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The Chargers offense isn't broken.
That much, after last season, is clear.
Fifth in the NFL in points scored. Sixth in yards per game. Third in first downs and average time of possession. No offense scored more points to begin the second half, and as a franchise, they've never been better on third down since the stat began being tracked in 1991.
But internally, one must-fix area has been identified.
In 2011, the Chargers committed eight turnovers in their eight wins. In eight losses, they gave the ball away 20 times, a 250 percent difference.
"That was obviously the thing that stood out last year," quarterback Philip Rivers said. "It's one thing if we couldn't get a first down or convert third downs or couldn't run the ball or couldn't have any big plays. We had all of those.
"You can't assume the other things are going to happen. We have to continue to work hard to stay high in the league at converting third downs and all those other categories. But certainly, a continued emphasis on protecting the football — that's game to game. If we can do that, we have a much better chance at winning the game."
It's no earth-shattering revelation.
Win the turnover battle. Improve the opportunity to win.
Six of the NFL's seven best teams in turnover differential made the playoffs last season. The top three — 49ers (plus-28), Packers (plus-24) and Patriots (plus-17) — finished with 13 or more regular-season wins.
During their current playoff drought, the Chargers are at negative-13, ranking 25th in the NFL over the two-year span.
"If anyone is trying to figure out our offense, there's one area where we need to show drastic improvement," coach Norv Turner said. "It's not red-zone offense. We were 10th and started slow. It's not time of possession. We've got to protect the ball better."
They've done it before.
In 2009, the team committed 17 turnovers, second fewest in the league. By no coincidence, it was the team's most recent playoff-bound campaign.
The Chargers expect to improve their turnover efficiency in 2012. And really, they should.
Rivers threw 20 interceptions in 2011; he averaged 11.4 in his first five years as a starter. Running back Ryan Mathews, entering his third season, has continued to make strides in ball security.
After free agency and the draft, the number of offensive pieces should also run deeper, from offensive line, wide receiver to tight end.
"There's certainly some poor decisions and some poor throws," Rivers said. "Then there's others where you go, 'Well, what are you going to do?' Some of those are going to happen. We are going to turn the ball over next year, but obviously, you want it to be as minimal as possible.
"In years where we've had a small amount of turnovers, we've had great seasons."


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By David Brensilver
After his arrival at Yale University in 2008, David Kastan kept "discovering new things" related to the school's Shakespeare-related resources.
"I think it was partly that I was new to the community that this seemed so astonishing to me," Kastan said in an e-mail. "Other people knew about it and maybe took it a bit for granted."
According to Kathryn Krier, program coordinator for Shakespeare at Yale, the semester-long, campus-wide celebration of those vast resources, was Kastan's idea.
"He's one of the greatest Shakespeare scholars in the country," Krier said of Kastan, the university's George M. Bodman Professor of English.
Asked which elements of the university's Shakespeare-related resources have most impressed him, Kastan, who spent 20 years at Columbia University before joining the faculty at Yale, said, "For me, given my interests, it is the amazing collection of Shakespeare-related books, many of which are on display in the Beinecke now. But now, having seen this all come together, it is both the quality and range of what is on offer campus-wide."
The Shakespeare at Yale experience does not require a scholarly prerequisite.
"What is wonderful," Kastan said, "is that all of this is open to the community, and even to a public outside of New Haven. It was imagined as a way to bring people to Yale to discover some of what is here to be enjoyed."The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, it might be said, is the epicenter of Shakespeare at Yale.
"Between the holdings of the Beinecke Library and the Elizabethan Club," the university's dedicated Shakespeare at Yale website points out, "Yale has the best collection of early printed editions of Shakespeare of any university in North America. These will be the centerpiece of a unique exhibition at the Beinecke."
That exhibition, Remembering Shakespeare, which was curated by Kastan and the Beinecke's curator, Kathryn James, "tells the story of how a playwright and poet in late sixteenth- and early seventeenth-century England came to be remembered as the world's most venerated author," according to the Beinecke's website, which indicates that the exhibition includes "works from the holdings of Yale University's Elizabethan Club, Irving S. Gilmore Music Library, Lewis Walpole Library, Yale Center for British Art, and Beinecke Library."
At the Yale Center for British Art, "While these visions did appear": Shakespeare on Canvas explores visual artists' interpretations of Shakespeare's works.
The exhibition of paintings from the center's permanent collection "focuses primarily on depictions of Shakespeare's comedies" while also drawing "on comedic elements from the tragedies," YCBA communications coordinator, Kaci Bayless, said.
The YCBA website explains that "the promotion of the playwright as the 'immortal bard' was seized as an opportunity to foster a British school of history painting."
"The eighteenth-century understanding of poetry and painting being sister arts helped to create a close relationship between literary works and the visual arts," Christina Smylitopoulos, a postdoctoral research associate at the YCBA, said in an e-mail.
From the above-mentioned "British school of history painting" came what the YCBA website describes as "a new genre: the Shakespearean conversation piece."
"The conversation piece — a group portrait, normally small-scaled, though often depicting the sitters in full-length and set in a domestic interior or a garden setting — became a fashionable trend in eighteenth-century portraiture," Smylitopoulos said. "David Garrick … (the) actor and Drury Lane Theatre manager, commissioned many theatrical conversation pieces from leading artists (which) were often shown in new exhibition spaces like the annual shows at the Society of Artists … the Free Society of Artists … and the Royal Academy of Arts … Through the efforts of Garrick, Shakespeare's plays flourished on the London stage in adapted forms and Garrick recognized the value of Shakespearean conversation pieces as both advertisements for his many productions and as commemorations of especially favored roles and scenes."
Smylitopoulos, who curated "While these visions did appear": Shakespeare on Canvas with Eleanor Hughes, the YCBA's associate curator and head of exhibitions and publications, said, "One of the interesting aspects of the exhibition is that in includes representations of several types of Shakespearean interpretations. For example, artists treated Shakespearean themes in history paintings, portraiture, small-scaled scenes destined for illustrations of Shakespeare's works, as well as more imaginative works which took a Shakespearean theme or character as a starting point, but may have then made departures from the text. … Shakespeare could inspire adaptations — theatrical, poetic, and artistic — and these adaptations became part of a flourishing aesthetic discourse."
At the Yale University Art Gallery, the works of Edwin Austin Abbey offer an American artist's 19th century perspective on Shakespeare. From its collection of more than 3,000 works by Abbey, the gallery has organized an installation of the artist's painting Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and the Lady Anne – which, the YUAG website indicates, "depicts the scene from Shakespeare's Richard III, in which the hunchbacked Richard proposes to the grieving Lady Anne who knows that he has murdered both her husband and her father-in-law, King Henry VI." Alongside the painting are displayed what the YUAG website describes as "several preliminary studies" for the work.
Complementing the YUAG installation is Abbey's iconic painting The Play Scene in "Hamlet," which is on permanent view in the gallery and is often incorporated into the organization's education programs.
Shakespeare's plays, of course, have long been part of the Yale Repertory Theatre's diverse programming.
"Producing Shakespeare and other pieces in the more classical repertoire is directly related to our mission," Rachel Smith, the theater's associate director of marketing, said.
"Since Yale Rep's inception," Smith said, "we've produced some really well-known Shakespeare shows."
A Whitney Humanities Center exhibition of photographs and promotional artwork called Shakespeare at Yale Rep celebrates those productions."We thought, what better way to showcase them than to have an exhibition of our productions at the Rep over the ages," Smith explained.
The Yale Rep's contribution to Shakespeare at Yale is a production of The Winter's Tale, directed by Liz Diamond, who said she believes that Shakespeare, in this particular work, "requires us to awake our faith to the possibility of redemption … on every level."
To do so, Diamond said, "He relies on the … magic of theater."
The whole of Shakespeare at Yale, Kastan said, offers the region's residents and visitors to the area "a terrific opportunity to see firsthand what is always said: that Shakespeare is, as one of his contemporaries said, 'not of an age, but for all time.' The truth of that is here in New Haven."
For detailed information about events, exhibitions, programs, and schedules, visit Shakespeare.yale.edu.

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As the holidays start coming closer, we thought it would be a perfect opportunity for our blog team to work together with the graphics team to put together some printable material that would make great gifts for those Chefs in your life.
Our very talented Audrey Diaz and I thought a recipe measurement converter and equivalent infographic would be a perfect piece to frame and gift. It would look great in the home kitchen or office; either way, it's our free gift to you. Enjoy.


text: Okay, this is what my script says (note, I did not make it, I got it as an example off a site) #include "zcommon.acs" script 1 (void) { print(s:"Hi! This is my map and it rocks!"); } EDIT: I got rid of my question, I figured it out. Posted June 23, 2002 Share this post Link to post


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Art Car Exhibit is coming to Nave Museum
By camille m. firstname.lastname@example.com
May 25, 2011 at 12:25 a.m.
Updated May 27, 2011 at 12:27 a.m.
The Nave Museum will become Victoria's Art Car Central for its second consecutive year.
Ann Harithas, a Victoria native, is the visionary behind the cars coming to the Crossroads.
"I enjoy it so much, I just want to share it with everyone," she said. Harithas will have one of her prized possessions in the parade called, "Swamp Mutha."
"The cars are really wild. Last year, one car was covered completely with pennies," said Gary Hall, publicity chairman for the Victoria Regional Museum Association. Another one was an 18-wheeler that looked like a flying saucer.
Hall, who also teaches English at Victoria College, said anyone can enjoy the show.
"A lot of guys probably wouldn't go to a museum, but they like automobiles," he said.
Art cars will be on display Saturday at noon on Commercial Street in front of the Nave Museum along with a new exhibition of art car photography on view inside the museum.
In addition, students from local schools participating in the Manhattan Art Program will have miniature art cars on display.
Hall added, the artists create a masterpiece using a car as a palate.
The art cars on exhibit will display a variety of painting and sculptural techniques, including welding and metal craft, gluing and assemblage and collage.
Art cars scheduled to appear include, "DC39," by David Best; "Shattered Vanity," by Nicole Strine; and "Seahorse," by Mark Bradford, among many others. All the art cars have won top honors at the Orange Show Houston Art Car Parade. Several can be found on display all year round at Five Points in Victoria.
It's an experience for Crossroads residents.
"The people just oooh and ahhh. You should see the kids' faces. They're enthralled," said Maggie Kuykendall, event organizer.
