A. Glossary of Hebrew Terms

Aliyah (pl. Aliyot)  Lit. going–up.  The honor of reciting the blessings before and after reading Torah.  On Shabbat morning there are seven aliyot, and in the afternoon service there are three.

Ark, or Aron Hakodesh (The Holy Ark)  The repository of the Torah scrolls, on the bimah.

Bimah (Pulpit)  Lit. high place.  The bimah is the focus of most ritual activities in the synagogue.

B’nai Mitzvah (sing. Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah)  At the age of 13, a young Jewish man or woman becomes obligated to observe the commandments (“mitzvot”) of Judaism.  The celebration signifies that the young adult is beginning and will continue to function as an active and responsible Jew in the Jewish community.  Bar Mitzvah refers to a male; Bat Mitzvah, to a female.

Cantor (Heb. Hazan)  The Cantor leads the congregation in Hebrew prayers, having undergone years of study and training in liturgy and sacred music.

D’var Torah  The preparation and delivery of a talk on the Torah portion by the B’nai Mitzvah.  This encounter of each child with his or her Torah portion is unique and personal, and the process of deriving meaning from this text and sharing it with others is a serious undertaking.

Gabbai  A person who assists the Torah reader and makes sure that the Torah Service runs smoothly.  There are two Gabbaim on the bimah during the Torah Service, and their job is to call people to the Torah for their aliyot, check that the reader makes no mistakes while reading the Torah and provide correction if a mistake is made, and see to the mechanics of covering and uncovering the Torah scroll at the appropriate times.  Usually, the Gabbaim are congregants who possess the skills to fulfill these tasks.

Glilah  The honor of rolling and dressing the Torah scroll.  After the congregation has had an opportunity to see the scroll, the “Magbihah” (Torah lifter) sits in a chair on the bimah while the person honored with Glilah rolls the scroll, ties the belt around it, places the mantle (fabric) over it, and puts on the decorations.

Haftarah  A text selected from the books of Nevi’eem (The Prophets) that is read by the B’nai Mitzvah in the synagogue after the reading of the Torah each Shabbat and holiday morning. The Haftarah usually has a thematic link to the Torah reading that precedes it.  When the Haftarah is read in the synagogue, it is sung with cantillations (tropes), preceded and followed by its related blessings.

Hagbahah  The honor of lifting the Torah.  After the Torah has been read, the congregation is asked to stand, and someone lifts the scroll above his/her head.  This person then turns around so as to make the writing visible to everyone assembled.  (Otherwise, only those honored with an aliyah would be able to view it.)  It is traditional to show a minimum of three columns of writing, including the portion read that morning.

Halakha  Jewish law

Hesed  The Hebrew word for loving-kindness.

Humash (pl. Humashim)  A Hebrew name given to the Pentateuch in Judaism.  The word comes from "chamesh,” the Hebrew word for five, because of the Five Books of Moses that make up the Torah.  The word humash generally refers to book format, bound editions of the Pentateuch, whereas the scroll form is called a Sefer Torah.  At The Jewish Center we use three different editions of the humash: Etz Hayim, Hertz and Plaut.

Kaddish (“Sanctification”) refers to an important and central blessing in the Jewish prayer service. The central theme of the Kaddish is the magnification and sanctification God’s name. In the liturgy, several variations of the Kaddish are used functionally as separators between various sections of the service the most known is the short version Chatzi Kaddish, which literally means half Kaddish.

Kiddush  A prayer of praise used in the home and in the synagogue on Shabbat and holidays.  The Kiddush is recited over a cup of wine.  The meaning of the Kiddush is to praise God for God’s presence in the holidays and between people.

Kippah (pl. Kippot)  Lit. dome or cupola.  The Hebrew name for the small round head covering worn out of respect for God and as a sign of recognition that there is something greater and above us.  The Yiddish word is yarmulke.  The kippah also serves as a symbol of Jewish identity and loyalty.  A kippah may be worn both by men and women.

Maftir, informally, refers to the final section of the weekly Parashah read on Shabbat and holiday mornings in synagogue from a Torah Scroll. Technically, it means the person who is called to read that section. That person then reads the Haftarah from a related section of the Nevi’eem.

Mitzvah (pl. Mitzvot)  A commandment of the Jewish law.

Minchah Service  The  afternoon service.  A B’nai Mitzvah can take place at a Shabbat Minchah service because the Torah is read.

Mourner’s Kaddish  A prayer that expresses love of God and acceptance of God's will, even while the mourner is feeling sorrow over the death of a loved one.

Musaf  Additional service after Shacharit, the morning service, on Shabbat and holidays.

Oneg or Oneg Shabbat  Lit. joy of Shabbat.  Informal Sabbath (or Friday evening) gathering of Jews in a synagogue or private home to express outwardly the happiness inherent in the Sabbath holiday.

Parashah (pl. Parshiot)  Lit. portion.  The weekly Torah portion read in Hebrew.  It is also known as the Parashat HaShavuah ("Weekly Portion") or the Sidra.

Parve  Food or food product that does not contain any meat or dairy products, and which has not come in contact with either.

Rabbi  The title of a Jewish spiritual leader—a person trained in Jewish law, ritual and tradition, and ordained for leadership of a Jewish community.

Shehecheyanu  ("Who has sustained us")  The blessing said whenever anything that has not happened for a while is performed.

Simchah  A happy occasion such as a B’nai Mitzvah.

Tallit (pl. Tallitot)  The tallit is a prayer shawl, the most authentic Jewish garment.  It is a rectangular piece of linen or silk with special fringes called tzitzit on each of the four corners.  The purpose of the garment is to hold the tzitzit, which are a reminder of the 613 mitzvot.

T’ffilah (pl. t’fillot )  Prayer

Tropes  The system of cantillation marks and their music, used to chant sacred books.  There are tropes systems for Torah and Haftarah that differ musically from each other.

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