H
Haaretz
Hebrew 1. The earth; 2. An Israeli Newspaper

Hachnasat Bat Lab’rit
Hebrew Covenant service for girls

Hachnasat Kaliah
Hebrew Community financial assistance to help couples wed

Hachnasat Orchim
Hebrew [lit. bringing guests in] Hospitality

HaChoshech
Hebrew The darkness

Hadas (Hadassim pl.)
Hebrew Myrtle branches

Hadassah
Hebrew The Women’s Zionist Organization of America established in 1912

Hadlakat Nerot
Hebrew Kindling the Shabbat candles

Hafroshat Challah
Hebrew Small piece of challah dough burned as remembrance of portion given to the Kohanim in the Beit HaMikdash

Haftarah
Hebrew [lit. final passage] Passage from the Prophets read in the synagogue after the reading from the Torah

Hagbah [picture]
Hebrew Ceremony of lifting the Sefer Torah aloft after it has been read

Haggadah (Haggadot pl.) [picture]
Hebrew [lit. telling] The book from which the Seder service is conducted on Passover

Hakadosh Baruch Hu
Hebrew The Holy One, Blessed Is He

Hakafah (Hakafot pl.)
Hebrew [lit. a circuit] Processions around the synagogue on Simchat Torah

Hakisei Shel Eliyahu
Hebrew Throne of the Prophet Elijah

Halachah (Halachot pl.)
Hebrew 1. The body of Torah law; 2. A particular law

Halachah L’Moshe MiSinai
Hebrew [lit.] A tradition to Moses from Sinai

Halanat HaMeit
Hebrew Delay of burial

Hallel
Hebrew Psalms of thanksgiving

Halutzim (pl.)
Hebrew Zionist pioneers

Halvayat Harnet
Hebrew 1. Funeral service; 2. Burial

Hamar
Hebrew Tomorrow

Hamayim
Hebrew The waters

Hamotzi
Hebrew Blessing over the bread

Hanaah
Hebrew Deriving material benefit

Hanaah Meihameit
Hebrew Deriving benefit from the dead

Har Habayit [picture]
Hebrew Temple Mount

Har Sinai
Hebrew Mount Sinai

HaRachaman
Hebrew [lit.] Merciful One

HaRav Et Riveinu
Hebrew [lit.] Who pleads our cause

HaRova HaYehudi
Hebrew Jewish Quarter (in Jerusalem)

Hashamayim
Hebrew The Heavens

Hashem
Hebrew [lit. The Name] Commonly used to refer to G-d while avoiding casual use of His Name in conversation

Haskalah
Hebrew European Jewish enlightenment (1750-1880)

Hatafat Dam Brit
Hebrew Ritual drawing of blood from the penis of an already-circumcised male convert

Hatikvah
Hebrew [lit. the hope] National anthem of the State of Israel

Hava
Hebrew 1. To fall 2. To be 3. Become 4. Exist 5. Happen

Havdalah
Hebrew [lit. distinction, separation] Saturday evening ceremony marking the end of Shabbat

Havdalah Candle [picture]
Hebrew Braided multi-wicked candle used during Havdalah

Havurah (Havurot pl.)
Hebrew Fellowship

Hayav
Hebrew Forbidden actions that lead to full sanctions

Hayeta
Hebrew Was

Hayom
Hebrew Today

Hazarah b’Teshuva
Hebrew Becoming religiously observant

Hekeish
Hebrew Rational inference

Herem
Hebrew Excommunication from the Jewish community

Herut
Hebrew Right-wing Israeli political party founded in 1948

Hespeid
Hebrew Eulogy

Heter
Hebrew Permission from an halakhic authority

Hey
Hebrew 1. Fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet; 2. Represents the number five

Hidabroot
Hebrew Dialogue

Hiloni
Hebrew Secular

Hod
Hebrew Majesty

Hoom
Hebrew 1. To distract 2. Ring again 3. Make a (great) noise 4. Murmur 5. Roar 6. Discomfit 7. Be moved