The exhibit of photos by Irv Tepper, who has taken the art car photographs for the last 16 years, will be available for viewing May 28 through July 3 at the Nave Museum.
His exhibits have been displayed in more than 100 shows nationwide.
"The art cars offer more than just visual appeal, it's a form of self expression," Tepper said.
Kuykendall said some spend years putting their art cars together, but it is well worth the wait. "It's unlike anything you've ever seen in you're life."


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The following problems are giving me a little grief, mostly because I'm not exactly sure how the solutions should look. Any help is appreciated, I think my biggest problems is not understanding the language of mathematics!
Problem 1 Solved
If and , find the exact solution to the equation in terms of and .
Problem 2 Solved
Let and . Find an ordered pair of integers such that .
Problem 3
Given , find in terms of .


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As an admitted lover of all things Spanish, I have been delighted to see Manchego cheese make its way into our supermarkets and onto our tables. It is a sheep's milk cheese with surprisingly great variety: a young queso manchego will be soft and nutty, never overbearing, while an older version will have deeper flavors, working well as a tapa with a glass of silky and dry Fino sherry. In between you will find all levels of curing.
The national chains have noticed this Spanish upstart. I was particularly disappointed to find Price Chopper stores now only stocking Manchego cheese with a Boar's Head label. While Boar's Head is well known for its deli meat selection, I just don't trust that they are the best ones to be selecting my queso manchego.
Last week I came across an interesting new way to serve this awesome cheese, thanks to José Andrés, a one-man restaurant empire in the DC area. (Frequent commenters MC and The Colonel would recommend Jaleo and Zaytinya as their favorites, but I would add that MiniBar would appeal to anyone like me without sufficient connections to get a reservation at Ferrán Adriá's El Bulli before it closed last year.)
MANCHEGO CHEESE WITH TOMATO, ROSEMARY AND WALNUTS (José Andrés, Made in Spain)
Toast 1/4 cup walnuts in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes.
Slice 2 ripe plum tomatoes in half. Place a grater over a mixing bowl. Rub the cut surface of the tomatoes until only skin is left. Discard skins.
Add 2 tablespoons of Spanish olive oil to the tomatoes, stirring in walnuts after. Season with salt and pepper. Strip leaves from 2 sprigs of rosemary, adding them to the tomato mixture. Toss in 8 ounces of Manchego cheese cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Be careful not to let the cheese sit too long in the tomato mixture or the acidity from the tomatoes will begin to soften the cheese.
This very same dish will be served in my Culture and Civilization of Spain course Wednesday morning, unfortunately without a liquid accompaniment.
You cannot possible learn about a culture without understanding its cheeses, right?


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Patient Education
- Trematodes (Flukes)
- Introduction to Trematodes (Flukes)
- Clonorchiasis
- Fascioliasis
- Fasciolopsiasis
- Heterophyiasis and Related Trematode Infections
- Opisthorchiasis
- Paragonimiasis
- Schistosomiasis
Schistosomiasis is infection with blood flukes of the genus Schistosoma, which are acquired transcutaneously by swimming or wading in contaminated freshwater. The organisms infect the vasculature of the GI or GU system. Acute symptoms are dermatitis, followed several weeks later by fever, chills, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, malaise, and myalgia. Chronic symptoms vary with species but include bloody diarrhea (eg, with S. mansoni and S. japonicum) or hematuria (eg, with S. haematobium). Diagnosis is by identifying eggs in stool, urine, or biopsy specimens. Serologic tests may be sensitive and specific but do not provide information about the worm burden or clinical status. Treatment is with praziquantel.
Flukes are parasitic flatworms that infect various parts of the body (eg, blood vessels, GI tract, lungs, liver) depending on the species.
Schistosomiasis is by far the most important trematode infection. Schistosoma is the only trematode that invades through the skin; all other trematodes infect only via ingestion. About 200 million people are infected worldwide.
Five species of schistosomes infect humans; all have similar life cycles involving freshwater snails. S. haematobium causes urinary tract disease; the other Schistosoma sp cause intestinal disease.
Geographic distribution differs by species:
S. haematobium: Widely distributed over the African continent with smaller foci in the Middle East, Turkey, and India
S. mansoni: Widespread in Africa, foci in Middle East, and the only species in the Western Hemisphere in parts of South America and some Caribbean islands
S. japonicum: Asia, mainly in China, the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia.
S. mekongi: Southeast Asia
S. intercalatum: Central and West Africa
Humans are the main reservoir of infection. Dogs, cats, rodents, pigs, horses, and goats are reservoirs for S. japonicum, and dogs are reservoirs for S. mekongi. The disease may be imported in travelers and immigrants from endemic areas, but transmission does not occur within the US and Canada.
Adult worms live and copulate within venules of the mesentery (typically S. japonicum and S. mansoni) or bladder (typically S. haematobium—see Figure: Simplified Schistosoma life cycle.). Some eggs penetrate the intestinal or bladder mucosa and are passed in stool or urine; other eggs remain within the host organ or are transported through the portal system to the liver and occasionally to other sites (eg, lungs, CNS, spinal cord). Excreted eggs hatch in freshwater, releasing miracidia (first larval stage), which enter snails. After multiplication, thousands of free-swimming cercariae are released.
Cercariae penetrate human skin within a few minutes after exposure and transform into schistosomula, which travel through the bloodstream to the liver, where they mature into adults. The adults then migrate to their ultimate home in the intestinal veins or the venous plexus of the GU tract.
Eggs appear in stool or urine 1 to 3 mo after cercarial penetration.
Estimates of the adult worm life span range from 3 to 7 yr. The females range in size from 7 to 20 mm; males are slightly smaller.
Simplified Schistosoma life cycle.
Symptoms and Signs
Acute schistosome dermatitis
Most infections are asymptomatic. A pruritic papular rash (cercarial dermatitis) can develop where cercariae penetrate the skin in previously sensitized people.
Acute Katayama fever
Katayama fever may occur with onset of egg laying, typically 2 to 4 wk after heavy exposure. Symptoms include fever, chills, cough, nausea, abdominal pain, malaise, myalgia, urticarial rashes, and marked eosinophilia, resembling serum sickness. Manifestations are more common and usually more severe in visitors than in residents of endemic areas and typically last for several weeks.
Chronic schistosomiasis
Chronic schistosomiasis results primarily from host responses to eggs retained in tissues. Early on, intestinal mucosal ulcerations caused by S. mansoni or S. japonicum may bleed and result in bloody diarrhea. As lesions progress, focal fibrosis, strictures, fistulas, and papillomatous growths may develop in the intestine.
Granulomatous reactions to eggs of S. mansoni and S. japonicum in the liver usually do not compromise liver function, but they may cause fibrosis and cirrhosis, which can lead to portal hypertension and subsequent hematemesis due to esophageal varices.
Eggs in the lungs may produce granulomas and focal obliterative arteritis, which may ultimately result in pulmonary hypertension and cor pulmonale.
With S. haematobium, ulcerations in the bladder wall may cause dysuria, hematuria, and urinary frequency. Over time, chronic cystitis develops. Strictures may lead to hydroureter and hydronephrosis. Papillomatous masses in the bladder are common, and squamous cell carcinoma may develop. Blood loss from both GI and GU tracts frequently results in anemia.
Secondary bacterial infection of the GU tract is common, and persistent Salmonella septicemia may occur with S. mansoni. Several species, notably S. haematobium, can cause genital disease in both men and women, resulting in numerous symptoms including infertility. Neurologic complications can occur even in light Schistosoma infections. Eggs or adult worms lodged in the spinal cord can cause transverse myelitis, and those in the brain can produce focal lesions and seizures.
Stool or urine (S. haematobium, occasionally S. japonicum) is examined for eggs. Repeated examinations using concentration techniques may be necessary. Geography is a primary determinant of species, so a history of exposure should be communicated to the laboratory. If the clinical picture suggests schistosomiasis but no eggs are found after repeated examination of urine or feces, intestinal or bladder mucosa can be biopsied to check for eggs.
Depending on the antigens used, serologic tests may be sensitive and specific for infection, but they do not provide information about worm burden, clinical status, or prognosis.
Single-day oral treatment with praziquantel (20 mg/kg bid for S. haematobium, S. mansoni, and S. intercalatum; 20 mg/kg tid for S. japonicum and S. mekongi) is recommended. Praziquantel is effective against adult schistosomes, but not developing schistosomula, which are present early in infection. Thus, for travelers, treatment is delayed for 6 to 8 wk after the last exposure. Adverse effects of praziquantel are generally mild and include abdominal pain, diarrhea, headache, and dizziness. Therapeutic failures have been reported, but it is difficult to determine whether they are due to reinfection or drug-resistant strains. If eggs are present at the time of diagnosis, follow-up examination 1 to 2 mo after treatment is suggested to help confirm cure. Treatment is repeated if eggs are still present.
Treatment of Katayama fever is uncertain. Praziquantel is not particularly effective early in infection; corticosteroids can ameliorate severe symptoms.
Patients should be examined for living eggs 3 and 6 mo after treatment. Retreatment is indicated if egg excretion has not decreased markedly.
Scrupulously avoiding contact with contaminated fresh water prevents infection.
Fresh water used for bathing should be boiled for at least 1 min and then cooled before bathing. However, water that has been held in a storage tank for at least 1 to 2 days should be safe without boiling.
People who are accidentally exposed to possibly contaminated water (eg, by falling into a river) should vigorously dry off with a towel to attempt to remove any parasites before they penetrate the skin.
The sanitary disposal of urine and feces reduces the likelihood of infection.
Adult residents of endemic areas are more resistant to reinfection than children, suggesting the possibility of acquired immunity.
Vaccine development is under way.
Key Points
Schistosoma is the only trematode that invades through the skin; about 200 million people are infected worldwide.
Cercariae mature in the liver, and adults migrate to their ultimate home in the intestinal veins or the venous plexus of the GU tract.
Organisms in the liver cause a granulomatous reaction that can lead to fibrosis and cirrhosis.
Organisms in the intestine can cause bloody diarrhea, and organisms in the bladder can cause hematuria and chronic cystitis.
Treat with praziquantel.
To prevent infection, avoid contact with fresh water in endemic areas.
