaddisha

burial society is an organization of Jewish men and women who see to it that the bodies of deceased Jews are prepared for burial according to Jewish tradition and are protected from desecration, willful or not, until burial. Two of the main requirements are the showing of proper respect for a corpse, and the ritual cleansing of the body and subsequent dressing for burial. It is usually referred to as a burial society in English.

Pesach (Passover)

celebrates the freedom from slavery in Egypt Festival in remembrance of the Jewish exodus from Egypt that is celebrated in spring spring festival commemorating deliverance from Egypt Passover, also called Pesach, is a major, biblically derived Jewish holiday. Jews celebrate Passover as a commemoration of their liberation by God from slavery in ancient Egypt and their freedom as a nation under the leadership of Moses.

Simchat Torah

celebrating Torah annual cycle of weekly Torah readings ends and begins again The "Rejoicing in the Torah" - takes place on the final day of the annual cycle of Torah readings in the synagogue. These readings immediately begin again.

Talmud

collection of Jewish law and tradition A collection of authoritative Jewish writings that comment and interpret biblical laws. The collection of Jewish rabbinic discussion pertaining to law, ethics, and tradition consisting of the Mishnah and the Gemara.

Treif

food that is not kosher s the Yiddish word for any form of non-kosher food. The word is derived from the Hebrew טְרֵפָה (terēfáh), but should not be confused with that other, more specific and technical term.

Mikveh/Mikvah

is a Jewish ritual bath. Jewish law requires that one immerse in a mikveh as part of the process of conversion to Judaism. It also requires women to immerse before getting married and when observing the laws of niddah (menstrual purity). There are also various other reasons — both traditional and modern — that women, as well as men and Jews who are gender-non-conforming, visit the mikveh.

Chanukah Menorah

is a nine-branched candelabrum lit during the eight-day holiday of Hanukkah, as opposed to the seven-branched menorah used in the ancient Temple or as a symbol. On each night of Hanukkah, a new branch is lit. The ninth holder, called the shamash ("helper" or "servant"), is for a candle used to light all other candles or to be used as an extra light. To be kosher, the shamash must be offset on a higher or lower plane than the main eight candles or oil lamps, but there are differing opinions as to whether all the lights must be arranged in a straight line,[2][3] or if the channukiah can be arranged in a curve.[

Ketubah

is a special type of Jewish prenuptial agreement. It is considered an integral part of a traditional Jewish marriage, and outlines the rights and responsibilities of the groom, in relation to the bride. In modern practice, the ketubah has no agreed monetary value, and is never enforced, except in Israel

Tisha B'Av

is an annual fast day in Judaism, on which a number of disasters in Jewish history occurred, primarily the destruction of both Solomon's Temple by the Neo-Babylonian Empire and the Second Temple by the Roman Empire in Jerusalem.

Repentance

is one element of atoning for sin in Judaism. Judaism recognizes that everybody sins on occasion, but that people can stop or minimize those occasions in the future by repenting for past transgressions.

G'mara

is the component of the Talmud comprising rabbinical analysis of and commentary on the Mishnah.

K'tuvim/Writings

is the third and final section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), after Torah (instruction) and Nevi'im (prophets). In English translations of the Hebrew Bible, this section is usually titled "Writings".[2] Another name used for this section is Hagiographa. The Ketuvim are believed to have been written under divine inspiration, but with one level less authority than that of prophecy.[3] Found among the Writings within the Hebrew scriptures, I and II Chronicles form one book, along with Ezra and Nehemiah which form a single unit entitled "Ezra-Nehemiah".[4] (In citations by chapter and verse numbers, however, the Hebrew equivalents of "Nehemiah", "I Chronicles" and "II Chronicles" are used, as the system of chapter division was imported from Christian usage.) Collectively, eleven books are included in the Ketuvim.

Cantor/Chazan

leads the prayers in synagogue. In ancient times, the term chazzan actually referred to a person with authority over communal affairs. However, today it refers exclusively to a prayer leader.

Responsa

letters that extend the reasoning of the Talmud for modern issues rabbinic legal rulings from middle ages to the present. questions and answers; replies written by rabbis to answer questions about law History of responsa in Judaism spans a period of 1,700 years. Rabbinic responsa constitute a special class of rabbinic literature, differing in form, but not necessarily in content, from Rabbinic commentaries devoted to the exegesis of the Bible, the Mishnah, the Talmud, and halakha (the codes of Jewish religious law).

Milchig

made of or derived from milk or dairy products — compare fleishig, pareve.

Fleishig

made of, prepared with, or used for meat or meat products made of, prepared with, or used for meat or meat products — compare milchig, pareve.

Lulav and Etrog

palm branch and citron branches of palm trees & fruit of goodly trees = used during prayer at Sukkot

Parve

products containing neither meat nor dairy ingredients In kashrut, the dietary laws of Judaism, pareve is a classification of edible substances that contain neither dairy nor meat ingredients. Food in this category includes all items that grow from the ground, fish, eggs, and non-biological edible items.

