Glossary
We are proud of our Jewishly diverse school community and desire to be welcoming and inclusive of all our students, parents, and faculty. In this spirit, we hope you will find these commonly –used Hebrew words and phrases helpful. If you have questions about this list or other Judaic Studies questions, please be in touch with our Judaic Studies Director, Robert Portnoe.
Calendar Terms
The Jewish calendar is a lunar-solar calendar that has twelve months. In a leap year a thirteenth month, Adar II or Adar Sheni, is added. Most holidays begin near sunset the evening before and continue until nightfall the following day. Many major Biblical festivals are observed for two days, but in the Reform tradition and in Israel are observed for only one day. Some spellings may appear differently than is customary in order to have a unified translation style.
“My husband questioned sending our daughter to a “Jewish school”, but the moment we walked in and saw what was happening here the decision was made.” – HMJDS Parent
Hagim – Holidays and observances
Hag Sameah! – Happy holiday!
Shabbat – The Jewish Sabbath
Erev (Shabbat) – The evening before a holiday such as Shabbat. It can also be used to describe the day before the holiday
Rosh Hashanah – Jewish New Year (1st and 2nd of Tishrei)
Yom Kippur – The Day of Atonement (10th of Tishrei)
Sukkot – The Festival of Booths (15th of Tishrei)
Hol Hamo’ed – The intermediate days of Sukkot and Pesah, which have many ritual practices of the holiday, but many types of work may be done.
Hoshanah Rabbah – The seventh day of Sukkot which has unique prayers for rain. (21st of Tishrei)
Sh’mini Atzeret – The festival of the eighth day (22nd of Tishrei)
Simhat Torah – The “Joy of the Torah” when we complete and begin again the Torah reading cycle. (23rd of Tishrei although in Israel and some Reform congregations it is observed on the 22nd)
Rosh Hodesh – The festival of the New Moon. Hebrew months can have 29 or 30 days.
Rosh Hodesh is the first day of the month and also the last day of a 30 day month.
Hanukkah – The festival commemorating the rededication of the Temple by the Maccabees. It is an 8 day celebration beginning on the 25th of Kislev.
Tu BiSh’vat – The 15th of the Hebrew month of Sh’vat; the New Year for the Trees.
Purim – The Festival of Lots commemorating the demise of Haman during the Persian Empire in a palace coup led by Queen Esther and Mordekhai. (14th of Adar-in a leap year it is observed in Adar II)
Shushan Purim – The Festival of Lots observed by Jews in walled cities. (15th of Adar-in a leap year it is observed in Adar II)
Pesah – Passover, the festival which commemorates the exodus from Egypt. (15th of Nissan)
Yom Hashoah – Holocaust Remembrance Day (27th of Nissan)
Yom Hazikaron – Memorial Day for the State of Israel (4th of Iyyar)
Yom Ha’atzma’ut – Israeli Independence Day (5th of Iyyar)
Lag Ba’Omer – The 33rd Day of the Omer- a minor festival celebrating the end of a plague (18th of Iyyar)
Yom Y’rushalayim – Jerusalem Day commemorating the reunification of Jerusalem during the Six Day War (28th of Iyyar)
Shavu’ot – The Festival of Weeks commemorating the receipt of the Torah. (6th of Sivan)
Tishah B’Av – The Ninth of Av commemorates the destruction of the Temples. (9th of Av)
Minor Fasts
Tzom G’daliah – Fast marking the assassination of G’daliah, a Jewish leader (3rd of Tishrei)
Asarah B’Teivet – Fast marking the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem. (10th of Teivet)
Shivah Asar B’Tammuz – Fast marking the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem. (17th of Tammuz)
Ta’anit Esther – Fast marking the potential destruction of the Jewish community at the time of Purim. (13th of Adar or Adar II in a leap year)
Ta’anit B’horim – Fast of the first born before Pesah.
Months of the Year
Tishrei – September/October
Heshvan (MarHeshvan) – October/November (MarHeshvan is the full name of the month. Mar means bitter; there are no holidays in the month.)
Kislev – November/December
Teivet – December/January
Sh’vat – January/February
Adar (Adar II) – February/March
Nissan – March/April
Iyyar – April/May
Sivan – May/June
Tammuz – June/July
Av (M’nahem Av) – July/August (M’nahem Av is the full name of the month. M’nahem means comfort.)