Dermatitis Caused by Avian and Animal Schistosomes
(Cercarial Dermatitis; Clam Digger's Itch; Swimmer's Itch)
Cercarial dermatitis, a skin condition, occurs when Schistosoma sp that cannot develop in humans penetrate the skin during contact with contaminated fresh water or brackish water.
Cercariae of Schistosoma sp that infect birds and mammals other than humans can penetrate the skin. Although the organisms do not develop in humans, humans may become sensitized and develop pruritic maculopapular, then vesicular skin lesions at the site of penetration. Skin lesions may be accompanied by a systemic febrile response that runs for 5 to 7 days and resolves spontaneously.
Cercarial dermatitis occurs worldwide. In North America, ocean-related schistosome dermatitis (clam digger's itch) occurs on all Atlantic, Gulf, Pacific, and Hawaiian coasts. It is common in muddy flats off Cape Cod. Freshwater schistosome dermatitis (swimmer's itch) is common in the Great Lakes region.
Diagnosis of cercarial dermatitis is based on clinical findings. Most cases do not require medical attention.
Treatment of cercarial dermatitis is symptomatic with cool compresses, baking soda, or antipruritic lotions. Topical corticosteroids can also be used.
Resources In This Article
Drugs Mentioned In This Article
Drug NameSelect Trade
- Trematodes (Flukes)
- Introduction to Trematodes (Flukes)
- Clonorchiasis
- Fascioliasis
- Fasciolopsiasis
- Heterophyiasis and Related Trematode Infections
- Opisthorchiasis
- Paragonimiasis
- Schistosomiasis


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Email Safety 101, How to not get scammed or viruses via email.
So I've been trying to explain why she shouldn't pay to have this all fixed, given she's just going to get them back because she doesn't understand what is okay to click on and what will give her a terrible computer virus. I feel bad because many many people aren't used to technology scams, especially the people that didn't grow up around computers. And many of the scams are clever enough to catch even the more savvy computer users. But when you're unfamiliar with the technology it's easy to not understand how you're getting taken. I remember "my uncle" sent us an email a couple years ago saying he was in a foreign country and needed us to wire "him" money because he can't leave as his money all got stolen. There's really so many very clever scams and occasionally they hit on the right victims to pull it off- ie. my uncle travels a lot so I did a bit of a double take. I knew I wouldn't be on the list of people he called for money though so I knew it was fake. There's also all these scams that are done via other technologies (ie. phone).
Two common scams that seem to get the non tech savvy... (Gosh someone's making a fortune):
1. Someone calls your house and says they're from IRS and you owe them money... or "Microsoft" calls to tell you that you have viruses. Then they ask you for information or payment, etc. Unless you're Bill Gates and owe the IRS a LOT of money, the IRS just isn't going to be calling you on the phone. And if you've ever tried to receive tech support from Microsoft (or any company really, these people are busy enough), do you really think it's feasible they'd call you? No. Whenever you're not sure and something sounds fishy... Do a quick web search for what the person is telling you. You'll probably come up with a bunch of hits that say BEWARE OF THIS SCAM!
...speaking of web searches to find out what's a scam, brings me to popular scam #2...
2. Someone asks for your Paypal account after you post a Craigslist ad. They don't want to see the item. They hired a go between to pick up item. They're deaf/blind/etc. Basically they're trying to present an "weakness" (that you won't ask questions about) to tap into your empathy so they can take advantage of you. This really ticks me off. Anyways- my father-in-law asked about setting up a PayPal because someone wanted to buy their used car using PayPal- guy couldn't get it himself because he was deaf or something to that effect. I started answering about how to setup Paypal, then suddenly asked about what buyer said in email. "Oooohhh..." A quick web search and I was able to find multiple hits about this scam and various versions of it. It's not to say Paypal isn't safe, but there are apparently ways to run scams using it. That's all you need to know. I use Paypal all the time, safely, via stores online and people I know. It generally works out fine. You just need to sniff out the cons. When I post Craiglist ads, I find it's helpful to look for "humanness" in the responses I get to the ad- the person asks questions about the product, they say they can meet me somewhere public, they say they can't make it until after the kids get out of school. More on Craigslist on another post.
Okay so that's the scam piece. Please don't fall for suspicious stuff. I KNOW that my mom and father-in-law had alarms going off in their heads, just based on how they mentioned the topic to me. But I sense that due to their (dis)comfort level with the technology, they dismissed those warning bells as themselves just being uncomfortable with the technology. LISTEN TO YOUR WARNING BELLS.
So let's review some of my junk mail to help work on identifying spam/scams easily.The pink writing is my notes. The yellow sections are just where I "whited out" information that I didn't want to share (ie. other people's email addresses).
Photo 1: Displayed on the right here is an example of a scam/spam email that will give you a virus.
Warning Signs:
- I don't know the person who sent the email to me.
- There is no email content besides the link and the person's name. Most people (real people) are going to write something of substance when they email you something. "This is funny" is not "substance."
- Check out the link... at the end it says .php. HUGE warning sign. .Exe files are off limits too. That means you'll download something that will run a program on your computer... that program is not something you want.
Warning Signs:
- You'll note "she" sent it to two different Danielle's... that's because she sent it to both my email addresses. Someone who knows me won't do that.
- Again, random link with no content to the actual email is usually a big warning sign.
- I checked out the link itself... does this look like something she'd send me? Eh no. I remember the last time I got one of these from her it was a porn web address (I assume, based on the text of the web address)... I chuckled because I knew my mother-in-law wasn't sending me porn.
- I also always check the email address... sometimes the person's name is on "from" line, but when I look at the email address itself it's not their email address. Usually you can click on their name to show the email address.
NOTE: If you think the email could actually be legit, a simple text message or phone call to the person to inquire if it's legitimate is worth the time. It also helps them because they can change their password on the account if it isn't something they sent.
Warning Signs:
- See all the pink? Alllllll of that. Okay let me expand on that...
- "I'm ready to pay your asking price"... I was selling a car. They didn't ask anything questions about it, they didn't want to see it? Come on, seriously.
- They conveniently are unavailable... at sea... and have a "mover" coming. Who actually "has people" to pick stuff up for them? Nobody who is buying a used car. Haha.
- They want to pay with PayPal... I'd love to understand how they're working this scam, but long story short- don't do it. I do use PayPal for lots of things, but only when I know the person is legit.What little I comprehend of this scam is that PayPal protects the buyer more so than the seller... so the seller can "pay" then file a claim through PayPal saying you screwed them over somehow and they get their money back. I'm not sure if these scammers take the product too. Don't know, don't care. I just don't waste time on these emails.
Warning Signs:
- They emailed me saying Craigslist wasn't relaying their message to me. Um...
...that said, I did reply to this person and gave them my "spam" email address to contact me (I believe that resulted in Photo 3). I have a special email account that I made for spam and I use it for times like this when I figure it might be good to respond just to make sure they aren't a legit person who just doesn't know how to use their computer.
In Summary: Always ask the person you're receiving the email from if it's legit before you open it if you think it might not be from them. Be conscious that scams and viruses and all those good things ARE out there, with limitless resources. I open the majority of my email with no issues... and even most bad emails can be opened- just DON'T click on links or attached files.
Did I miss anything? Does anyone have questions or anything to add?
Have you ever been taken by a scam?
Have you ever been taken by a scam?


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On 8/22/12 4:43 AM, Amos Jeffries wrote: > * DNS SRV records easily perform end-to-end detection. But HTTP > requires next-hop detection. Is that true for ports other than 80? That is- if you have an indication to use, say, port 880, and you're going right to SPDY, do you need next-hop detection for purposes of versioning at least? EliotReceived on Wednesday, 22 August 2012 15:04:04 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Tuesday, 1 March 2016 11:11:06 UTC


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Rossi keeps island podium intact with third in Australia
Starting second on the grid, Rossi slipped to fourth but passed Dani Pedrosa on lap two, only to make a small mistake at the end of the lap, briefly touching the grass at the start of the main straight and letting Pedrosa back past. On lap four of 27 he managed to get in front of the Spaniard once again and he then set off after Nicky Hayden, who was running second behind Stoner. Despite setting the fastest lap on lap seven, Rossi was unable to make much headway until lap 11, when he passed Hayden for second. As Stoner gradually extended his advantage in front however it became clear that Rossi's fight would be for the runner-up spot as he became embroiled in a three-way battle with Capirossi and Pedrosa. After several changes of position between the trio Pedrosa tailed off and it briefly looked like another being another vintage Rossi-Capirossi showdown, but with little grip left in his tyres Rossi was unable to keep pace with his compatriot and he eventually crossed the line three seconds adrift, with Stoner several seconds ahead of Capirossi.
After failing to find a comfortable setting throughout the practice sessions, Edwards made a change to his setting for the race and, although it took him some laps to adapt and he dropped a few positions early on, he kept pushing throughout and was able to peg back several places. He finished ninth and claimed seven points, which moves him up one place in the championship to eighth. Rossi's 16-point haul meanwhile sees him move 29 points clear in second place, ahead of Pedrosa. The team now heads directly to Sepang for the Malaysian Grand Prix in just seven days time.
Valentino Rossi, "Honestly I'm not too disappointed today because I know I did everything I could have possibly done. I started okay and in the opening laps I felt like I could go quite fast and have the chance to fight at the front. I passed Pedrosa and at that stage I was quite close to Hayden and Stoner, but then I made a small mistake coming onto the straight and lost a bit of time. I managed to pass Pedrosa again but then I wasn't able to close the gap to Stoner, even though I was riding at the maximum. In places I had fun and I made some good passes; at the end especially I was hoping for a great battle with Capirossi, like the old days, but by then the grip from my rear tyre was very poor and I had to slow down to make sure I would arrive to the end. I am very happy that I was on the podium because this is a special place and it's always a big emotion to stand there with all the crowds in pit lane. Today with Casey I think it was a bit like for me in Mugello! Anyway, now we go straight to Malaysia, where our bike usually goes well, so once again we will do the maximum and try for the win.


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Hevrew and Jewish terms defined
- Abraham
The founding Patriarch of the Jewish People, whose story is told in Genesis 12-25. Married to Sarah, sons are Isaac and Ishmael.
- Abraham Joshua Heschel
One of the greatest rabbinic figures of the 20th century, whose wide ranging writings meditate on the meaning of faith blended the traditions of Hasidic thought with contemporary philosophy and an overriding concern for social justice. His most important works include God in Search of Man, The Prophets, and The Sabbath.