Mitzvah/Mitzvot (Judaism)

singular and plural word meaning commandment; there are 613 commandments that a jewish individual must follow In its primary meaning, the Hebrew word mitzvah (/ˈmɪtsvə/). meaning "commandment", מִצְוָה, [mit͡sˈva], Biblical: miṣwah; plural מִצְווֹת mitzvot [mit͡sˈvot], Biblical: miṣwoth; from צִוָּה ṣiwwah "command") refers to precepts and commandments commanded by God, with the additional connotation of one's religious duty.

Death & Burial

Based on Jewish laws, traditions and customs, a Jewish funeral usually takes place within one day following the date of death, and these are solemn and reflective services followed by a gathering at the mourner's home, which marks the beginning of shiva. The first seven days following the funeral is known as shiva, and the mourners generally stay at home and receive guests to help them pray and reflect upon their loss. A Jewish funeral usually occurs within 24 hours after the death; however, in the modern world, there is allowance and acceptance to delay the burial for mourners to travel and for appropriate arrangements to be made. The funeral is a private time for the family and the religion provides that there is no public viewing of the body. The traditions, rituals and customs for Jewish burials provide that the body is buried in a plain and unordained wooden casket. According to Jewish law, the body is washed and not embalmed. The casket is usually closed and the funeral service conducted by a rabbi is usually short, reflective and solemn. A eulogy is delivered, and family members and close friends often read psalms, prayers, and share stories in their own way. Jewish funeral services can take place at the synagogue, funeral home or graveside at the cemetery. At the graveside of a Jewish funeral, it is a common tradition, along with a sign of respect and love to the deceased, for the mourners and friends to participate in the actual burial. Today, many people place a few shovels of soil onto the casket to symbolically follow this tradition. To bury a loved one is an incredibly difficult and emotionally painful act, but the traditions and customs of participating in the burial are considered psychologically beneficial. The act of shoveling soil onto the casket helps provide closure and give a physical connection of saying goodbye to their loved one for a final time. It also helps with the realization that the death occurred and allows for the grieving process to truly begin. After a Jewish funeral takes place, the immediate family (i.e., spouse, parents, children and siblings) are considered the mourners. The immediate family begins 'sitting shiva.' Shiva means "seven," and is a seven-day mourning period that is observed. The family remains at home, in a shiva house; prayers, including the Mourners Kaddish, are recited; and traditional mourning practices, customs and rituals are followed. During the Jewish shiva, the community, extended family, friends and colleagues visit a shiva home during designated times to make a shiva call. This is an appropriate way to pay your respect and support the bereaved. The bereaved (i.e., immediate family who are mourners) continue the traditional mourning period beyond the seven-day shiva and continue certain traditions for between 30 days and up to a full year after the death of a Jewish family member.

Confirmation

Confirmation is a Reform-originated ceremony for boys and girls that is tied to the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. It constitutes an individual and group affirmation of commitment to the Jewish people. Confirmation, one of the "youngest" Jewish life cycle ceremonies, began less than 200 years ago. Most scholars attribute the creation of confirmation to Israel Jacobson, a wealthy German businessman and a nominal "father" of Reform Judaism. In 1810, expending more than $100,000 of his own money, Jacobson built a new synagogue in Seesen, Germany. He introduced a number of then radical reforms, including the use of an organ and mixed male-female seating. Jacobson felt that bar mitzvah was an outmoded ceremony. Accordingly, when five 13-year-old boys were about to graduate from the school he maintained, Jacobson designed a new graduation ceremony, held in the school rather than the synagogue. In this manner, confirmation came into being. At first only boys were confirmed, usually on the Shabbat of their bar mitzvah. Because of the controversial nature of the confirmation ceremony, the earliest rituals were held exclusively in homes or in schools. In 1817, the synagogue in Berlin introduced a separate confirmation program for girls. In 1822, the first class of boys and girls was confirmed, a practice that became almost universal in a relatively brief period of time. In 1831, Rabbi Samuel Egers of Brunswick, Germany, determined to hold confirmation on Shavuot, the festival of the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, also the widely accepted practice today. At its inception, confirmation reflected a graduation motif. After a specified period of study, students were subject to a public examination. The following day, in the rabbi's presence, students uttered personal confessions of faith. The rabbi addressed the class, recited a prayer, and then blessed them. It was a simple service with no fixed ritual. As confirmation moved into the synagogue and as its ties to Shavuot strengthened, the ceremony became more elaborate.

Tallit

Hebrew prayer shawl typically worn by adult males Jewish prayer shawl worn over the outer clothes during the morning prayers (Shacharit) and worn during all prayers on Yom Kippur.

