Dictionary of Jewish Terms: A Guide to the Language of Judaism

Judaism is comprised of religious terms and customs, Hebrew, Aramaic and Yiddish terms as well as terms related to American Jewish life and the State of Israel. All of these facets of Judaism are represented in this new guide, with an easy to read explanation and cross-references.

This dictionary also encompasses the Sabbath and festivals, which form the basis of the Jewish year, and the mitzvot, which detail the prescribed daily activities and the ethical value system that are the essence of traditional Jewish behavior. In addition, it describes the distinctive symbols and customs of Judaism, as well as some terms associated with modern Israel. All of this and much more can be found among the more than 2,500 entries.

When deciding how to present this wealth of information, a major goal was to make it easily accessible to the reader. Multi-volume encyclopedias and scholarly texts are ideal for in-depth study, but not for ease in rapidly finding a concise, easy-to-understand explanation of words or concepts. Conversely, short one-line definitions of a limited number of words leave the reader hungry for more. Dictionary of Jewish Terms: A Guide to the Language of Judaism takes a middle approach - broad in expanse of the terms discussed but with explanations that provide a clear summary of the topic. Rather than cluttering up the entries with endless cross-references, the reader can quickly discover any unfamiliar words by looking them up in the alphabetically arranged text. This dictionary is designed to be a valuable resource for all Jews who want to be more knowledgeable about the vocabulary of their traditions, as well as for non-Jews who want to gain an understanding of the terminology of Judaism.