- Adonai
A traditional name for God, often used in prayer, meaning My Lord.
- Afikomen
Dessert. The final piece of matzah eaten at the Passover Seder, traditionally hidden at the start of the meal and found by the kids and ransomed back to the leader at the end. This game is a teaching tool for keeping kids engaged throughout the Seder.
- Akiva
The greatest rabbi of the Talmud, who only began studying at age 40. He was martyred by the Romans in 135 CE, following the disastrous Bar Kochba Revolt, which he supported.
- Aleph-Bet
The Hebrew alphabet, named for its first two letters.
- Aliyah
To ascend. (1) Going up to the Torah to bless a portion of the reading. (2) Moving to live in Israel.
- Am Yisrael
The People of Israel.
- Amidah
The standing prayer, which forms the heart of every Jewish service. It contains within it an opening section which evokes the merit of our ancestors and praises God, a middle section which varies depending on when it is said, and a final section thanking God for our blessings and praying for peace.
- Aninut
The period of intense mourning between a death and the burial. During this period all Jewish ritual obligations on the mourners are suspended, so that they can devote their full attention to preparing for the funeral.
- Anti-Semitism
Hatred of the Jews. Anti-Semitism has taken many forms throughout the centuries, from historic villains like Haman and Antiochus, to religious oppression by Christian and Muslim governments, to the horrific explosion of Nazism in the early 20th century. The term Anti-Semitism was coined in Austria in the 19th century and specifically refers to Jews as a racial group, rather than as a religion.
- Aramaic
The spoken language of the Ancient Near East during the period of the Rabbis. The majority of the Talmud, as well as some prayersincluding the Kaddish, are written in Aramaic.
- Aron Kodesh (Ark)
The cabinet in which the Torah scrolls are kept in the synagogue.
- Aseret Y'mei Teshuvah
The Ten Days of Repentance, connecting Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, during which we are taught to seek out those we have offended in the previous year and attempt to make amends.
- Ashkenazi
The ethnic designation of Jews whose ancestry comes from Northern, Central, and Eastern Europe.
- Aufruf
The celebration of an engaged couple on the Shabbat before their wedding day. The couple will generally be called up for an aliyah at the Torah, and will receive a special blessing from the rabbi.
- Aveilut
The period of mourning prescribed by Jewish law. Halakha recognizes seven official categories of those for whom one is obligated to mourn: mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, and spouses.
- B'rakha
A blessing, beginning with the six word formula: Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu Melekh Ha-Olam. Jews are taught to strive to say at least one hundred blessings every day.
- Baal Shem Tov
The founder of the Hasidic Movement, which revolutionized Jewish life and thought with its focus on personal prayer, spirituality, and joy. He lived in Ukraine from 1698-1760.
- Bal Tashkhit
The mitzvah not to abuse the Earth by wantonly wasting its resources, based on a verse from Deuteronomy 20. The Jewish Tradition teaches that we are guardians of the planet, and that we must serve as responsible stewards of Creation.
- Bar/Bat Mitzvah
The ceremony recognizing that a young person has reached the Jewish age of majority-- twelve for girls, and thirteen for boys-- and thus gains all of the rights and responsibilities of Jewish adulthood.
- Bedeken
The ceremony that immediately precedes in which the bride is veiled, after her groom has check to ensure that she is indeed who he intends to marry. This comes from the story of Jacob in Genesis 29 who is fooled into marrying Leah, rather than his beloved Rachel.
- Beit Din
A rabbinic court composed of three rabbis, who oversee ritual proceedings including conversion and Jewish divorce (get).
- Beit Ha-Mikdash (The Temple)
The Temple in Jerusalem, which was the center of Jewish worship and sacrifice in ancient times. The first Temple was built by Solomon in 10th century BCE and destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The Temple was rebuilt in 515 BCE and destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE.
- Bikkur Holim
The mitzvah to visit the sick.
- Bima
The area of the synagogue, sometimes raised, where the leaders stand and conduct the service.
- Birkat Ha-Mazon
The long series of blessings following a meal. Click here to listen to all of Birkat Ha-Mazon.
- Breaking a Glass
The tradition at the end of a Jewish wedding ceremony, which recalls that even in the time of a person's greatest joy they should also recognize the existence of brokenness in the world and the duty to participate in the work of tikkun olam.
- Brit
Covenant. One of the dominant themes of the Torah is the ongoing development of the covenantal relationship between God and the Jewish People, beginning with Abraham, reaffirmed by Jacob, and formalized with the giving of Torah at Mount Sinai.
- Brit Milah (Bris)
The ceremony of circumcision, performed by a mohel on the 8th day of life, which initiates a Jewish baby boy into the covenant.
- Conservative
The Jewish denomination, founded in Germany and developed in the United States, which attempts to preserve Jewish Tradition and the binding nature of Jewish law, while also adapting to change in the modern world.
- D'var Torah
Words of Torah. This is the sermon, generally delivered by the rabbi, at a religious service.
- Daven
The Yiddish word for prayer.
- David
The Jewish Peoples greatest king, who established Jerusalem as the capital and expanded Israels territory, and also a deeply morally flawed man whose life is marred by tragedy. David ruled over Israel from 1010-970 BCE.
- David Ben-Gurion
The first Prime Minister of the State of Israel.
- Deicide
The charge that the Jews killed Jesus, which was used to justify fear and hatred of Jews over many centuries, and was officially repudiated by the Catholic Church by Vatican II in the 1960s.
- Deuteronomy
The fifth and final book of the Torah, which primarily contains Moses' final speech to the Jewish People before they cross into the Land of Israel, which recaps the story of their journey and emphasizes many ritual and ethical laws.
- Diaspora
The condition of living outside of one's native land. Significant portions of the Jewish People have lived outside of Israel since the 6th century BCE.
- Dreidel
A spinning top played with on Hanukkah. The four letters on the dreidel-- Nun, Gimmel, Heh, and Shin-- stand for the phrase: Nes Gadol Haya Sham, meaning A great miracle happened there.
- El Maalei Rachamim
The Jewish funeral prayer, which asks that God shelter the soul of the person who has died and that their spirit be bound up in the bond of eternal life.
- Eliezer Ben-Yehuda
The father of the modern Hebrew language, who single-handedly updated an ancient, virtually extinct language to allow it to become the spoken language of the modern State of Israel.
- Elijah
A Biblical prophet who, according to Tradition, never died and instead was brought to Heaven alive in a fiery chariot and who will return to be the harbinger of the Messianic Age. Elijah is said to visit every Passover Seder (where a cup is left out for him) and Brit Milah (where a chair is placed for him.)
- Elijah's Cup
A cup of wine placed on the Seder Table for Elijah the Prophet, who is traditionally thought to visit each home on Passover and we hope will signal the coming of the Messiah and a universal era of peace.
- Elohim/Eloheinu
A name for God used through the Bible and the Hebrew prayerbook. Eloheinu is in the plural possessive, meaning our God.
- Elul
The month preceding the High Holy Days in which we are taught to take an accounting of ourselves (heshbon ha-nefesh) and prepare for the work of teshuvah ahead.
- Eretz Yisrael
The Land of Israel.
- Erev
Evening. A new Jewish day begins with sundown, so holidays begin on the night before the actual day on the secular calendar. Erev Shabbat is Friday night, while Shabbat day is Saturday.
- Etrog
A lemon-like citrus fruit, which is waved together with the lulav on Sukkot as a celebration of the bounty of the harvest.
- Exodus
The second of the five books of the Torah, which tells the story of the enslavement and oppression of the Israelites in Egypt, the rise of Moses and the Ten Plagues against Pharaoh, the escape of the Jewish People from Egyptian bondage, and the subsequent revelation at Mount Sinai, which confirms the covenant between God and the Jews.
- Fleshig (Basari)
Food that is made from meat (either mammal or poultry), which according to kashrut law, must be kept separate from dairy foods.
- Gemara
The massive rabbinic commentary on the Mishnah, produced in both Babylonia and in the Land of Israel, in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th centuries. Talmud is the combination of the Mishnah and the Gemara.
- Gemilut Hasidim
Acts of loving-kindness. The Mishnah teaches that the world stands on three things-- on Torah, on prayer, and on acts of loving-kindness.
- Genesis
The first book of the Torah, which begins by telling the primordial history of the world (Genesis 1-11), and then transitions to telling the colorful stories of the patriarchs and matriarchs of the Jewish People, including Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob, Rachel, Leah, and Joseph.
- Get
A Jewish bill of divorce, formalized in front of a Beit Din, which formally dissolves a marriage between two Jews.
- Guide for the Perplexed
Maimonides' masterwork of Jewish philosophy, which attempts to reconcile Greek philosophy and science with Jewish theology and law. Its implications are wide reaching, particularly when it says that when Torah and scientific reason are in conflict one must reexamine their understanding of Scripture.
- Haftarah
A selection from the Books of the Prophets, which is paired with the weekly Torah reading (parasha). Haftarahs are selected based on a thematic or linguistic link to the parasha, and may bolster or occasionally challenge its message.
- Hag
Holiday. A holy day on which most types of work are prohibited, in favor of rest, reflection, and celebration. The formal haggim of the Jewish calendar are Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, the first two and last two days of Sukkot (including Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah), the first two and last two days of Pesah, and Shavuot.
- Hag Sameach
Happy Holiday! The traditional greeting on a Jewish Festival. On Hanukkah one may say, Hag Urim Sameach!, meaning Happy Festival of Lights!
- Haggadah
The book which we use to conduct the Passover seder. There are thousands of haggadot in print, and many families choose to create their own.
- Halakha
Jewish law. Based on the root verb, to walk, halakha describes the Jewish path through life, which contains traditions and prescriptions for all aspects of daily living.
- Hallah
The rich, braided loaves of bread which we use on Shabbat. It is traditional to cover the hallot with a cloth and then uncover them when the time comes to recite the hamotzi blessing and break bread together.
- Hametz
Leavened items (or products from grains, including wheat, barley, oats, spelt, and rye, which could become leavened) which are forbidden to eat, or even have in one's possession, during the holiday of Pesah.
- Hanukiyah
A nine-branched Hanukkah candelabra. On each successive night of Hanukkah another candle is lit, until on the final night it is completely full of light. Often referred to as a menorah, which simply means lamp.
