Chapter 7 — Judaism
dreidel
A four-sided spinning top played with during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah; each side bears a letter of the Hebrew alphabet of an acronym (N-G-H-S) meaning "a great miracle happened there."
Schechter, Solomon (1847-1915)
An English rabbi and scholar who was founder and president of the United Synagogue of America, the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (New York), and the American Conservative Jewish movement.
halakhic midrashim
Ancient Judaic rabbinic method of Torah study that expounded on laws by identifying their sources in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and interpreting these passages as proof of the authenticity of the laws; investigation of the Torah.
synagogue
Assembly; Jewish house of prayer considered to be consecrated space used for prayer.
kabbalah
Esoteric discipline and school within Judaism; set of esoteric teachings that seek to explain the relationship between the eternal, mysterious, and the finite, moral; Jewish mystical tradition.
Ashkenazic Jews
Ethnoreligious group of Jews who trace their origins to the indigenous Israelite tribes of Canaan in the Middle East and eventually settled along the Rhine in Germany; today, descriptive for descendants of these settlers and those Jews who established communities in central Europe centuries later.
Aggadic midrashim
Homiletic and nonlegalistic exegetical texts from the classical rabbinic literature of Judaism; compendium of rabbinic homilies that incorporate moral exhortations and moral advice.
midrash
Homiletic stories told by Jewish rabbis to explain passages of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh).
Babylonian Talmud
Important text of rabbinic Judaism compiled in late antiquity (third to fifth centuries) recording opinions of rabbis of Israel and Babylonia.
sefiroth
In Jewish mysticism, the ten attributes or powers in kabbalah through which God created the world and manifests himself, and by which God can be discerned.
rabbi
In Judaism, a teacher of the Torah; "master," "great one," "teacher.
terefah
In Judaism, any animal whose death is due to mortal injuries or physical defects; food unfit to eat.
Tanakh
In Judaism, the canon of the Hebrew Bible, containing the Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim.
bimah
In Judaism, the pedestal on which the Torah scrolls are placed when they are being read in the synagogue; the pulpit.
beitzah
In Judaism, the roasted egg used on the seder plate, said to be a reminder of the other festival sacrifice offered in the temple in Jerusalem; symbolizing sorrow at the destruction of the temple along with the hope that it will be rebuilt.
Isserles, Rabbi Moses
Influential Ashkenazic Jewish rabbi known for his work on halakhah (Jewish law).
Rosh Hashanah
Jewish New Year; a two-day celebration that includes the sounding of the ram's horn (shofar) and eating foods such as apples dipped in honey.
Shabbat
Jewish day of rest and the seventh day of the week.
Tzom Gedaliah
Jewish fast day from dawn until dusk to lament the assassination of the righteous governor of Judah by that name (Gedalia), which ended Jewish rule following the destruction of the first temple (587 BCE).
Passover seder
Jewish gathering on the first night of Passover for a special dinner where the story of the exodus is retold using text and food.
Shavuot
Jewish holiday commemorating the anniversary of the day God gave the Torah to the nation of ancient Israel assembled at Mount Sinai.
Purim
Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people from the ancient Persian Empire, as recounted in the biblical book of Esther.
Zionism
Jewish nationalist movement whose goal has been the creation and support of a Jewish national state in Palestine, the ancient homeland of the Jews; the nationalist attachment of the Jews and of Judaism to the historical region of Palestine, where one of the hills of ancient Jerusalem was called Zion.
siddur
Jewish prayer book containing daily prayers; Jewish liturgy used on the ordinary Sabbath and on weekdays for domestic and synagogue ritual.
tallit
Jewish prayer shawl worn over the outer clothes during morning prayers and during all prayers on Yom Kippur; contains special twined and knotted fringes.
Kaplan, Rabbi Mordecai M. (1881-1983)
Jewish rabbi and educator who cofounded Reconstructionist Judaism.
Orthodox Judaism
Judaism that adheres to the interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmud; also referred to as Torah Judaism or traditional Judaism.
Passover
Major Jewish festival commemorating Jewish liberation by God from slavery in ancient Egypt as recounted in the story of the exodus in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh).
Rashi
Medieval French rabbi who made a major contribution to Torah study; the author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud and the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh).
Sephardic Jews
Members or descendants of the Jews who lived in Spain and Portugal (Iberian Peninsula) until their expulsion in the last decades of the fifteenth century, during the Spanish Inquisition.
Israel-Palestine conflict
Ongoing struggle between Israelis and Palestinians that began in the early twentieth century involving in part issues of mutual recognition, security, borders, water rights, and control of Jerusalem.
halakhah
Path that one walks; Jewish law; the complete body of rules and practices that Jews are bound to follow, including biblical commandments, commandments instituted by the rabbis, and authoritative customs.
diasporic people
People who have mi- grated or moved away from an established homeland; people settled far from their ancestral homelands; mass dispersions of people with common ethnic roots.
mahzor
Prayer book used by Jews on the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
kaddish
Prayer in Aramaic praising God, usually associated with mourning practices.
