| A | B |
|---|
| Ark | a term referring to both the container for the Torah in a synagogue |
| Angel | a messenger from God to humanity |
| Babylonian Exile | a period of 40 years when the Jewish people were exiled from Jerusalem and sent to Babylon |
| Exodus | both a book in the Torah in the Jewish Bible and also an event when the ancient Hebrew people were enslaved in Egypt |
| Haggadah | a book used with the prayers for the Seder |
| Hanukkah | Festival of Lights, an 8 day holiday commemorating the rededication of the Jerusalem Temple in 2nd century BCE. |
| Kosher | Term in Hebrew referring to something that is permitted, usually referring to food |
| Minyan | a quorum needed for public prayers |
| Mishnah | 6 part book containing the Oral Law written circa 200 CE |
| Passover | a 7 day holiday celebrating the freedom of Jews from Egypt |
| Patriarchs | the founders of a family; In Judaism, these would be Abraham, Isaac, and Joseph |
| Pentateuch | Greek for ‘5 books,’ referring to the Torah or the ‘Five Books of Moses’ |
| Pesach | Hebrew for Passover |
| Rabbi | Term for teacher in Hebrew who also leads prayers in Judaism |
| Rosh Hashanah | a holiday beginning the Jewish New Year |
| Seder | a meal during Passover to remember the Exodus |
| Shema | a short prayer that contains the key ideas of Jewish ethics considered by some as the most important prayer |
| Synagogue | a place for public prayers, education, and community center in Judaism |
| Talmud | two versions of a 6 part book containing the Oral Law circa 500 CE; based on the Mishnah plus additional rabbinic commentary |
| TANAKH | Acronym for the Jewish Bible: the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings (or Torah, Nebiim, Ketubim) Also Tanak and Tenakh |
| Torah | The core of Jewish law, the first and most important part of the Jewish Bible; the Five Books of Moses |
| Yarmulke | a skull cap worn by Jewish men in a synagogue for public prayers |
| Yom Kippur | a holiday also called the Day of Atonement in which repentance and prayer are central |