- Hanukkah
The eight-day Festival of Lights, celebrated in the Winter, which commemorates theMaccabee's successful revolt against Syrian-Greek oppression and the restoration of the Temple in Jerusalem. Hanukkah teaches us the importance of religious freedom, and reminds us that the miraculous is possible.
- Haroset
Typically a mixture of sweet fruits and nuts (Ashkenazi haroset generally contains apples and walnuts, Sephardic haroset often contains dates and dried fruits), which is included on the Seder plate to commemorate the mortar which the Israelites used to build bricks in Egypt.
- Hasidim
A type of Orthodox Judaism that is particularly noted for its inclusion of singing, dance, ecstatic worship, and storytelling in its religious practice. The largest Hasidic group in America today isChabad.
- Hatafat Dam Brit
The ritual drawing of a single drop of blood from the penis of a man who was previously circumcised, but did not have a religious brit milah. This is a requirement for conversion for men in the Conservative and Orthodox Traditions.
- Hatikvah
The Hope. Israel's national anthem, written by Naphtali Hirsch Imber, which speaks of the 2,000 year long Jewish yearning to return to the Land of Israel.
- Havdalah
The brief ceremony that concludes Shabbat, which includes four blessings said over a cup of wine, a braided candle, and a spice-box. After the blessings have been said, the candle is extinguished in the wine and all wish each other a Shavuah Tov, a good week.
- Hazzan (Cantor)
A branch of Jewish clergy who specialize in leading services and preserving the rich Jewish musical tradition. Synagogue services will often be officiated by a rabbi and a hazzan, and hazzanim are empowered to lead many Jewish lifecycle rituals including weddings and funerals.
- Heksher
A printed certification that a particular food is kosher. The most common heksher in the United States is issued by the Orthodox Union, and looks like a small letter u within a circle. Hekshers will often also indicate if a food is fleshig, milchig, or pareve, and whether it may be eaten on Passover.
- Hesped
A eulogy, delivered at a funeral. It is common practice today for friends and family members to join the rabbi in delivering eulogies at a funeral.
- Hevre Kadisha
The holy society. A group of volunteers who take responsibility for ritually preparing a body for Jewish burial, including performing the traditional washing of the body (taharah), dressing the body in shrouds (takhrikhin), and sitting watch with the body (shmirah) until burial.
- Hillel
One of the earliest rabbinic figures, who taught in the 1st century BCE, and was famous for teaching that the essential message of the Jewish Tradition is: What is hateful to you, dont do to othersthe rest is commentary.
- Hol HaMoed
The intermediate days of Sukkot and Passover, which are not considered hag and on which work is permitted, but certain rituals-- including dwelling in the sukkah or refraining from eating hametz-- continue.
- Huppah
The wedding canopy, symbolic of a couple's first shared home as a married couple, under which the wedding takes place. The huppah should be open on all sides and is generally held up by four poles, which special guests may be honored by being asked to hold.
- Isaac
The second Jewish patriarch, married to Rebekah, generally overshadowed by his more dynamic father, Abraham, and wily son, Jacob. Isaac is the first and only character in the Bible who is described as having loved his wife.
- Isaac Luria
Luria, often referred to as ha-Ari, the Lion, was a mystical figure who lived in the Northern Israeli city of Tsfat in the 16th century. His complex doctrine includes an alternate Creation story, in which the world is created through a explosion of God's light, and the purpose of existence is to re-collect and liberate the hidden sparks of God that exist throughout the Universe.
- Jacob/Israel
The third Jewish patriarch, married to Rachel and Leah and the father of thirteen children (twelve boys and a girl) who begins his life as a trickster, but has a transformative, late night encounter with an angel, earning him the new name of Israel, meaning one who wrestles with God.
- Jerusalem
Israel's 3,000 year old capitol city, established by King David and the former site of the holy Temple. Today, a thriving, complex metropolis considered sacred by each of the world's three major monotheistic faiths.
- Joseph
The son of Jacob and Rachel, who is sold into slavery in Egypt, only to use his power for interpreting dreams to rise to great power and save his family from famine. The Joseph story is one of the richest and most detailed narratives in the Torah, and is found in Genesis 37-50.
- Joseph Karo
The 16th century author of the Shulchan Aruch, still the most authoritative code of Jewish law.
- Kabbalah
Jewish mysticism: the branch of Jewish thought which attempts to describe exactly who and what God is, and seeks to experience God's Presence directly. There have been many kabalistic systems developed over time, including the ideas presented in the Zohar in the 13th century, and those of Isaac Luria in Tsfat in the 16th century.
- Kabbalat Shabbat
The series of psalms and prayers that begin the Friday evening service, centered around the poem Lecha Dodi, which personifies Shabbat as a queen or a bride and welcomes her to join us with blessings of rest and of peace.
- Kaddish
The Aramaic prayer recited by mourners and those who are observing the anniversary of a death. Even though the Kaddish is associated with bereavement, it never mentions death-- instead it focuses on sanctifying God and giving thanks for the gift of life. Different versions of the Kaddish are also recited throughout the service by the leader, as a way of punctuating the beginning and end of different units of prayer.
- Karpas
Green vegetables, symbolizing Spring and re-birth, which are dipped in salt water, symbolizing tears, as part of the Passover seder. In addition to the traditional parsley and salt water, if you are hosting a seder you may wish to include other vegetables and dips as a way of keeping your guests full and willing to engage in the long story-telling and discussion, rather than ravenously rushing to get to the meal.
- Kashrut
The Jewish dietary laws. This system of law, which includes restrictions on eating the flesh of certain animals (pork, shellfish, etc), the separation of meat and dairy, and specific regulations about how animals are slaughtered and prepared, introduce spiritual discipline and awareness to the act of consumption.
- Kavannah
Intention and inwardness in prayer. Praying with kavanna means focusing not just on the mechanical act of prayer, but on the meaning of the words and often includes spontaneous, free-form prayer from the heart, as opposed to the fixed liturgy (keva) of the prayerbook.
- Kavod Ha-Met
Honoring the dead. This is the general principle that all the rituals we do between the time of death and the burial are meant to show honor to the body of the person who has died. We do this by treating the body simply, washing it and dressing it in plain shrouds, and burying it as soon as possible, general within 72 hours, if not sooner.
- Kedushah
Holiness. Leviticus 19, the famous Holiness Code, begins with the commandment: Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy. As Jews we are commanded to sanctify all aspects of life, and to strive for both ritual and moral holiness in all of our actions.
- Ketubah
The Jewish wedding document, which outlines the terms of the commitment between the partners in the couple. The ketubah is signed by two witnesses prior to the wedding ceremony and serves as a reminder of both the joys and duties of marriage.
- Ketuvim
Writings. The third and final section of the Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible, which contains within it a miscellany of material-- ranging from the poetry of Psalms and the Song of Songs, to the wisdom of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, to the moral meditations of Job, to the bawdy court farce of Esther, to the history of Chronicles and Ezra. Five of the scrolls from Ketuvim, called Megillot, are read on Jewish holidays: Esther on Purim, Song of Songs on Pesah, Ruth on Shavuot, Lamentations of Tisha b'Av, and Ecclesiastes on Sukkot.
- Keva
Spiritual discipline and repetition in prayer. This is the form of Jewish prayer, often contrasted with kavannah, which is fixed and formal and is found in the siddur, the Hebrew prayerbook. While our culture generally favors spontaneous prayer over fixed liturgy, it is important to reflect on the fact that it is often only through consistency and dedication that spiritual insight may be achieved.
- Kibbutz
A collective, utopian farming community in Israel. Much of the early settlement of the modern state of Israel came through the kibbutzim, and while they have significantly changed in recent decades, they remain a vital and distinctive piece of Israeli culture.
- Kiddush
The prayer, recited over a cup of wine, which begins Shabbat or a holiday meal.
- Kiddushin
The exchange of rings and declarations in the first half of the traditional Jewish wedding ceremony, which sanctifies the couple to one another and formally binds them in matrimony. Sometimes also referred to as erusin.
- Kippah
The traditional Jewish head covering, worn while engaging in prayer, study, or eating, which indicates respect for God. Some wear the kippah at all times, to indicate that they are always in the Presence of the Divine. Also referred to as a yarmulke, in Yiddish.
- Kitniyot
Additional grains and other foods forbidden by the Ashkenazi rabbis (though not the Sephardim) during Passover, including corn, soy, rice, and beans.
- Kol Nidre
The famous, majestic declaration chanted on Erev Yom Kippur, which releases us from promises made over the previous year that we meant to keep but were unable to fulfill. This prayer has come to be so important that the entire Erev Yom Kippur service is generally referred to simply as Kol Nidre.
- Kriah
The ritual of tearing a garment (now, most often performed symbolically on a black ribbon attached to one's shirt over the chest) by the close mourners at the start of a funeral service, as a way of symbolizing the heartbreak of loss.
- Kvatter/Kvatterin
The honor of carrying in the baby to the brit milah or simchat bat. From the German word for godparent.
- L'Shanah Ha'ba'ah B'Yerushalayim
Next year in Jerusalem! The final, hopeful words of the Passover seder expressing the belief that just as the Israelites were liberated from Egyptian slavery, so too someday soon, Jews will be able to freely return to a Jerusalem at peace.
- L'Shanah Tovah
Happy New Year. The traditional greeting for Rosh HaShanah. May be extended to L'Shanah Tovah Tikateivu, meaning May you be inscribed in the Book of Life for a good new year.
- Ladino
A mixture of Spanish and Hebrew, spoken by Jews throughout the Sephardic world.
- Lag BOmer
The 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, celebrated as a minor holiday. Traditions for Lag BOmer include building bonfires, getting haircuts, and having weddings.
- Law of Return
The Israeli law, passed in 1950, which permits Jews anywhere in the world to come to Israel and immediately receive citizenship. The Law of Return applies to those who have only one Jewish parent, and also to converts through any religious movement.
- Leah
The first wife of Jacob, and mother of six of their sons and their only daughter.
- Leviticus
The third book of the Torah, which focuses primarily on ritual law, but also contains some of the Torah's most important ethical pronouncements, including the obligation to love your neighbor as yourself. (Leviticus 19:18).
- Lulav
The collection of palm, willow, and myrtle branches that, together with the etrog, are waved on Sukkot as a celebration of God's bounty and as part of a ritual prayer for rain.
