Al Hanisim “For the miracles;” name of blessing recited during the Amidah both on Purim and Chanukah
aliyah Going up; used to refer to going up to the bimah to recite blessings over the Torah or immigrating to Israel; aliyot (pl)
avodah Work or service; the work we do to find sacred connections to God, community, and self, including prayer, ritual, and celebrations
bar mitzvah/bat mitzvah Subject to the commandments; a sort of Jewish age of majority
chaverim Friends
cheit Sin, transgression
chuppah Marriage canopy
dibuk chaverim Being a loyal friend
eirusin Betrothal
emet Truth
erech apayim Being slow to anger
haftarah Section from the Prophets or Writings read after the Torah reading
Haggadah Telling; the book that contains the seder and the teachings of Passover
Hashomeir achi anochi“ Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9).
Hineini Biblical, "Here I am." Connotation of being ready and present in body, mind, and spirit.
ish Man, mortal, human being
ketubah Jewish wedding contract
kiddushin Marriage; consecration
Kol Nidrei “All vows,” recited on Erev Yom Kippur
Lech L'cha Go forth, the first call of God to Abraham (Genesis 12:1).
Lo taamod al dam rei-echa Do not standy idly by the blood of your neighbor (Leviticus 19:16).
middah/middot Virtue(s), ethic(s), measures of character.
midrash Rabbinic interpretation of Biblical text
Mikra'ot G'dolot The title given to any work containing many commentaries on and translations of the Bible
n'divut Generosity
nes Miracle
ometz lev Courage
Pirkei Avot "Chapters of the Fathers; a tractate, or section, of the Mishnah containing the wisdom, sayings, and ethical teachings expressed by the teachers of the Mishnah
seder Order; often used to refer to the service of the festive meal for Passover
seiver panim yafot Having a pleasant demeanor
Sh'chinah The presence of God in the world, often associated with the feminine aspect of God
Tanach Acronym for the Hebrew Bible coming from the first letters of the three sections of the Bible: Torah, N'vi-im and K'tuvim
tikkun middot Repairing our ethical/moral selves
yichud "Uniqueness;" time designated for the bride and groom to spend alone together after the marriage ceremony and before the celebration with friends and family
