Glossary

"Scroll;" One of the five m'gillot (plural) in the Bible: Esther, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentation and Ecclesiastes.

The officiant of the wedding (e.g., rabbi, cantor).

Oral suction from circumcised wound.

"Wheat money;" money collected prior to Passover and used to assist the needy to celebrate the holiday.

Evening prayer service. Prayed every day, though the content is different on weekdays, Shabbat, and Festivals. Derived from the Hebrew word for "evening"

The family of five sons who led the revolt against the Hellenization of Jerusalem and became the heroes of the Hanukkah story.

"Cycle;" High Holiday prayerbook; plural: machzorim.

Hebrew term for guide, youth leader, or teacher’s assistant.

"Lifter." Refers to the person who lifts the Torah following the communal reading. The magbia lifts and turns their back to the congregation so that the congregation may physically see at least three columns of the scroll.

“Telling.” The section of the Pesach (Passover) Haggadah designed to tell the Passover story.

"Mother tongue;" affectionate term for Yiddish.