Key Terms

Bar/bat mitzvah means son/daughter of the commandment and refers to a Jewish boy or girl reaching the age of a religious adult. A boy becomes a bar mitzvah at age 13, and a girl attains the status at age 12. Bar/bat mitzvah is also the name of the ceremony often held to celebrate this event. Diaspora refers to Jews being exiled from Israel to live around the world. Ethical monotheism is a foundational principle of Judaism that encapsulates three main ideas: 1) the need to recognize only one God; 2) the need to act appropriately toward God; and 3) the need to act appropriately toward other people. Gentiles are non-Jews. Hasidim are members of a mystical and pietistic group in Judaism. Haskalah is the Hebrew word for the Jewish Enlightenment. Midrash interprets the Torah with an emphasis on everyday life. Mishnah is a compendium of opinions and teachings on the Talmud. Mitzvot are the commandments of God found in the Torah.

Rabbi is a Jewish religious leader. The term literally means teacher or scholar. Talmud, also called the oral Torah, is a historical collection of rabbinical writings and commentaries on the Torah. Tanakh refers to three sets of religious texts the Law (Torah), the Prophets, and the Writings that constitute the Hebrew Bible. Torah, meaning Law, refers to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. However, the word can also be used to denote all Jewish religious texts and all Jewish law.

Key Terms
Amidah is a Jewish prayer made up of 19 sections and includes praise, request, and thanksgiving. Eruv is a contained space within which Jews observe the Sabbath; plural: eruvin. Hekhsher is a kosher certification symbol. Kabbalah refers to a group of books that provide mystical insight into Judaism. Kaddish is a Jewish prayer used to express the hope that the world will become holy and Gods will be done. Kashrut is a set of Jewish dietary laws.

Kosher refers to the appropriate kind of food to be consumed according to Jewish dietary laws. Minyan is made up of 10 adult Jews, which is the minimum number of people required for congregational prayer. Pogroms were anti-Semitic riots that occurred in early 20th-century Russia. Seder is a traditional Jewish meal eaten at Passover. Sefirot are 10 attributes through which God is revealed; singular: sefirah. Shabbat is the Hebrew word for the Sabbath, the day of rest. Shema is a prayer that reminds Jews to remember God and the commandments at all times. Tikkun means repair in Hebrew, either of ones soul or the whole world. Tikkun olam, meaning repairing the world, refers to the need for Jews to act ethically in every part of their livesfamily, home, job, and politics.