Jewish naming

In early German Jewish communities, a baby naming ceremony was developed for both girls and boys called a Hollekreisch (of unknown derivation, possibly meaning 'secular shout'), in which the children received their secular names. The ritual took place after Shabbat lunch. The Midrash relates1 that the Jews were redeemed from Egypt in the merit of four virtues. The first merit mentioned2 is that they didn't change their names.3 This is considered significant, because all their names alluded to their ultimate redemption.4 Moreover, it is said that by maintaining their own language,5 the Jews effectively separated themselves from the Egyptians, which decreased their involvement in idolatry.6 The same can be said for keeping their Jewish names. (For a chassidic perspective on how the Jews' keeping their Jewish names led to their redemption, see Are You Inside Your Name?) Parents receive a glimmer of divine inspiration when they give their child a Jewish nameIn general, the Hebrew name of every object is the conduit for its divine energy.7 The Arizal teaches that the same is true of every person's name: it is the channel through which the soul's energy reaches the body.8 It is said that parents receive a glimmer of divine inspiration when they give their child a Jewish name.9

Yom Ha'atzmaut

Israel's Independence Day

Chosen People

Israelites The Jews; the people chosen by God to be his people and inherit the promises of Abraham. the Jewish people considered (in Jewish and Christian tradition) as having been selected by God for a special relationship with him.

Yom Kippur

Jewish Day of Atonement Jewish Day of Atonement- fasting and reflecting on one's sins Yom Kippur is a complete Sabbath; no work can be performed on that day. It is well-known that you are supposed to refrain from eating and drinking (even water) on Yom Kippur. It is a complete, 25-hour fast beginning before sunset on the evening before Yom Kippur and ending after nightfall on the day of Yom Kippur. The Talmud also specifies additional restrictions that are less well-known: washing and bathing, anointing one's body (with cosmetics, deodorants, etc.), wearing leather shoes (Orthodox Jews routinely wear canvas sneakers, flip flops or even Crocs under their dress clothes on Yom Kippur), and engaging in sexual relations are all prohibited on Yom Kippur. As always, any of these restrictions can be lifted where a threat to life or health is involved. In fact, children under the age of nine and women in childbirth (from the time labor begins until three days after birth) are not permitted to fast, even if they want to. Older children and women from the third to the seventh day after childbirth are permitted to fast, but are permitted to break the fast if they feel the need to do so. People with other illnesses should consult a physician and a rabbi for advice. Most of the holiday is spent in the synagogue, in prayer. In Orthodox synagogues, services begin early in the morning (8 or 9 AM) and continue until about 3 PM. People then usually go home for an afternoon nap and return around 5 or 6 PM for the afternoon and evening services, which continue until nightfall. The services end at nightfall, with the blowing of the tekiah gedolah, a long blast on the shofar. See Rosh Hashanah for more about the shofar and its characteristic blasts. It is customary to wear white on the holiday, which symbolizes purity and calls to mind the promise that our sins shall be made as white as snow (Is. 1:18). Some people wear a kittel, the white robe in which the dead are buried.

Rosh Hashanah (Judaism)

Jewish New Year the Jewish New Year festival, held on the first (also sometimes the second) day of Tishri (in September). It is marked by the blowing of the shofar, and begins the ten days of penitence culminating in Yom Kippur. The origins of Rosh Hashanah may be sought in a royal enthronement ritual from biblical times, though the Bible itself never mentions the "New Year" or "Day of Judgment" aspects of the holiday. Even though Rosh Hashanah falls in the seventh month, later rabbinic tradition decided to designate it the beginning of the year. Although the origin of this tradition may have been adopted from the Babylonians, the rabbis imbued it with Jewish significance as the anniversary of the day on which the world was created, or of the day on which humanity was created. Another explanation can be found in the significance of Tishrei as the seventh month, hence the Sabbath of the year.

Commentaries

Jewish commentaries on the Bible are biblical commentaries of the Hebrew Bible from a Jewish perspective. Translations into Aramaic and English, and some universally accepted Jewish commentaries with notes on their method of approach and modern translations into English with notes are listed.

Chanukah (Hanukkah)

Jewish festival that celebrates the rededicating of the Temple by Judas Maccabaeus in 165 BCE "Dedication"; Jewish festival in December that celebrates the time when the temple was rededicated in the 2nd century b.c. Lamps miraculously burned for a week without enough oil victory of the maccabees. means dedication; the jews got their temple back that was taken by the greeks who tried to transform it. celebrated by lighting 8 candles, one each day