Maimonides, Moses (1135-1204)
Pre-eminent medieval Sephardic Jewish philosopher and prolific and influential scholar of the Torah in the Middle Ages.
shofar
Ram's horn blown during Rosh Hashanah.
minyan
Refers to the quorum of ten Jewish adults required for certain religious obligations, such as performing public prayers; sometimes means prayer service.
zeroah
Roasted lamb shanks used for the Jewish Passover seder to represent the lamb that was sacrificed during the ancient Jews' exodus from Egypt.
Messiah
Savior or liberator, usually "anointed one," commonly used as a title in the Abrahamic religions. In the Hebrew Bible, an "anointed" individual or object, such as a Jewish king or high priest, an expected deliverer of the Jews; in the Christian tradition, Jesus Christ is considered the Messiah, the Savior of the world; in Islam, Jesus is considered the Messiah (Masih) and Prophet who will wage war against the false messiah at the end of time, but he is not considered Lord and Savior.
Nevi'im
Second main division of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) consisting of the Former and Latter Prophets.
intifada
Shaking off, uprising, rebellion; the Palestinian resistance to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank of the Jordan River and the Gaza Strip; also used generally as resistance or revolt against oppression—for example, in 2011, against Assad's rule in Syria.
charoset
Mixture of fruit, wine, and nuts eaten at Jewish Passover seder to symbolize mortar used by the Jewish slaves in Egypt.
Conservative Judaism
Modern movement originating within Ashkenazic Judaism as a reaction against liberal religious positions taken by Reform Judaism; seeks to conserve Jewish traditions rather than reform or abandon them.
Reconstructionist Judaism
Modern, American-based Jewish movement based on the ideas of Mordecai Kaplan (1881-1983); considers Jewish law (halakhah) not binding but to be treated as a valuable cultural remnant.
Reform Judaism
Movement that maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized in order to be compatible with modern culture; Jewish law (halakhah) is considered a guideline rather than a restrictive list.
menorah
Nine-branched candelabrum lit during the eight-day holiday of Hanukkah; a symbol of Judaism.
Purim gragger
Noisemaker used during Purim, symbolizing the disapproval whenever the name of Haman, the main antagonist of the story, is mentioned.
homoiousios
Of similar being, substance, essence; used in the context of Christian discussions about the nature of the Godhead; concept promoted by Arianism that Jesus was "of similar substance" as the Father.
homoousios
Of the same being, substance, essence; used in the context of Christian discussions about the nature of the Godhead; Christian concept of the relationship between Jesus and the Father, that Jesus is "of the same substance as" the Father.
Hillel
One of the greatest rabbis recorded in the Talmud and one of the most important figures in Jewish history; he is associated with the development of the Mishnah and the Talmud.
Temple Mount
One of the most important religious sites in the Old City of Jerusalem, used by Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
bat mitzvah
"Daughter of commandment"; ceremony when Jewish girls become accountable for their actions and become a bat mitzvah, a full-fledged member of the Jewish community with all its moral responsibilities.
Shema Yisrael
"Hear, O Israel: the Lord is our God, the Lord is one"; communicates monotheism of Judaism and Christianity; part of the Jewish morning and evening prayer services.
bar mitzvah
"Son of commandment"; ceremony when Jewish boys become accountable for their actions and become a bar mitzvah, a full-fledged member of the Jewish community with all its moral responsibilities.
Hitler, Adolf (1889-1945)
Austrian-born German politician and leader of the Nazi Party; chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945; promoted Pan-Germanism, anti-Semitism, and anti-Communism; instrumental in the Holocaust (mass extermination) of roughly twelve million Jews and other minorities.
Caro, Rabbi Joseph (1488-1575)
Author of the Shulkhan Arukh, the last of the great medieval codes of Jewish law, one of the most respected compilations of Jewish law ever written.
Christian Zionism
Belief among some Christians that the return of the Jews to the Holy Land and the establishment of the State of Israel (1948) is in accordance with biblical prophecy; that the ingathering of Jews in the State of Israel is the prerequisite for the second coming of Jesus Christ.
maror
Bitter herbs eaten at the Jewish Passover seder, symbolizing the bitterness of slavery in Egypt.
Messianic Jews
Blending of Christian theology with elements of Jewish ideas and practices; Jewish belief that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that salvation is only through him.
Zohar
Book of Radiance; in the Jewish mystical tradition of kabbalah, a collection of several commentaries on the Torah attributed to Simeon ben Yohai (second century CE).
huppah
Canopy under which a Jewish couple stands during their wedding ceremony; a sheet stretched over four poles, symbolizing that the couple will build a home together.