Elul – August/September
Ritual Terms
B’rakhah – Blessing
Talit – Prayer shawl
Tzitzit – The fringes on the corner of a talit
Sidur – Prayer book
M’zuzah – Decorative item affixed to a doorway containing the Sh’ma’
Kidush – Prayer usually over wine to sanctify the Shabbat or a holiday
Motzi (Hamotzi) – Blessing over bread
Hallah – Special Shabbat and holiday bread
Havdalah – Prayer at the end of a holiday
T’filin – Phylacteries, special ritual items worn during some prayers containing the Sh’ma’
Mahzor – A special prayer book used on holidays
Shofar – Ram’s horn or other horn (not from a cow) used on Rosh Hashanah
Lulav – Palm branch (and two willow branches and three myrtle branches) waived on Sukkot
Etrog – Cytron, Lemon-like citrus fruit taken with the Lulav
Sukkah – Booth used for the holiday of Sukkot which we eat and/or sleep in
S’khakh – Covering for a Sukkah made of growing material which serves as a roof
Hanukkiah – 8 branched candelabrum (9 when including a place for the shamash [service candle]) Menorah in English
M’gilah (M’gilat Esther) – Scroll, usually short for the “Scroll of Esther” which is the Biblical book read on Purim
Ra’ashan (Grogger) – Noise-maker for the holiday of Purim
Seider – Seder, special Passover meal
Matzah – Passover bread containing no leaven
Hameitz – Any food containing leavening or yeast
S’firat Ha’Omer – The counting of the Omer, which occurs daily from the second night of Pesah until the day before Shavuot
Hagadah – Prayer book containing the story of the exodus and the rituals for the Seider
Birkat Hamazon – The blessing after eating
Mitzvah – Commandment; Good deed
Kashrut – Ritual laws of food preparation and traditionally permissible foods
halavi – Dairy, milchig
b’sari – Meat, fleishig
parev – Neither dairy nor meat
hekhsher – A kashrut symbol meaning the food is certified as kasher (kosher)
Prayer and Synagogue Terms
Shaharit – The Morning service
Minhah – The Afternoon service
Ma’ariv – The Evening service
Musaf – The Additional service
Kabbalat Shabbat – The service welcoming the Shabbat
Kol Nidrei – The prayer which introduces Yom Kippur
N’ilah – The concluding prayer of Yom Kippur
Beit K’nesset – Synagogue
Minyan – Prayer group of ten adults
Aliyah – Being called up to read the Torah or moving to Israel
Torah – The Five Books of Moses; the scroll itself; Any Jewish topic for study
Aron Hakodesh – The ark
Neir Tamid – The eternal light
Sh’ma’ – Special prayer declaring the oneness of God
‘Amidah – The “standing prayer” often recited silently as personal petition and sometimes repeated by the leader
Bar’khu – The call to worship
Haftarah – A selection from the Prophetic works read at the end of the Shabbat, holiday, or fast day readings. The section read or the person who reads it is called the “maftir.”
Kippah – Head covering
Kaddish – Prayer recited for the sanctification of God’s name. The prayer has at least five different commonly-used versions including the Mourner’s Kaddish.
Parashah/Parashat Hashavu’ah – The Torah reading/weekly Torah reading is the particular section of the Torah read on ShabbatSpecial Occasions
Brit (Milah) – Circumcision
Bar/Bat Mitzvah – Son/Daughter of the Commandments-Ceremony upon turning 13 for a boy and 12 or 13 for a girl
Shivah – One week period of mourning for a close relative
Sh’loshim – 30 day period of mourning for a close relative
Jahrzeit – Annual observance marking the death of a close relative
Greetings
Shalom! – Peace! Hello! Goodbye!
Shabbat Shalom! – Greeting used on Shabbat
B’hatzlahah! – Wishing you success!
Mazal Tov! – Congratulations!
B’sha’ah Tovah! – Greeting for upcoming events such as births.
B’rukhim Haba’im! – Welcome!
Kol Hakavod! Great job! (Lit. All honor!)
Yashar Koah! – Great job! (Lit. May your strength be straight (true)
Shanah Tovah! – Have a good year! Greetings for Rosh Hashanah
R’fu’ah Sh’leimah! – Have a speedy recovery!
Barukh Dayan Ha’emet. – May the True Judge be blessed. Response to hearing bad or sad news, such as a death in someone’s family.
Kol Tuv! – Best wishes! May everything good come to you!
L’haim! – To Life! A toast
L’hitra’ot! – Until we meet again!
Todah Rabbah! – Thank you very much!
Miscellaneous terms
Aleph-bet – The Hebrew alphabet
Humash – A book containing one book of the Torah or a reference to the whole Torah.
Tanakh – A Hebrew Bible (An acronym for Torah, N’vi’im [Prophets], and K’tuvim [Writings])
B’reishit – Genesis
Sh’mot – Exodus
Vayikrah – Leviticus
Bamidbar – Numbers
D’varim – Deuteronomy
M’dinat Yisrael – The State of Israel
Eretz Yisrael – The land of Israel
Derekh Eretz – Respectful behavior (Lit. The way of the world)
Hai – Life (the letters represent the number 18 and gifts are often given in multiples of this to symbolize good luck wishes)
G’milut Hasadim – Acts of Loving Kindness
Tikkun Olam – Repairing the world
Tz’dakah – Acts of righteousness
Simhah – Joyous event