Synagogue

Jewish place of worship the building where a Jewish assembly or congregation meets for religious worship and instruction. At a minimum, a synagogue is a beit tefilah, a house of prayer. It is the place where Jews come together for community prayer services. Jews can satisfy the obligations of daily prayer by praying anywhere; however, there are certain prayers that can only be said in the presence of a minyan (a quorum of 10 adult men), and tradition teaches that there is more merit to praying with a group than there is in praying alone. The sanctity of the synagogue for this purpose is second only to The Temple. In fact, in rabbinical literature, the synagogue is sometimes referred to as the "little Temple." A synagogue is usually also a beit midrash, a house of study. Contrary to popular belief, Jewish education does not end at the age of bar mitzvah. For the observant Jew, the study of sacred texts is a life-long task. Thus, a synagogue normally has a well-stocked library of sacred Jewish texts for members of the community to study. It is also the place where children receive their basic religious education. Most synagogues also have a social hall for religious and non-religious activities. The synagogue often functions as a sort of town hall where matters of importance to the community can be discussed. In addition, the synagogue functions as a social welfare agency, collecting and dispensing money and other items for the aid of the poor and needy within the community. Organizational Structure Synagogues are, for the most part, independent community organizations. In the United States, at least, individual synagogues do not answer to any central authority. There are central organizations for the various movements of Judaism, and synagogues are often affiliated with these organizations, but these organizations have no real power over individual synagogues. Synagogues are generally run by a board of directors composed of lay people. They manage and maintain the synagogue and its activities, and hire a rabbi and chazzan (cantor) for the community. Yes, you read that right: Jewish clergy are employees of the synagogue, hired and fired by the lay members of the synagogue. Clergy are not provided by any central organization, as they are in some denominations of Christianity. However, if a synagogue hires a rabbi or chazzan that is not acceptable to the central organization, they may lose membership in that central organization. For example, if an Orthodox synagogue hires a Reform rabbi, the synagogue will lose membership in the Orthodox Union. If a Conservative synagogue wishes to hire a Reconstructionist rabbi, it must first get permission from the USCJ. The rabbi usually works with a ritual committee made up of lay members of the synagogue to set standards and procedures for the synagogue. Not surprisingly, there can be tension between the rabbi and the membership (his employers) if they do not have the same standards, for example if the membership wants to serve pepperoni pizza (not kosher) at a synagogue event. It is worth noting that a synagogue can exist without a rabbi or a chazzan: religious services can be, and often are, conducted by lay people in whole or in part. It is not unusual for a synagogue to be without a rabbi, at least temporarily, and many synagogues, particularly smaller ones, have no chazzan. However, the rabbi and chazzan are valuable members of the community, providing leadership, guidance and education. Synagogues do not pass around collection plates during services, as many churches do. This is largely because Jewish law prohibits carrying money on holidays and Shabbat. Tzedakah (charitable donation) is routinely collected at weekday morning services, usually through a centrally-located pushke, but this money is usually given to charity, and not used for synagogue expenses. Instead, synagogues are financed through membership dues paid annually, through voluntary donations, through the purchase of reserved seats for services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (the holidays when the synagogue is most crowded), and through the purchase of various types of memorial plaques. It is important to note, however, that you do not have to be a member of a synagogue in order to worship there. If you plan to worship at a synagogue regularly and you have the financial means, you should certainly pay your dues to cover your fair share of the synagogue's costs, but no synagogue checks membership cards at the door (except possibly on the High Holidays mentioned above, if there aren't enough seats for everyone). Ritual Items in the Synagogue he portion of the synagogue where prayer services are performed is commonly called the sanctuary. Synagogues in the United States are generally designed so that the front of the sanctuary is on the side towards Jerusalem, which is the direction that we are supposed to face when reciting certain prayers. ArkProbably the most important feature of the sanctuary is the Ark, a cabinet or recession in the wall that holds the Torah scrolls. The Ark is also called the Aron Kodesh ("holy cabinet"), and I was once told that the term "ark" is an acrostic of "aron kodesh," although someone else told me that "ark" is just an old word for a chest. In any case, the word has no relation to Noah's Ark, which is the word "teyvat" in Hebrew. The Ark is generally placed in the front of the room; that is, on the side towards Jerusalem. The Ark has doors as well as an inner curtain called a parokhet. This curtain is in imitation of the curtain in the Sanctuary in The Temple, and is named for it. During certain prayers, the doors and/or curtain of the Ark may be opened or closed. Opening or closing the doors or curtain is performed by a member of the congregation, and is considered an honor. All congregants stand when the Ark is open. In front of and slightly above the Ark, you will find the ner tamid, the Eternal Lamp. This lamp symbolizes the commandment to keep a light burning in the Tabernacle outside of the curtain surrounding the Ark of the Covenant. (Ex. 27:20-21). In addition to the ner tamid, you may find a menorah (candelabrum) in many synagogues, symbolizing the menorah in the Temple. The menorah in the synagogue will generally have six or eight branches instead of the Temple menorah's seven, because exact duplication of the Temple's ritual items is improper. In the center of the room or in the front you will find a pedestal called the bimah. The Torah scrolls are placed on the bimah when they are read. The bimah is also sometimes used as a podium for leading services. There is an additional, lower lectern in some synagogues called an amud. MechitzahIn Orthodox synagogues, you will also find a separate section where the women sit. This may be on an upper floor balcony, or in the back of the room, or on the side of the room, separated from the men's section by a wall or curtain called a mechitzah. Men are not permitted to pray in the presence of women, because they are supposed to have their minds on their prayers, not on pretty girls. See The Role of Women in the Synagogue for details.