Torah
Central concept in Judaism re-erring to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), the rabbinic commentaries on it, and the totality of Jewish teaching and practice.
Talmud
Central text of rabbinic Judaism considered second to the Torah; consists of two parts, Mishnah and Gemara.
Jerusalem Talmud
Collection of rabbinic notes on second-century Mishnah.
Gemara
Commentaries on the Mishnah; the Mishnah and the Gemara together form the Judaic Talmud.
Yom Kippur
Day of Atonement, when Jews seek to expiate their sins and achieve reconciliation with God; holiest day of the year for Jews, with the central themes of atonement and repentance.
Shoah
Destruction; catastrophe in Hebrew; usually refers to the Holocaust.
anti-Semitism
Discrimination, prejudice, or hatred against Jews based on their Jewish heritage.
ten Boom, Corrie (1892-1983)
Dutch Christian who helped many Jews escape the Holocaust during World War II; later imprisoned by the Nazis for helping Jews; wrote "The Hiding Place."
Sukkoth
Festival of Booths; Jewish autumn festival of double thanksgiving when a temporary hut is constructed for the weeklong festival commemorating the time when God provided for the ancient Israelites in the wilderness as they were freed from slavery in Egypt.
Hanukkah
Festival of Lights in Judaism; a Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the second temple in Jerusalem.
Mishnah
First major written work of rabbinic Judaism; early written compilation of Jewish oral tradition that forms the basis of the Talmud.
covenant
Formal alliance, contract, or agreement made by God with a particular religious community or with humanity in general.
Herzl, Theodor (1860-1904)
Founder of the Zionist political movement in the late 1800s whose ideas influenced the foundation of the State of Israel.
Holocaust
Genocide of about six million Jews, in addition to millions of Roma, Slavs, communists, homosexuals, disabled individuals, and other "undesirables," by Nazi German forces during World War II; systematic state-sponsored murder of Jews led by Adolf Hitler.
Schindler, Oskar (1908-1974)
German industrialist, spy, and member of the Nazi party credited with saving the lives of more than 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories.
Holdheim, Samuel (1806-60)
German rabbi and author; one of the most extreme leaders of the Reform Movement in Judaism; pioneer of modern Jewish homiletics.
Geiger, Abraham (1810-74)
German rabbi and scholar who led the founding of Reform Judaism; sought to remove all nationalistic elements (e.g., "chosen people" doctrine) from Judaism.
Hirsch, Samson Raphael (1808-88)
German rabbi known as the intellectual founder of a school of contemporary Orthodox Judaism; major influence on the development of Orthodox Judaism.
Yahweh
God of the ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah, whose name was revealed to Moses as four Hebrew consonants (YHWH), called the Tetragrammaton.
Yeshua
Hebrew name, common alternative form of the name Joshua; name corresponding to the Greek (Iesous), from which comes the English spelling, Jesus.
Yiddish
High Germanic language of Ashkenazic Jewish origin, spoken in many parts of the world; developed as a fusion of different German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, and Slavic vocabulary; the international language of the Ashkenazic Jews.
Ketuvim
Third and final section of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) consisting in part of the Wisdom literature.
Al-Aqsa Mosque
Third holiest site in Islam; site on which the Dome Mosque sits, along with the Dome of the Rock in the Old City of Jerusalem; the location in Judaism where the temple is generally believed to have stood.
karpas
Traditional ritual in the Jewish Passover seder; refers to the vegetable, usually parsley or celery, that is dipped in salty water and eaten; symbolizes the salty tears that the Jews shed in their slavery in Egypt.
matzo
Unleavened bread traditionally eaten by Jews during the Jewish Passover holiday, reflecting the haste with which the Jews fled Egypt, thus having no time for yeast to rise.
Western Wall
Wailing Wall located in the Old City of Jerusalem at the foot of the western side of the Temple Mount; a remnant of the ancient wall that surrounded the Jewish temple's courtyard.
Six-Day War
War fought between Israel and Egypt (then called United Arab Republic), Jordan, and Syria (June 5-10, 1967), ending with Israel's vic- tory with the capture of the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank, Old City of Jerusalem, and Golan Heights.
Sabbath
Weekly day of rest or time of worship observed in the Abrahamic religions, but on different days and with different practices.
Wailing Wall
Western Wall located in the Old City of Jerusalem at the foot of the western side of the Temple Mount; a remnant of the ancient wall that surrounded the Jewish temple's courtyard.
Kotel
Western Wall, Wailing Wall located in the Old City of Jerusalem at the foot of the western side of the Temple Mount; a remnant of the ancient wall that surrounded the Jewish temple's courtyard.