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TZITZIT Tzitzit are the tassels on the (four) corners of ones outer clothing, which a man should wear in accordance with Numbers 15:37-41 (also Deuteronomy 22:12). Looking at the white threads of the tassels is meant to remind the Jew of the 613 commandments of the Torah (the Five Books of Moses): “And it shall be...to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, so as to do them” (verse 39). more»

FORCED BAPTISMS Ever since Christianity became the state religion under Constantine in the 4th century, Jewish communities were often persecuted by means of expulsion, the burning of synagogues and forced baptisms, with the aim of forcibly supressing Judaism. more»

TZOM GEDALIAH This is the Fast of Gedaliah, in memory of the Jewish governor Gedaliah ben Ahikam, who was murdered on the 3rd of Tishrei (582 BC) by Ishmael ben Nethaniah. more»

YAD VASHEM Jerusalem’s memorial to the victims of the Holocaust (Shoah) received its name from Isaiah 56:5: “To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial and a name [yad vashem – oau sh] better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off.” more»

TZEDEK — צדק Tzedek is the term for righteousness, the righteousness for which we should all be striving. “Judge righteously between a man and his fellow countryman, or the alien who is with him” (Deuteronomy 1:16). We read in Deuteronomy 16:20, “Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, that you may live and possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” more»

TEN DAYS OF AWE/REPENTANCE The 10 days from Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, are called the Days of Awe (Yamim Nora’im) or the Days of Repentance (Yemei Tshuvah). more»

TEN COMMANDMENTS The Ten Commandments, the core of laws from the revelation on Mount Sinai, were given to the Israelites on two stone tablets on the third month after the exodus from Egypt (50 days after Passover). We find the Ten Commandments listed in Exodus 20 and in Deuteronomy 5. more»

WORLD WARS In World War I (1914-1918), Jews fought in nearly every army and on all fronts. In Germany, more than 100,000 Jews served. Of the 80,000 who fought on the frontline, 12,000 died for the “German fatherland,” and 35,000 were decorated for bravery. more»

Fence around the Law This is an expression that defines rabbinic laws which are intended to protect Jews from violating the commandments of the Torah (Five Books of Moses). It can be traced back to Leviticus 18:30: “U’shmartem et mishmarti—Keep [the Hebrew word for “keep” can also be translated ‘protect’] My commandments.” more»

NUMBERS מספרים In the Jewish faith, the numbers one to 12 have special meanings, as do the multiples of 12 and other special numbers: more»

NUMEROLOGY Because the letters of the Hebrew alphabet are also numbers, each word is also a sum. Rabbis and Christian Bible scholars of a mystical orientation interpret the meanings of Bible verses by using the numerical values of the Hebrew words. This type of interpretation is called gematria. In gematria, connections are made between different words that have the same numerical value more»

SORCERY כשפים Sorcery, in Hebrew keshafim and Biblical Hebrew nachash (Numbers 23:23), is the same as magic or the “black arts.” Using sorcery, people try to control or dominate nature through all kinds of customs, ceremonies and sacrifices, and then use it for their own purposes. Along with the acquisition of power, belief in spirits plays the most important role in sorcery. more»

TZAHAL — צה"ל TZAHAL is the acronym for “Tzava Hagana L’Israel” (Israel Defense Forces or IDF). Created on May 31st, 1948, the IDF was formed from its pre-state predecessors, the Haganah and Palmach. Today the IDF includes all of Israel’s armed forces, including the army, navy and air force. more»

TZADDIK — צדיק Tzaddik is the Hebrew term for an exceptionally righteous man. Proverbs 10:25 says that unlike the wicked who are swept away by a whirlwind, the righteous have an everlasting foundation. Judaism teaches that the righteous can mediate in prayer between God and men. more»

HYSSOP — אזוב Hyssop, esov in Hebrew, is a wild aromatic herb similar to oregano, which was thrown into the fire when the red heifer was offered as a burnt sacrifice during Temple times. more»

MIRACLES — נסים A miracle (nes or pele in Hebrew) is an extraordinary event that cannot be explained logically, implying God’s divine intervention and supernatural timing. The powers of nature, both great and small, are set in motion outside of man’s control. more»

COMPENSATION (for Holocaust Victims) In this context, the term compensation is inappropriate because financial compensation for the murder of 6 million Jews, among them 1.5 million children, is an oxymoron. Up till the year 2000, Germany paid out a sum of $60 billion. But dividing this sum (which many considered too high) by 6 million shows that each life is worth just $10,000. more»

VIDDUI - וידוי Viddui means confession and is part of the prayer for bringing gifts from the harvest or the tithe to the Temple in Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 26:5-10, 13-15). more»

CHARITY — צדקה The Hebrew language has two words for charity: tzedaka and gemilut chesed. Together, they cover the whole gamut of loving your neighbor. more»

FOUR KINGDOMS — ארבע מלכויות In 604 BC, the prophet Daniel received two visions on the course of world history, which was divided into four world kingdoms. Chapter two describes a statue made of four different metals: more»

WHITE PAPER The British Mandate government in Palestine (1917-1948) issued a number of white papers. Of particular significance was one White Paper by Winston Churchill, issued on July 1st, 1922. more»

WINE — יין In the Bible, the vine symbolizes fruitfulness or fertility (Psalm 128:3), riches (Genesis 49:11) and peace (1 Kings 4:25). That’s why a special blessing (kiddush) is said over the wine (Hebrew: yayin) on Shabbat (the Sabbath) and on the holidays. more»

'WISDOM OF SOLOMON' This apocryphal book, written in Greek by 1st century Jews living in Egypt, is regarded as the wisdom of Solomon. The 19 chapters deal with the king’s counsel to world rulers to act justly. The first five chapters contrast the fleeting happiness of the godless with the rewards of the righteous. more»

FEASTS OF PILGRIMAGE — שלוש רגלים Of all the holidays that God commanded His people to keep, only three are designated pilgrimage festivals, called in Hebrew shalosh regalim. more»

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