Prayer and worship

Jews are supposed to pray three times a day; morning, afternoon, and evening. The Jewish prayer book (it's called a siddur) has special services set down for this. Praying regularly enables a person to get better at building their relationship with God. After all, most things get better with practice. Characteristics of Jewish Worship and Prayer In the Jewish religion, recitation of prayers is the central characteristic of worship. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book. Observant Jews are expected to recite three prayers daily and more on the Sabbath and Jewish holidays. While solitary prayer is valid, attending synagogue to pray with a minyan (quorum of 10 adult males) is considered ideal. As with most religious services, the length and content of the synagogue service depends on the particular Jewish denomination. In general, one can expect to hear the most Hebrew used in an Orthodox service and the least in Reform services, and services in Reform temples also tend to be shorter than those held in Orthodox shuls and Conservative synagogues. Many synagogues have a hazzan (cantor) who is a professional or lay-professional singer employed for the purpose of leading the congregation in prayer. Many Jews sway their body back and forth during prayer. This practice (referred to as shokeling in Yiddish) is not mandatory, and in fact the kabbalist Isaac Luria felt that it should not be done. On the other hand, the medieval German authority Maharil (Rabbi Jacob Molin) pointed out a tradition in the Talmud that the Mishnaic sage Rabbi Akiva would sway so forcefully that he ended up at the other side of the room when praying (Berachot). Proper concentration (kavvanah) is considered essential for prayer, and there are certain prayers that are invalid if recited without the required awareness and intention. These are the first line of Shema Yisrael and the first of the nineteen benedictions of the Amidah. Etiquette for Visitors In most synagogues or temples, it is considered a sign of respect for all male attendees to wear a head covering, usually a dress hat or yarmulke (kipa); the latter are usually provided near the front door. Conservative (also called Masorti) and Orthodox synagogues require all male attendees to cover their heads, whether they are Jewish or gentile. Most Reform (or Progressive) temples do not require people to cover their heads (neither Jew or gentile). Nonetheless, many Reform Jews now choose to wear a kipa. As might be expected, there are some things that a non-Jewish visitor should do during a Jewish religious service, and there are some things widely considered inappropriate. Here are some general guidelines: Standing. Parts of the services are recited standing; visitors are expected to stand together with the congregation. Bowing. Bowing is done at certain points in the services; visitors are not expected to bow. Tallit (prayer shawl) - non-Jewish visitors are not expected to don a tallit. Tzeniut. Appropriate dress for a house of worship is expected. In Orthodox synagogues, women may be required to adhere to tzeniut (the dress laws): long sleeves, long skirts and covering of the hair (only married Jewish women). Shacharit: Morning Prayers Observant Jews say prayers upon arising and upon donning the tzitzit, tallit and tefillin. They then say the morning blessings, which are followed by blessings for the Torah and readings from Biblical and rabbinic writings. Next comes Shema Yisrael (first part only). In Orthodox services this is followed by a series of readings from Biblical and rabbinic writings recalling the offerings made in the Temple in Jerusalem. The section concludes with the Rabbi's Kaddish. The next section of morning prayers is called Pesukei D'Zimrah, verses of praise, containing many psalms (100 and 145-150), and prayers made from a tapestry of biblical verses, followed by the Song at the Sea (Exodus, chapters 14 and 15). Now begins Barechu, the formal public call to prayer, and an expanded series of prayers relating to the main recitation of Shema Yisrael. This is followed by the core of the prayer service, the Amidah or Shemoneh Esreh, a series of 19 prayers. The next part of the service, is Tachanun, supplications. Reform services usually omit tachanun entirely. On Mondays and Thursdays a Torah reading service is inserted. Concluding prayers then follow. Mincha: Afternoon Prayers Sephardim and Italkim Jews start the Mincha with Psalm 84 and Korbanot (Numbers 28:1-8), and usually continue with the Pittum hakketoret. The opening section is concluded with Malachi 3:4. Prayers then continue as follows. (Ashkenazim start here.) The Ashrei, containing verses of Psalms 84, 144, 115 and 141 and the entire Psalm 145, immediately followed by the Shemoneh Esreh (Amidah). This is followed by a shortened version of Tachanun, supplications, and then the full Kaddish. Sephardim insert Psalm 67 or 93, followed by the Mourner's Kaddish. After this follows, in most modern rites, the Aleinu. Ashkenazim then conclude with the Mourner's Kaddish. Ma'ariv (or Arvit): Evening Prayers This service begins with the Barechu, the formal public call to prayer, and an expanded series of prayers relating to the Shema Yisrael. This is followed by the Hashkiveinu ("Lay us