Glossary

Diaspora: First used to describe the Jews who were exiled from Israel, but now includes all Jews living outside Israel.

Kabbalah: The Jewish mystical tradition.

Kashrut or Kosher: The Jewish food law which states which foods, particularly meats, may or may not be eaten.

Ketubbah: A marriage contract given by the bridegroom to the bride, in which he records his financial obligation to her.

Mazal Tov: Good Luck, a greeting.

Minhag (plural minhagim): Customs which are binding on the whole Jewish community or just to a particular locality.

Mitzvah: A religious duty or a good deed.

Mizrah: A tablet in the eastern wall of a house or synagogue, which indicates the correct direction for prayer.

Rabbi: A Jewish religious teacher who may preach and act as a judge.

Shtetl: A little town; any Jewish settlement in Eastern Europe and European Russia.

Tallit: A prayer shawl. Usually white with black and blue stripes and a fringe, it is normally worn by men, especially after marriage or bar mitzvah.

TeNaKh: The Jewish bible; a contraction of the names of the three constituent parts, as follows:

T for Torah (first five books)
N for Neviim (the prophets)
Kh for Khetuvim (the writings)

Yiddish: The language spoken by European Jews for centuries, based on medieval German and written in the Hebrew alphabet.