- LChaim
To Life! the quintessential Jewish toast at any festive occasion.
- Ma'ariv
The evening service, one of the three daily prayer periods for Jews. Ma'ariv is related to the Hebrew word, Erev, meaning evening.
- Makhzor
The High Holy Day prayerbook, which is distinct from the siddur which is used year-round. The current makhzor in use by the Conservative Movement is Machzor Lev Shalem, available for purchase by clicking here.
- Maror
Bitter herbs eaten on Passover to commemorate the suffering of Egyptian slavery. For a truly mind and sinus-blowing experience, try substituting wasabi for the traditional horseradish.
- Martin Buber
A 20th century Jewish philosopher who is best known for his concept of I-Thou, which teaches that we encounter God through our most intense and personal relationships with one another.
- Matzah
The unleavened cracker bread that is the central symbol of Passover. Matzah commemorates the rush with which the Israelites left slavery, not even taking time to allow their bread to rise. So too, when faced with the opportunity of liberation, we should rush to grab it and not let it slip through our fingers.
- Mazal Tov
Lit. Good luck, though almost always used to mean Congratulations. Another alternative is Yashar Koach, which also means that someone has done well.
- Medinat Yisrael
The State of Israel.
- Megillah
One of the five scrolls from Ketuvim which are read on several of the Jewish holidays. The most famous megillah is Esther, which is chanted on Purim and when someone refers simply to the Megillah they are almost always talking about the Book of Esther.
- Melakha
Creative labor, forbidden on Shabbat. Shabbat is a day of rest and peace, and the Jewish Tradition strictly regulates the performance of any action that creates, destroys, otherwise changes the world during that 25 hour period. Instead, we are taught to live in harmony with the planet and to accept whatever we currently have with gratitude. Example of melakha include: writing, purchasing, building, cooking, or making a fire.
- Menorah
The generic Hebrew word for lamp. A Hanukiyah is a special form of menorah with nine branches that is used on Hanukkah. The seven branched menorah, the kind that was found in the ancient Temple, is the official symbol of the contemporary State of Israel.
- Mensch
Yiddish: A good, moral, upstanding person. The highest aspiration of a Jewish parent is to raise a child to be a mensch.
- Mezuzah
The box placed on the doorposts of a Jewish home, containing the words of the Sh'ma and the proceeding paragraph from Deuteronomy which commands that we take these words to heart... and write them on the doorposts of our homes and on our gates.
- Midrash
Rabbinic exegesis, legends, and expansion on the Biblical texts. The Jewish Tradition has always seen our sacred texts as works in progress, to which we add new layers of interpretation in every succeeding generation.
- Mikvah
The ritual pool, which we immerse in order to purify ourselves and mark significant transitions in life. Converts use the mikvah to affirm their place in the Jewish People, brides and grooms visit the mikvah to enter their marriage in a state of holiness, others use the mikvah to give spiritual depth to major life events. Traditional couples also use the mikvah to mark the end of a woman's monthly menstrual cycle and for purification before resuming sexual relations, in accordance with the Laws of Family Purity (Taharat ha-Mishpaha).
- Milchig (Chalavi)
Foods containing dairy ingredients, which the Jewish dietary laws teach should be kept separate from foods containing meat.
- Mincha
The afternoon prayer service, which is the shortest of the three daily prayer times, on weekdays consisting only of the recitation of a psalm (Ashrei), the Amidah, Aleinu, and the Kaddish.
- Minhag
A custom, as distinct from a mitzvah which is a commandment. Many well-worn Jewish practices, like wearing a kippah or refraining from eating kitniyot on Pesah, are examples of minhagim rather than actual laws.
- Minyan
The quorum of ten, adult Jews necessary to be able to say certain prayers, including the Kaddish, and to read publicly from the Torah. In the Orthodox world, a minyan must be made up of ten adult Jewish men: however, in the Conservative and Reform traditions, both Jewish men and women past the age of Bar/Bat Mitzvah count in a minyan.
- Miriam's Cup
A recent addition to the Passover table-- today, many families put out a cup of water commemorating the miracle of Miriam's well, which followed the sister of Moses throughout the desert to provide the people with water. This, and other new customs honoring women's contributions to Jewish history, are part of an ongoing effort in the progressive Jewish movements to integrate feminist teaching into Judaism's traditionally more patriarchal structure.
- Mishloach Manot
The Purim tradition of sending gifts of food to friends and loved ones to commemorate this joyful holiday.
- Mishnah
The earliest collection of rabbinic teachings, written in Hebrew and edited in Israel around 200 CE. The Mishnah contains discussions of a wide range of issues, from holidays to civil and criminal law, from prayer to lifecycle rituals. Unlike a traditional law code, the Mishnah is written in the form of discussions and debates, with both majority and minority opinions recorded.
- Mishneh Torah
The first, comprehensive code of Jewish law, written by Maimonides in the 12th century. Mishneh Torah literally means, Second Torah, and Maimonides' goal was to create a work that was so simple and complete that one need only read the original Torah (written by God) and the Second Torah (written by him) in order to know everything one needed to know to live an observant Jewish life.
- Mitzvah
Though often mistranslated as a good deed, a mitzvah is in fact a religious commandment. Some mitzvot are primarily ethical, such as the commandment to give charity to the poor or to feed the hungry, while other mitzvot are primarily ritual, such as the commandment to light Shabbat candles or to refrain from eating pork. Some argue that the origin of the word mitzvah comes from the Aramaic root meaning to connect, which is to say that the mitzvot are our unique Jewish means of connecting with God and with each other.
- Mizrahi
While most older Jewish texts only make reference to Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews, many Jews from the Arabian Peninsula and Iran refer to themselves as Mizrahi, meaning Eastern.
- Mohel
A Mohel is a person trained to perform ritual circumcisions (milah). Today, many mohelim are also physicians: though some who are not doctors are extremely experienced in the procedure (it is said that the Queen of England used a mohel, rather than a doctor, to circumcise her son and grandchildren, because of their expertise.)
- Moses
The principle character, along with God, in the Torah. Moses was a Hebrew, raised in privilege in the Egyptian palace, who receives a call from God to lead his People to freedom. Moses serves as the leader and teacher of the Jewish People through the Exodus and their forty year journey in the wilderness, dying just before they are to cross over into the Promised Land. Moses is such a central personality that the Torah is often referred to as the Five Books of Moses.
- Moshiach (Messiah)
Jewish Tradition teaches that someday a messianic figure will emerge who will inaugurate an era of universal peace and justice, when nation will not lift up sword against nation, and neither shall they again know war. Judaism does not accept Jesus as the messiah because this time of justice and peace clearly has not yet arrived. The Messianic era is often connected with the figure of Elijah the Prophet, who we invoke on Passover, as well at the brit milah and Havdalah ceremonies.
- Motzi
The blessing before eating a meal containing bread. It goes like this: Barukh ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melekh ha-Olam, ha-motzi lechem min ha-aretz meaning, Blessed are You, God of all the Universe, who brings forth bread from the Earth.
- Musaf
The additional prayer service, added following the Torah reading, on Shabbat morning. This commemorates the additional offering that was given on Shabbat in the Temple, and reflects the additional leisure time we have on Shabbat to dedicate to prayer and community. Musaf is generally only a part of Conservative and Orthodox prayer services, Reform and Reconstructionist communities tend to skip it.
- Neilah
The final prayer service of Yom Kippur, recited in the late afternoon before the Ark, which remains open the entire time. Neilah means locking, and its dominant image is that of the gates of heaven swinging shut at the end of a long day of prayer and spiritual introspection. Neilah concludes with a long blast of the shofar.
- Ner Tamid
The eternal light, present in most synagogue sanctuaries, which remains perpetually on as a symbol of God's Presence in the space. An eternal flame was kept lit in the Temple, and the story of Hanukkah centers around the Maccabees' efforts to re-light it upon recapturing the Sanctuary.
- Netilat Yadayim
The prayer recited after ritually washing hands before eating bread. The traditional hand-washing is modeled after the way that the priests used to purify themselves before offering sacrifices. Water is first poured into a vessel, and then spilled over each hand three times. After completing the hand-washing and saying the blessing, it is customary to maintain silence until bread has been eaten.
- Nevi'im
Prophets. The second section of the Tanakh or Hebrew Bible, which can be further divided into two sections-- Early and Later Prophets. The early prophetic books are actually more historical in orientation, telling the story of the conquest of the Land of Israel, the establishment of the Jewish monarchy, and the construction of the First Temple. The later prophets include the prophecies of figures like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Amos who preach social justice and a return to God in poignant poetry.
- Nihum Avelim
Comforting mourners. Following the completion of the burial rites, Jewish mourning rituals turn their attention from honoring the deceased to caring for the bereaved. Practices like sitting shiva and reciting Kaddish are meant to give the mourner the strength and support to come to terms with their loss and begin to heal.
- Numbers
The fourth book of the Torah begins with the decampment of the Israelites from the base of Mount Sinai, and follows them through their forty year trek through the wilderness. Famous stories from the Book of Numbers include the incident of the Twelve Spies, the rebellion of Korach, and the prophecy of Balaam.
- Omer
The period between Passover and Shavuot is referred to as the Counting of the Omer, referencing the ancient practice of bringing sheaves from the barley harvest each day during this time. Every evening, beginning with the 2nd night of Passover and culminating with Shavuot, a special prayer is recited and the day is counted. Some Jews refrain from shaving or cutting their hair, as well as getting married, during the Omer period (except on Lag BOmer).
- Oral Torah
Jewish Tradition maintains that along with the Written Torah that was given at Mount Sinai, there was a companion Oral tradition which was also transmitted by God to the Jewish People. It is this Oral Tradition that eventually comes to be written down in the Mishnah and the Gemara and forms the backbone of the rabbinic Judaism that we practice today.
- Orthodox
Orthodox Judaism affirms the eternally binding and essentially unchanging nature of Jewish law, and thus resists making compromises with modernity. Orthodox Judaism is a diverse branch of the Jewish People, containing both Modern Orthodox Jews who obtain secular educations and keep traditional practice while pursuing professional careers, and ultra-Orthodox Jews who tend to reject all aspects of the contemporary world and insulate themselves against secular education and society which they perceive as a threat.
- Pareve
A food that is neither meat nor dairy, and can thus be eaten with either. Pareve foods include fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, eggs, and fish. One should be careful to check the ingredients of processed foods, as sometimes they will contains dairy or animal based ingredients.
