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.
(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.
grogger
"Noisemaker" (Hebrew); used to drown out Haman's name during the M'gillah reading on Purim.
hamantaschen
Triangle-shaped pastries commonly filled with apricot jam or poppyseed spread (or other fillings) and eaten on Purim; the shape represents Haman's hat or ears
Hanukkah
"Dedication;" the joyous eight-day celebration during which Jews commemorate the victory of the Macabees over the armies of Syria in 165 B.C.E. and the subsequent liberation and rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem.
High Holidays
Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur
karpas
A green herb or vegetable (parsley, celery, watercress) used as part of the Passover seder to symbolize spring and rebirth.