hanukkiyah
Nine-branched candelabra used during Hanukkah – eight branches for each night of the holiday, plus another branch (often taller, central, or more prominently displayed) for the shamash (helper) candle, which is used to light the others.
charoset
A mixture of fruits, nuts, spices and wine eaten as part of the Passover seder. Its color and consistency reminds us of the bricks and mortar used by the Israelite slaves.
chet
"Missing the mark;" a Hebrew term for sin.
chol hamo-eid
"Secular part of the occasion;" during Passover and Sukkot, the intermediate days of the festival.
dreidel
"Spinning top" in Yiddish (derived from German); "sevivon" in Hebrew; toy used in a children's Hanukkah game.
Elijah's cup
A special cup used during the Passover seder to symbolize Elijah, who symbolizes the coming of the Messianic age.
etrog
"Citron." Lemon-like fruit used in Sukkot rituals.
(the) Four Questions
Four specific questions asked at the beginning of the Passover seder, the answers to which shape the rest of the retelling of the exodus from Egypt. Learn how to recite or sing the Four Questions.
g'mar chatimah tovah
"A good final sealing;" a High Holiday greeting used between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur. Often abbreviated as g'mar tov.
gelt
"Money" (Yiddish); often given as a Hanukkah gift; used for playing dreidel.