- Parsha
The Torah is divided into fifty-four sections, with one read each week on Shabbat, in order to complete the reading of the entire Torah each year. When the Torah is completed, on the Fall holiday of Simchat Torah, we immediately roll back to the beginning and start the reading again, to indicate that the study of Torah goes on forever.
- Pentateuch
- first 5 books of Bible: the first five books of the Bible, traditionally attributed to Moses.
- Pesah
Passover. Pesah is the Jewish festival commemorating our liberation from Egyptian slavery. Observed for eight days in the Spring, we refrain from eating hametz, leavened products, instead substituting matzah which symbolizes our freedom. We hold ritual meals, called seders, in which we re-tell and even act-out portions of the story of our Exodus. One of the most important ideas of Pesah is that we are meant to truly identify with the story of our liberation, to not just think of it as something that happened once in history to our ancestors, but, as the Haggadah says, in every generation we are to see ourselves as though we personally came out of Egypt.
- Pikuach Nefesh
Saving a life. Halakha requires that in any case where Jewish ritual practice endangers life or health, that we set aside ritual punctiliousness in favor of human compassion. For example, a pregnant woman or a diabetic is exempt from fasting on Yom Kippur, because to do so would compromise their health or the health of their baby.
- Prophet
The Prophets of Israel, recorded in the Hebrew Bible, are primarily concerned with summoning the Jewish People to return to true religious faith and particularly to care for the plight of the most vulnerable among them. The orations of prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, and Micah are among the most beautiful texts in Jewish Scripture.
- Psalms
The Psalms, traditionally believed to have been composed by King David, are a collection of one hundred and fifty poems to God found in the Hebrew Bible. The tone of the Psalms range from songs of praise to outcries of rage, and many of them have become well known classics of religious literature, like Psalm 23 which begins: The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want... About one third of the Hebrew prayerbook is made up of material originally found in the Book of Psalms.
- Purim
The joyful holiday which commemorates the victory of Queen Esther and her cousin, Mordechai, over the wicked royal vizier Haman, in ancient Persia. Haman wanted to destroy the Jewish community of the City of Shushan based on a personal grudge against Mordechai, who refused to bow to him. It is up to Esther, a Jewish woman who had become an unlikely Queen through winning a royal beauty pageant, to save her People. Purim is celebrated with costume parties and carnivals, as well as the reading of the Megillah of Esther and the giving of Mishloach Manot, gifts of food to friends, as well as charity to the poor. On topsy-turvy Purim, it is traditional to drink a little bit too much, until one is unsure who is the hero and who is the villain of this ancient tale.
- Rabbi
A term of respect meaning, my teacher, given to those who have received ordination as clergy in the Jewish Tradition. The first Rabbis emerge in the last centuries before the Common Era, and are the figures who update Judaism for a post-Temple era and compose the Talmud. Today, in the Orthodox community only men can serve as a rabbis: however, in the Conservative and Reform communities both men and women study and receive rabbinic ordination.
- Rachel
The most beloved wife of Jacob and the last of the Jewish Matriarchs, whose two children are Joseph and Benjamin.
- Rambam (Maimonides)
1135-1204 CE. The greatest Jewish legalist and philosopher of the medieval period, author of the Mishneh Torah and the Guide for the Perplexed.
- Rashi
The greatest commentator of the Tanakh and the Talmud, who lived and wrote in 11th century France. Jewish texts are almost always studied together with Rashis comments.
- Rebekah
The second Jewish matriarch, wife of Isaac and mother of Jacob and Esau. She is the one who decides that her familys line with run through her younger son, Jacob, and constructs a plan to trick her blind husband into bestowing his blessing on her favored child.
- Reconstructionist
The Reconstructionist Movement is based on the thought of Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan, who taught that Judaism should be seen as a civilization, rather than just as a religion complete with its own language, culture, art, and folkways. Reconstructionist Judaism tends to de-emphasize both a supernatural God and idea of Jews as the Chosen People.
- Reform
The Reform Movement began in 19th century Germany as a response to the Enlightenment and the emancipation of the Jews from full citizenship in Western Europe. The early leaders of the Reform Movement sought to modernize Judaism by adopting many features of the Protestant Church, including services in the vernacular, long sermons, choral and instrumental music in services, even changing the day of Shabbat to Sunday. The Reform Movement maintains that while Judaisms ethical commandments remain in force, the ritual mitzvot are no longer binding on contemporary Jews. In recent decades, the Reform Movement has begun to re-emphasize the importance of ritual and the use of Hebrew in services.
- Rosh HaShanah
The Jewish New Year, celebrated over two days in the Fall. Rosh HaShanah is a time for contemplating the events of the past year, and resolving to make change (teshuvah) in anticipation of Yom Kippur. The most important symbol of Rosh HaShanah is the shofar, or rams horn, which is blown one hundred times over each day of the holiday and is used to stir the soul to wakefulness and repentance. In addition to synagogue services, Jews often gather for festive meals on Rosh HaShanah, at which Ashkenazim eat apples dipped in honey for a sweet new year, and Sephardim eat a variety of traditional foods each with a symbolic meaning.
- Rosh Hodesh
The beginning of the new Hebrew month, starting with the New Moon. In antiquity, these would be major festivals. Today, they are only minor observances marked by the recitation of Hallel, a collection of joyful Psalms, in the synagogue. The Hebrew months (beginning in the Spring with the month that contains Passover) are: Nissan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz, Av, Elul, Tishrei, Heshvan, Kislev, Tevet, Shvat, and Adar.
- Ruth
The Book of Ruth is chanted on Shavuot, and tells the story of one of the first converts to Judaism. Ruth is a non-Jew, married to an Israelite. After she is widowed, she chooses to stay with her mother-in-law, Naomi, and adopt her faith with the famous words: Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.
- Sandek
The sandek is the individual given the honor of holding a baby boy during his circumcision. This is the highest honor given at a Brit Milah, and is often given to a family patriarch such as a grandfather or uncle.
- Sarah
The first Jewish matriarch wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac and a powerful force in shaping her familys future.
- Seder
The festive, symbolism-rich meal for Passover, in which we re-tell and re-experience the story of the Exodus from Egypt. The seder is conducted out of the haggadah and remains one of the most practiced of all Jewish rituals.
- Sephardic
Jews who trace their ancestry back to the countries of the Mediterranean region: including, Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Israel, and North Africa.
- Seudat Shlishit
The third meal on late Shabbat afternoon, which is understood by the Jewish mystical tradition to be the most spiritually powerful time of the day and is accompanied by singing, teaching, and storytelling.
- Shabbat
The greatest of Jewish spiritual institutions an entire day each week dedicated to rest, relationship, and gratitude for lifes blessings. From sundown on Friday night, until the appearance of three stars in the sky on Saturday, the Jewish Tradition forbids us from engaging in any form of creative labor, instead commanding us to just accept and appreciate the world as it is. During the course of Shabbat, we eat communal meals, attend synagogue services, spend time with our families and friends, and engage in restorative activities that renew us for the week ahead.
- Shabbat Shalom
The traditional greeting for Shabbat. May you have a Shabbat of peace.
- Shacharit
The morning prayer service. This is longest of the three daily prayer services, including the recitation of Psalms, the Shma, the Amidah, and other prayers. On Shabbat, as well as on Mondays and Thursdays, we read from the Torah at Shacharit services. Shacharit is also the time for wearing ritual garb, including tallit and (on weekdays only) tefilin.
- Shalom
Peace, wholeness, completion. Nearly all Jewish prayer services close with a prayer for peace.
- Shalosh Regalim
The Three Pilgrimage Festivals Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot when the Israelites would all travel to the Temple in Jerusalem. These correspond with the three major harvest seasons Spring, Summer, and Fall of the year. Passover and Sukkot are both eight day long festivals, while Shavuot lasts for just two days.
- Shamash
Helper. On Hanukkah, the candle used to light the other candles.
- Shavuot
The holiday commemorating the establishment of the covenant at Mount Sinai. Shavuot is celebrated by staying up late at night (some stay up all night) and studying, in commemoration of the revelation. Traditionally, Jews eat dairy foods on Shavuot, symbolizing that Torah is like mothers milk to us. In the synagogue, the Book of Ruth is recited.
- Shechita
The method of kosher slaughter, involving an extremely sharp knife and a single cut to the animals throat, rendering an almost immediate and painless death.
- Shehehiyanu
The blessing for all new things the first day of a holiday, the first cherries of summer, the first time wearing a new set of clothes, the arrival at a significant birthday or lifecycle moment. The words are: Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha-olam, sheheheyanu vkiyemanu, vhigiyanu lzman ha-zeh meaning, Blessed are You God, who has kept us alive, and sustained us, and allowed us to reach this special time.
- Sheva Brakhot
The Seven Blessings from the Talmud that are recited to a couple during their wedding. The words speak about the primordial love between the first two human beings in the Garden of Eden, and of the love of a world redeemed with the coming of the Messiah.
- Shiva
The seven day period of intense mourning, beginning with the day of burial. During the shiva period, the mourners are encouraged to stay at home while the community comes to them to offer comfort and support, and to form a minyan so that the bereaved can recite Kaddish. On the morning of the seventh day, the mourners get up from shiva and symbolically walk outside, indicating the start of their return to the world.
- Shloshim
The 30 day mourning period following burial. After the conclusion of shiva, the next 21 days are designated for less intense mourning the bereaved returns to work, but doesnt attend parties or social gatherings, and men may refrain from shaving. During this period, mourners traditionally visit the synagogue every day, or at least every Shabbat, in order to recite the Kaddish.
- Shmini Atzeret
The eighth and final day of the festival of Sukkot is considered a special holiday unto itself, when work is prohibited. Yizkor, the special prayer service for those who have died, is recited in the synagogue on this day.
- Shoah
The Hebrew word for the Nazi genocide of the Jewish community of Europe during WWII. Many prefer this word, which means destruction, to the more common word Holocaust, which originally refers to a burnt offering.
- Shofar
The rams horn, which is blown on the High Holy Days. The cry of the shofar is meant to arouse one to spiritual wakefulness and to stir the desire to do teshuvah. It is blown on each of the days of Elul leading up to the High Holy Days, one hundred times on Rosh HaShanah, and at the close of Yom Kippur services.