down to sleep, Adonai, our God, in peace, raise us erect, our King, to life, and spread over us the shelter of Your peace.") (In the Ashkenazi ritual, a series of other blessings are added, which are made from a tapestry of biblical verses.) This is followed by the Half-Kaddish, and the Shemoneh Esreh (Amidah), bracketed with the full Kaddish. Sephardim then repeat the Barechu and say the Mourner's Kaddish before concluding with the Aleinu. Ashkenazim do not repeat the Barechu, but conclude with Aleinu followed by the Mourner's Kaddish. In many congregations, the afternoon and evening prayers are recited back-to-back on a working day, to save people having attend synagogue twice. The Vilna Gaon discouraged this practice, and followers of his set of customs commonly wait until after nightfall to recite Ma'ariv. Friday Night Services Shabbat services begin on Friday evening with the weekday Mincha (see above), followed in some communities by the Song of Songs, and then in most communities by the Kabbalat Shabbat, the mystical prelude to Shabbat services composed by 17th century Kabbalists. This Hebrew term literally means "Receiving the Sabbath". It is, except for amongst many Italkim and Western Sephardim, composed of six psalms, 95 to 99, and 29, representing the six week-days. Next comes the poem Lekha Dodi. Composed by Solomon ha-Levi Alkabetz in the mid-1500s, it is based on the words of the Talmudic sage Hanina: "Come, let us go out to meet the Queen Sabbath" (Talmud Shabbat 119a). Many add a study section here, including Bameh Madlikin and Amar ribbi El'azar and the concluding Kaddish deRabbanan. Kabbalat Shabbat is concluded by Psalm 92 (the recital of which constitutes men's acceptance of the current Shabbat with all its obligations) and Psalm 93, and is then followed by the Maariv service. The Shema section of the Friday night service varies in some details from the weekday services - mainly in the different ending of the Hashkivenu prayer and the omission of the Barukh A. le'olam prayer in those traditions where this section is otherwise recited. In the Italki tradition, there are also different versions of the Ma'ariv 'aravim prayer (beginning asher killah on Friday nights) and the Ahavat 'olam prayer. The reading VeShameru (Ex. 30:16,17) is recited before the Amidah. The Amidah on Shabbat is abbreviated, and is read in full once. This is then followed by the hazzan's mini-repetition of the Amidah, Magen Avot, a digest of the seven benedictions. In some Ashkenazi Orthodox synagogues the second chapter of Mishnah tractate Shabbat, Bameh Madlikin, is read at this point, instead of earlier. The service then follows with the Aleinu. Kiddush is recited in the synagogue in Ashkenazi and a few Sephardi communities. Most Sephardi and many Ashkenazi synagogues end with the singing of Yigdal, a poetic adaptation of Maimonides' 13 principles of Jewish faith. Other Ashkenazi synagogues end with Adon 'olam instead. Saturday Morning Services Shabbat morning prayers begin the same as the regular morning services. Of the hymns, Psalm 100 is omitted, its place being taken in the Ashkenazi tradition by Psalms 19, 34, 90, 91, 135, 136, 33, 92, 93. Sephardic Jews maintain a different order, add several psalms and two religious poems. The Nishmat prayer is recited at the end of the Pesukei D'Zimrah. The blessings before Shema are expanded, and include the hymn El Adon, which is often sung communally. The fourth intermediary benediction of the Shaharit Amidah begins with Yismah Mosheh. The Torah scroll is taken out of the Ark, and the weekly portion is read, followed by the haftarah. After the Torah reading, three prayers for the community are recited. Two prayers starting with Yekum Purkan, composed in Babylon in Aramaic, are similar to the subsequent Mi sheberakh, a blessing for the leaders and patrons of the synagogue. The Sephardim omit much of the Yekum Purkan. Prayers are then recited (in most communities) for the government of the country, the State of Israel, and the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). Musaf: Saturday Morning Additional Service The Musaf service starts with the silent recitation of the Amidah. It is followed by a second public recitation that includes an additional reading known as the Kedushah. This is followed by the Tikanta Shabbat reading on the holiness of Shabbat, and then by a reading from the biblical Book of Numbers about the sacrifices that used to be performed in the Temple in Jerusalem. Next comes Yismechu, "They shall rejoice in Your sovereignty"; Eloheynu, "Our God and God of our Ancestors, may you be pleased with our rest"; Retzei, "Be favorable, our God, toward your people Israel and their prayer, and restore services to your Temple." After the Amidah comes the full Kaddish, followed by Ein ke'eloheinu. In Orthodox Judaism this is followed by a reading from the Talmud on the sacrifices that used to be performed in the Temple in Jerusalem. These readings are usually omitted by Conservative Jews, and are always omitted by Reform Jews. The Musaf service culminates with the Rabbi's Kaddish, the Aleinu, and then the Mourner's Kaddish. Some synagogues conclude with the reading of An'im Zemirot, "The Hymn of Glory." American Reform Jews omit the entire Musaf service.

