Pronunciation - Page 5 of 7

Al Het

Al Het n. Hebrew (ahl HATE) A Yom Kippur prayer that asks forgiveness for a multitude of sins committed during the previous year. The congregation says the Al Het aloud as well as silently because Jews are responsible not only for themselves but also for their entire community. It is customary for a Jew to …

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Aleinu

Jewish Words / By Youssef Matta

Aleinu n. Hebrew (ah-LAY-noo) Literally, “it is upon us.” A prayer in praise of God, Aleinu acknowledges the unique relationship between God and the Jewish people. It is sung toward the end of synagogue services while the congregation stands. Originally from the High Holy Day liturgy, the Aleinu is now part of all services. It’s …

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Aleichem, Sholom

Jewish Words / By Youssef Matta

Aleichem, Sholom (SHOH-lum ah-LEH-khem) Pseudonym of Solomon Rabinowitz (1859-1916), perhaps the best-known Yiddish humorist, dramatist, and short-story author. His stories of Jewish shtetl life in Russia—complete with descriptions of eccentric characters, Jewish holiday celebrations, and religious persecution—became known worldwide. Stories featuring one of his most famous characters, Tevye the Dairyman, were the basis for the …

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Alef Bet

Jewish Words / By Youssef Matta

Alef Bet n. Hebrew (AH-lef BET) A name for the Hebrew alphabet, formed from its first two letters: alef and bet. Using the term “Alef Bet” is comparable to calling the English alphabet the “ABCs.” The alphabet consists of 22 consonants and five final letters. The 10 vowels in Hebrew, which are indicated by seven …

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alav ha-shalom

Jewish Words / By Youssef Matta

alav ha-shalom masc. int. (ah-LAHV hah-shah-LOME); alehah ha-shalom fem. int. Hebrew (ah-LEH-hah hah-shah-LOME) This expression is similar to “rest in peace.” This phrase is customarily said immediately after mentioning the name of someone who has died. masc. masculine int. interjection fem. feminine Eisenberg, J., Scolnic, E., & Jewish Publication Society. (2001). The JPS dictionary of …

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Akiva ben Joseph (50-135 c.e.)

Jewish Words / By Youssef Matta

Akiva ben Joseph (50-135 c.e.) A rabbi and talmudic scholar who was considered one of the greatest teachers of Judaism. According to legend, he was a shepherd who began his Jewish education late, at the age of 40, but his determination and love of learning proved him a natural scholar. He collected and arranged the …

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Akedah

Jewish Words / By Youssef Matta

Akedah n. Hebrew (ah-kay-DAH) Literally, “binding.” Specifically, the incident in Genesis when God tells Abraham to bind (tie up) his son Isaac and prepare to sacrifice the boy. At the last moment, God stops Abraham from going through with the deed. Explanations of the Akedah include that God was testing Abraham’s obedience; that it shows …

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Akdamut

Jewish Words / By Youssef Matta

Akdamut n. Hebrew (ahk-dah-MOOT) Literally, “introduction.” A hymn in praise of God, written in Aramaic, that is sung responsively in synagogue on Shavuot. noun Eisenberg, J., Scolnic, E., & Jewish Publication Society. (2001). The JPS dictionary of Jewish words. Over 1000 entries for Jewish holidays and life-cycle events, culture, history, the Bible and other sacred …

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Aish HaTorah

Jewish Words / By Youssef Matta

Aish HaTorah n. Hebrew (AYSH HAH-toe-RAH) Literally, “fire of the Torah.” Jewish outreach organization founded in Jerusalem in 1974 by Rabbi Noah Weinberg to stem Jewish assimilation and help Jews rediscover the relevance of Judaism in contemporary life. The international network now has 25 Jewish educational centers and provides creative programming in over 80 cities. …

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ahavat Yisra’el

Jewish Words / By Youssef Matta

ahavat Yisra’el n. Hebrew (ah-hah-VAHT yis-rah-ALE) Literally, “love of the Jewish people.” The phrase is most often used to describe relationships between Jews. “That play had anti-Semitic overtones; the characters were such stereotypes. For a Jewish writer, he certainly has no ahavat Yisra’el.” noun Eisenberg, J., Scolnic, E., & Jewish Publication Society. (2001). The JPS …

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