chanukat habayit
Literally, “dedication of the house;" ceremony during which a mezuzah is affixed to a doorpost.
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.
chatan
"Groom."
chavurah
Informal group that meets for worship, study and celebration; plural: chavurot, havurot.
cheder
"Hebrew school" (old-fashioned). In Eastern Europe, it was elementary school.
chet
"Missing the mark;" a Hebrew term for sin.
chevrah kadisha
"Sacred society;" organization whose members are entrusted with the mitzvah of preparing a body for burial.
chol hamo-eid
"Secular part of the occasion;" during Passover and Sukkot, the intermediate days of the festival.
chuppah
"Canopy" under which a couple is married, often thought to represent their first home as a married couple. Typically the roof of the canopy is composed of cloth; a tallit is sometimes used for this purpose. "Chuppah" can also refer to the entire wedding ceremony.