Gabbai

Lay person who volunteers to read the Torah. is a beadle or sexton, a person who assists in the running of synagogue services in some way.

Matzah (unleavened bread)

Matzo, matzah, or matza is an unleavened flatbread that is part of Jewish cuisine and forms an integral element of the Passover festival, during which chametz is forbidden. As the Torah recounts, God commanded the Jews to create this special unleavened bread.

Rabbinic Literature

Mishna talmud midrash Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense, can mean the entire spectrum of rabbinic writings throughout Jewish history. However, the term often refers specifically to literature from the Talmudic era, as opposed to medieval and modern rabbinic writing, and thus corresponds with the Hebrew term Sifrut Hazal.

Sukkah

On sukkot this is the hut that Jews build where they eat their meals and spend most or all of their time. They decorate the hut with fruits and vegetables and other items from nature—roof must be partially open to the sky and must be made of organic materials. Literally, "tabernacle"; a booth constructed of three walls and a partial roof in which Jewish families should partake of meals and may sleep during the celebration of Succoth.

Birth control

Reform and Liberal schools of Judaism allow birth control for a wide range of reason. Orthodox Judaism is more restrictive. The methods of contraception allowed under Jewish law are those that do not damage the sperm or stop it getting to its intended destination. These are the contraceptive pill and the IUD here has been much discussion in recent years among rabbinic authorities on the rights and wrongs of birth control. Almost all of the legal discussions on the subject are concerned with whether it is ever possible to disregard these two Jewish principles: It is a mitzvah to marry, procreate, and have children. It is forbidden to "waste seed" (i.e., emit semen without purpose). Since birth control negates the first principle cited above and is generally assumed to violate the second principle of wasting seed, there is a great need to clarify whether birth control is ever permissible in Jewish tradition. The duty to have children is based on the rabbinic interpretation of a verse in the Book of Genesis 1:28: "Be fruitful and multiply." The Talmud (Mishnah Yevamot 6:6) cites the following: According to the school of Shammai, being fruitful and multiplying is interpreted as having a minimum of two sons, while according to the Hillel school it is interpreted to mean a son and a daughter (because the Bible says "male and female He created them"). The rabbis established the halacha (Jewish law) according to the view of Rabbi Hillel and his school. In a most remarkable ending to the Mishnah of Yevamot, there is a disagreement cited between an anonymous teacher and Rabbi Yochanan ben Berukah. The anonymous teacher (whose view is accepted Jewish law) states that women are not obligated to be fruitful and multiply. In traditional Jewish law, it is a man's duty to marry and have children, whereas a woman is free to remain childless...

Hagaddah

Ritual retelling of Passover during seder meal the ritual retelling of the story of Passover The ritual retelling of the story of Passover during the seder meal

Sh'mini Atzeret

Shemini Atzeret is a Jewish holiday. It is celebrated on the 22nd day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei in the Land of Israel, and on the 22nd and 23rd outside the Land, usually coinciding with late September or early October. Prayer for rain; includes the celebration of Simchat Torah Translation: "The 8th, of Assembly". • Part of the holiday is also called "Simchat Torah (שִׂמְחֵת תּוֹרָה)", meaning "Rejoicing of the Torah"

Shiva

Shiva is the week-long mourning period in Judaism for first-degree relatives. The ritual is referred to as "sitting shiva". Traditionally, there are five stages of mourning in Judaism. Shiva is considered the third stage, and lasts for seven days.

Tefillin (phylacteries)

Small black leather boxes containing words of scripture, tied to the forehead and forearm are cubic black leather boxes with leather straps that Orthodox Jewish men wear on their head and their arm during weekday morning prayer. Observant Jews consider wearing tefillin to be a very great mitzvah (command).

Minyan

Ten males (Orthodox) or males and females (Conservative or Reformed) required for certain prayers. The quorum of ten adult males required for Jewish communal worship

Aron Hakodesh

The Ark. It is the holiest part of the synagogue as it contains the Torah scrolls. the Ark - the holiest part of the synagogue, which contains the Torah scrolls

Shabbat (Sabbath)

The Jewish day of rest (Saturday). Friday night at sunset until Saturday sunset. Holy Day Shabbat or Shabbos, or the Sabbath is Judaism's day of rest and seventh day of the week, on which religious Jews, Samaritans and certain Christians remember the Biblical creation of the heavens and the earth in six days and the Exodus of the Hebrews, and look forward to a future Messianic Age.

Tanakh/Hebrew Bible

The Jewish scriptures; an acronym made up of Torah, Neviim (the books of the Prophets), and Ketubim (the Writings, including the Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon). Tanakh is an acronym of the first Hebrew letter of each of the Masoretic Text's three traditional subdivisions: Torah ('Teaching', also known as the Five Books of Moses), Nevi'im ('Prophets') and Ketuvim ('Writings')—hence TaNaKh.

