​IB Exam Material

Aggadah: means "Jewish law"; the non-Halakhic component of rabbinic tradition

 

Bar/bat mitzvah: first word translated means "son" or "daughter" while second word means "commandment"; a celebration that occurs when a boy or girl turns 13; he/she must become accountable for maintaining his/her faith; not required, although considered a rite of passage 

 

Berit ("covenant"): representation of the relationship between God and man; a promise based on love and care; renewed promise based on obedience and forgiveness of God; always associated with physical signs; there has holocaust 

 

Chosen People: the Jewish people considered to have been selected by God for a special agreement, or berit, with him; God chose the Jewish people as those through whom he would reveal the world; a profound responsibility 

 

Diaspora: the scattered population of Jewish people outside of Israel; the dispersion of Jewish people from Israel to their communities around the world

 

Haggadah: book containing passages dealing with the themes found in Exodus; recited during Passover

 

Halakhah: set of beliefs about God, man, and the universe; comprehensive way of life filled with rules and practices that affect every aspect of life

 

Hanukkah ("festival of lights"): the 8 day Jewish holiday that celebrated the "feast of dedications"; marked by the lighting of eight candles

 

Israel: "one who has wrestled with God", or Jacob's name after God changed it; holy land; also refers to the Jewish people as a whole

 

Kaddish: a major Jewish prayer in services proclaiming the greatness of God; also called the "mourner's Kaddish" because it is proclaimed as part of Jewish mourning rituals, funerals, and memorial services; central aspects are the "magnification and sanctification of God's name"; also expresses a desire for the kingdom of God to be manifested on Earth

 

Kedushah: the third section of all Amidah recitation; in the silent Amidah it is a short prayer, but in the repetition, which requires a minyan, it is considerably lengthier

 

Kosher: literally translated as "good" or "proper", but can be used to indicate anything "fit for ritual use"; observance of keeping kosher varies depending on the denomination of Judaism; the guidance for what is kosher is found in the Torah (primarily Leviticus and Deuteronomy) and includes food such as ritually slaughtered beef, chicken, turkey, and salmon; however, foods like pork, eagle, crab, and lobster are considered non-kosher/trayf (forbidden)

 

Mashiach ("anointed one"): savior, liberator, or Messiah of a group of people; a King or High Priest literally anointed with holy anointed oil