- Shul
The Yiddish word for synagogue. More commonly used in Orthodox and Conservative communities.
- Shulchan Arukh
The most authoritative code of Jewish Law ever produced. Written by Rabbi Joseph Karo, with additional notes by Rabbi Moses Isserles, it is one of the few Jewish legal books that contains both the Ashkenazi and the Sephardic interpretations of most laws.
- Shma
The central declaration of Jewish faith: Shma Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad, meaning Hear O Israel, Adonai is our God, Adonai is One. The Shma is recited morning and evening, as well as immediately before going to bed. It is the first Hebrew phrase taught to small children, and the last words that one is supposed to say before dying. From Deuteronomy 6:4.
- Shmirat ha-Lashon
The mitzvah of guarding ones tongue from hurtful, destructive, or gossipy speech, often referred to as lashon ha-ra.
- Siddur
The Jewish prayerbook, which contains the liturgy for both weekdays and holidays (except the High Holy Days, on which we use the machzor.) Each movement publishes their own siddur, the most common one in the Conservative Movement is Siddur Sim Shalom, available for purchase here.
- Simchat Bat
The ceremony welcoming a baby girl and giving her a Hebrew name.
- Simchat Torah
A joyful holiday celebrating the completion of the annual Torah reading cycle, and its restarting. We remove the Torah scrolls from the Ark and sing and dance with them. Then we read the final chapters of Deuteronomy and immediately roll the Torah all the way back to Genesis and begin reading again, demonstrating that the learning of Torah goes on forever.
- Sinai
The mountain, also referred to in parts of the Torah as Horeb, at which the Israelites encamp and formally enter into their covenant with God by receiving the Torah.
- Six Day War
In June 1967, Israel fought a war with all of her neighbors simultaneously. In less than a week, it had more than doubled in size, capturing the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, Sinai Peninsula, and all of Jerusalem. Many of the political conflicts in Israel today, especially the question of Israeli-Palestinian relations, are largely a debate over the fate of the territories conquered during that war.
- Sukkah
The temporary structures, reminiscent of what the Israelites might have dwelt in during their desert journey, are built each Fall during the harvest festival of Sukkot. A sukkah requires at least two and a half walls, and an open roof through which one can see the stars. During the week of Sukkot, many people transfer most of their activities into the sukkah: eat meals, visiting with friends, even sleeping outdoors.
- Sukkot
The eight day harvest festival, celebrated in the Fall. In memory of our ancestors journey through the desert, we construct temporary structures and spend as much of our time as possible in them. We also shake the lulav, a collection of leafy branches, and etrog, a citrus fruit, which likely began as an ancient ritual to summon the winter rains. Sukkot is a joyful holiday, for focusing on gratitude for lifes bounty.
- Taharah
Purification. The ritual washing of a body, prior to burial.
- Taharat Ha-Mishpaha
Family Purity. This refers to the practice, common among Orthodox Jews, but not among more liberal Jews, of refraining from sexual intimacy during and immediately following a womans menstrual period. After the completion of her period, a woman who follows these laws will wait a number of days and then immerse in the mikvah, after which she can return to sexual partnership.
- Takhrikhin
The simple, linen shrouds that a body is dressed in for burial.
- Tallit
The prayer shawl, which has four tzitzit, fringes, tied to its corners as reminders of the mitzvot. Jews wear a tallit during daytime prayer services.
- Talmud
The collection of rabbinic discussions from approximately 100 BCE- 500 CE, which form the heart of Jewish life and practice. The Rabbis of the Talmud re-created Judaism for a world without a Temple, enabling it to be practiced without the giving of sacrifices in a sacred shrine. The Talmud expands upon some of the Torahs laws, like the laws of Shabbat or kashrut, and limits the applicability of others, like the laws regarding capital punishment or warfare.
- Talmud Torah
The mitzvah of engaging in Jewish learning. Study is a lifelong pursuit, and an essential component of living a Jewish life.
- Tanakh
An acronym for the Hebrew Bible (what the non-Jewish world often refers to as the Old Testament. The first part of the Tanakh is the Torah, which is comprised of its first five books, the second division is Neviim, meaning Prophets, and the third section is Ketuvim, meaning writings.
- Tashlikh
A folk ritual, practiced in between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, which involves going down to a body of water and casting either bread crumbs or something similar onto the water as a way of symbolically throwing away our sins from the year past.
- Tefilah
Prayer. The word tefilah comes from the Hebrew root meaning to judge/examine oneself. True prayer is a reflective activity, finding and expressing the words and emotions that are contained in the deepest part of the heart.
- Tefilin
The leather boxes which are bound onto the arm and forehead with straps, and contain the words of the Shma and the commandment to love God with all ones heart, soul, and might. Tefilin are worn during weekday morning prayer services.
- Teshuvah
Repentance. Stemming from the Hebrew root meaning return, teshuvah is the process of identifying our transgressions and making amends with others, with God, and with ourselves. The month of Elul, leading up to the High Holy Days, is dedicated to taking stock of ones actions, and the ten days which connect Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, are designated for actively doing teshuvah by seeking out those we have wronged and asking their forgiveness. The Jewish tradition is clear that Yom Kippur only effects teshuvah between people and God, teshuvah between people must come from actively reaching out to those we have harmed.
- Theodor Hertzl
The most important early advocate of modern, political Zionism. Hertzl popularized the idea of rebuilding a Jewish State with his writings and speeches. He is most famous for the phrase: If you will it, it is not a dream.
- Tikkun Olam
Healing the World. Many believe that Judaisms essential mission is to teach people to be Gods partners in healing the brokenness in the world. By actions big and small, ritual and ethical, we can all take part in making a more peaceful, compassionate, holy planet.
- Tisha bAv
The 9th of Av, which commemorates all of the tragedies and persecutions of Jewish Historyincluding the destruction of the First and Second Temples. Tisha bAv is observed by fastingand the chanting of the Book of Lamentations (Eicha).
- Tishrei
The Hebrew month that contains the High Holy Days. Rosh HaShanah is observed on the 1st and 2nd of Tishrei, and Yom Kippur on the 10th of Tishrei.
- Torah
- The five books of Moses: the Jewish Pentateuch, or a parchment scroll on which the Pentateuch is written for use in services in synagogues
- Jewish scripture: the collective body of Jewish teaching embodied in the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud
- Treif
- Tu B'Shvat
The Jewish Arbor Daythis minor holiday, usually observed in February or March, celebrates trees and nature.
- Tzaar Baalei Hayim
The mitzvah of showing compassion to animals. While the Jewish Tradition permits the consumption of meat, it is a violation of Jewish law to raise or slaughter animals in a way that is unethical or causes unnecessary suffering.
- Tzadik
A righteous person. The mystical tradition teaches that there are always at least thirty-six true tzaddikim alive in any given generation, and it is through their merit that the world is sustained.
- Tzedakah
Righteous giving. Unlike the concept of charity, which derives from the Greek word caritas and means kindness, tzedaka comes from the root tzedek, meaning justice. Giving to those in need and to causes that we believe in is not simply an act of kindness, it is our obligation as Jews.
- Tzelem Elohim
The Image of God. One of the fundamental principles of Jewish theology is that all human beings are created in the Image of God (Genesis 1:26), and therefore possess an unalienable dignity and worth.
- Tzitzit
Knotted fringes attached to the corners of the tallit, which serve as reminders of the mitzvot, as commanded in Numbers 15.
- Unveiling
The ceremony for unveiling the gravestone, which generally takes place one year following burial. This is an opportunity for the family to re-gather at the cemetery to remember their loved one and to officially dedicate a memorial in their honor.
- Yad
Hand. The pointer used to keep ones place when reading from the Torah scroll.
- Yarmulke
see, Kippah.
- Yartzeit
The anniversary of a death. On the Yartzeit of a loved one, it is a traditional to light a 24 hour candle, and to go to synagogue on the closest Shabbat to recite Mourners Kaddish.
The four letter, personal name of God. The Name was only pronounced by the High Priest in the Holy of Holies in the Temple on Yom Kippur. Today, when we come to YHVH in the prayerbook, we substitute the word Adonai, meaning my God.
- Yiddish
The primary spoken language of Ashkenazi Jewry, formed from a blend of German and Hebrew. Many common Yiddish words continue to pepper the speech of American Jews.
- Yisrael
One of the primary names of the Jewish People, which comes from the name given to the Patriarch Jacob after his confrontation with the angel in Genesis 37, meaning God-wrestler. This attitude of wrestling with Godasking questions and struggling with faithcharacterizes Jewish religious life.
- Yitzhak Rabin
A decorated general who became a peacemaker, the fifth Prime Minister of the State of Israel and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Rabin was assassinated in 1995 by a Jewish extremist who opposed his attempts to negotiate a settlement with the Palestinians.
- Yizkor
The special memorial service that takes place in the synagogue on Yom Kippur, and on the last day of each of the Shalosh Regalim (Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot). All those who have lost a loved one are invited to stand and say Kaddish.
- Yom Ha-Atzmaut
Israels Independence Day, marking the anniversary of the Israels Declaration of Independence on May 14, 1948. Celebrated on the 5th of Iyar, which generally corresponds to late April or early May.
- Yom Ha-Shoah
Holocaust Memorial Day, commemorating the murder of six million Jews, and five million others, by the Nazis. It is observed on the 27th of Nisan, which generally corresponds to late April or early May.
- Yom Kippur
The Day of Atonement. Yom Kippur is the most sacred day of the Jewish calendar, and is spent in intense prayer, reflection, and fasting. Yom Kippur marks the culmination of annual process of teshuvah examining our past deeds and attempting to reconcile with those whom we have harmed through our words or actions.
- Zeroah (Bone)
The roasted shankbone that is placed on the Passover seder plate, in memory of the Pesach sacrifice which was given in the Temple every year on the holiday.
- Zionism
The belief that the Jewish People is entitled to a state of their own, just like any other people. While Jews longed to return to the Land of Israel for two-thousand years, modern Zionism as a political movement began in Europe in the 19th century.
- Zohar
One of the central texts of Jewish mysticism, which is traditionally ascribed to the 2nd century sage, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, but which first appeared in 13th century Spain and is generally thought to have been composed by the Spanish Jew Moses de Leon. The Zohar is written as a commentary on the Torah and purports to reveal a much deeper, symbolic meaning to the text.