Euthanasia

The Jewish tradition regards the preservation of human life as one of its supreme moral values and forbids doing anything that might shorten life. However, it does not require doctors to make dying last longer than it naturally would. ccording to traditional Jewish law, a goses-a terminally ill patient, defined as someone expected to die within 72 hours-is considered a human being in all respects. One who kills such a person, even if that person is in extreme pain and very near death, is still considered a murderer. Therefore, traditional rabbinic authorities forbid active euthanasia-benevolently instigating the death of a terminally ill patient. Because Jewish law prohibits suicide (except, perhaps, in certain cases of religious martyrdom), traditional authorities also forbid assisted suicide — enabling a terminally ill patient to take her own life. However, authorities disagree about what prohibition the one who provides assistance violates. The possibilities range from murder to lifnei iver — taking advantage of an individual's weakness or propensity for sin by making possible or encouraging a sinful act. Passive Euthanasia Passive euthanasia — withholding or withdrawing therapy that can keep someone alive — is a more complicated issue. The Talmud forbids all acts that might hasten death, and this ruling was upheld by the medieval Jewish law codes. However, in a famous passage, the 13th-century Rabbi Judah the Pious ruled that one should remove obstacles which prevent death. Rabbi Moshe Isserles codified this ruling in his commentary on the authoritative 16th-century law code the Shulchan Aruch, writing that, "if there is anything which causes a hindrance to the departure of the soul...it is permissible to remove [it] from there because there is no act involved, only the removal of the impediment." Thus, traditionally, the basic principle governing end-of-life issues is that nothing can be done to hasten death, but all hindrances to death can, and perhaps should, be removed. However, the practicalities and logistics of this are complicated by modern medical technologies that enable doctors to prolong life with medications and machines which facilitate respiration and nutrition. Is withholding medication from a terminally ill patient hastening death or removing a hindrance? What about withdrawing artificial hydration and nutrition? As might be expected, rabbinic authorities express a range of opinions on these matters. Orthodox rabbi Eliezer Waldenberg, for example, does not allow the withholding or withdrawing of any sort of therapy, but he does allow the administration of pain medication, even if that medication could potentially have adverse affects. Conservative rabbi Avraham Reisner permits the withholding of medication and the withdrawal of artificial respiration, but not the withdrawal of artificial hydration and nutrition, such as intravenous and tubal feeding. Elliot Dorff, another Conservative rabbi, allows the withholding of artificial hydration and nutrition as well. In general, Dorff's views on euthanasia are of particular interest, because he believes that the goses category is not the most precise legal concept to apply in end-of-life cases. Dorff, in accordance with Jewish bioethicist Daniel Sinclair, suggests that the concept of terefah is more appropriate. A goses is someone who is in the last hours of life, while a terefah is someone who has an incurable disease, but who may still live for a long time. Sinclair notes that Maimonides exempted the killer of a terefah from liability, because the murdered person was "already dead." Reform rabbi Peter Knobel sums up how this affects the distinction between a goses and terefah: "The fundamental concept in the definition of a human terefah is, therefore, the inevitability of death in contrast to the goses who is alive in every respect." Ascribing the status of terefah to terminally ill patients allows Sinclair and Dorff to arrive at more lenient positions about euthanasia. All of the positions just noted apply to passive euthanasia only. Recently, however, some liberal thinkers have questioned the traditional prohibition against active euthanasia as well. Knobel suggests that in certain cases where the pain experienced by a terminally ill patient diminishes her ability to live in the image of God, euthanasia may be permitted, even praiseworthy. In cases of extreme suffering, writes Knobel, "Active euthanasia is permitted when the person has waived his/her right not to be killed and it is consistent with the person's biography."

Brit Milah (circumcision)

The brit milah is a Jewish religious male circumcision ceremony performed by a mohel on the eighth day of the infant's life. The brit milah is followed by a celebratory meal. Traditionally, the brit milah takes place on the baby's eighth day of life, even if it falls on Shabbat or a Jewish holiday. However, if medical problems interfere, the bris is postponed until the baby is deemed healthy enough. In this case, the bris is scheduled for a time not on Shabbat or a holiday. Our partner site Kveller has more about bris timing here. There are no rules governing the location, but traditionally Jews hold it in a synagogue during the morning services. However, the bris is often held at the home of the baby's parents or grandparents. Who performs this ritual? A mohel — usually pronounced so it rhymes with boil — is the man or woman who performs the circumcision. (A female mohel is called a mohelet ; Orthodox Jews do not permit women to serve in this role.) Some mohels work full time in this profession, but many are also physicians, rabbis, cantors or nurse-midwives. A mohel is trained in the Jewish laws concerning circumcision, as well as in modern surgical hygiene. What exactly happens at a brit milah? Someone, often the baby's godmother or godfather, carries the baby into the room and hands him to the sandek, the person who holds the baby during the circumcision. The sandek is often a grandparent. Before circumcising the baby, the mohel recites the blessing: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who hast sanctified us with Thy commandments, and hast given us the command concerning circumcision. As soon as the mohel begins the circumcision the father (or, in some cases, both parents) recites: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who hast sanctified us with Thy commandments, and hast commanded us to make our sons enter the covenant of Abraham our father. All present then respond: "Even as this child has entered into the covenant, so may he enter into the Torah, the nuptial canopy, and into good deeds." Sefaria has the Hebrew text of all the circumcision blessings. The mohel then takes a cup of wine and recites over it a prayer for the infant in which the mohel gives the infant his Hebrew name. A drop or two of the wine is placed in the infant's mouth and, traditionally, the father drinks some of the wine and saves the rest for the mother. Historically, the mother was not in the room for the circumcision; today, many mothers opt to witness the entire ceremony. Many brit milah ceremonies include other readings and blessings as well, and parents often speak about the reason they chose the boy's Hebrew name. The ceremony is generally followed by a festive meal, and special prayers are recited in the grace after meals, blessing the parents, the infant, the mohel and the sandek.