aveilut n. Hebrew (ah-vay-LOOT) The year of mourning, which Jewish law mandates only for the death of a parent; it is considered an extension of the mitzvah to “honor your mother and your father.” Traditionally, children of the deceased attend services daily to recite the Kaddish. During this time, mourners are not supposed to visit …
Aramaic n. Aramaic (ar-ah-MAY-ick) An ancient Semitic family of languages with distinct dialects, some of which are still spoken today. Aramaic is written with Hebrew characters. It was the everyday language spoken in ancient times in Palestine, Mesopotamia, and Syria, and by Jews who returned to Palestine after the Babylonian exile (536 b.c.e) until the …