Horayot
Hebrew 1. Erroneous judicial rulings; 2. A tractate of Nezikin

Horayot Eduyos
Hebrew 1. A collection of testimonies on various subjects and erroneous rulings of the courts and their rectification; 2. A tractate of Nezikin

Hosha
Hebrew [lit.] To save

Hoshanah Rabbah
Hebrew The seventh day of the festival of Sukkot

Hoshanot
Hebrew Prayers recited on Sukkot asking for God’s protection

Hoshea
Hebrew 1. King of Israel; 2. The tenth book of the Nevi’im (Hosea)

Hotza’at Zera L’Vatalah
Hebrew [lit.] Emitting seed for no purpose

Hovevei Zion
Hebrew [lit. Lovers of Zion] Nineteenth-century CE Russian Jewish Zionist movement

Hozrim B’Teshuva
Hebrew Newly observant Jews

Humrot
Hebrew Stringencies

Hurban HaBayit
Hebrew Destruction of the Temple

I
Igeter
Hebrew Letter

Ikar Ketubah
Hebrew Indebtedness of husband to wife in the ketubah (marriage document)

Ima
Hebrew Mother

Imeinu
Hebrew Our mother

Inuyim
Hebrew 1. Afflictions; 2. Personal afflictions of mourners (i.e. not wearing leather)

Ir David
Hebrew City of David

Itbah al-Yahud
Arabic Slaughter the Jews

Iyar
Hebrew Second month of the Jewish year

Iyov
Hebrew 1. Prophet of the gentiles; 2. The third book of the Ketuvim (Job)

Izmeil
Hebrew Mohel’s knife

J
Note: Words that are translated beginning with a “J” are transliterated with a “Y”

K
Kabbalah
Hebrew [lit. received tradition] Classical Jewish mystical teachings

Kabbalat Ol Mitzvot
Hebrew Accept mitzvot as binding

Kabbalat Shabbat
Hebrew Special prayers and songs welcoming Shabbat

Kaddish
Hebrew Known primarily as the mourner’s prayer or prayer for the dead which declares the Holiness of G-d

Kaddish D’Rabbanan
Hebrew An extended Kaddish recited after study

Kaddish Shalem
Hebrew Complete Kaddish said at the end of a service

Kadeish
Hebrew Sanctification of the day

Kadosh
Hebrew [lit. to set apart] 1. Sacred; 2. Holy

Kaf
Hebrew 1. Eleventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet; 2. Represents the number twenty

Kahal
Hebrew [lit. congregation] Denoted the organized Jewish community in Eastern Europe in the pre-emancipation era

Kallah
Hebrew Bride

Kallah Bereishit
Hebrew [lit. Bride of Bereishit] The person given the aliyah that begins the reading of the Torah anew on Simchat Torah

Kallah HaTorah
Hebrew [lit. Bride of Torah] The person given the aliyah that completes the reading of the Torah anew on Simchat Torah

Karpas [picture]
Hebrew A vegetable similar to parsley or romaine lettuce used in the Passover Seder

Kashrut
Hebrew [lit. fit] Food permitted to be eaten according to Jewish Law

Katuv
Hebrew [lit. what is written] Peshat

Katzir
Hebrew Harvest

Kavanah
Hebrew Spiritual intention

Kayitz
Hebrew Summer

K’dushat HaYom
Hebrew Festival kiddush

Kedusha
Hebrew Declaration of the holiness of God’s Name that is said during the cantor’s repetition of the Amidah

Kefira
Hebrew Heresy

Kehilah (Kehilot pl.)
Hebrew Local communal organization (usually of eastern European Jewry)

Kehunah
Hebrew Priesthood

Kelim
Hebrew 1. Ritual uncleanness of utensils and garments; 2. A tractate of Tohorot

Kereisos
Hebrew 1. Spiritual excision and sin-offerings; 2. A tractate of Kodashim

Keren Kayemet L’Yisrael
Hebrew Jewish National Fun

Keruv/Kiruv
Hebrew [lit. to bring close] Outreach to non-Jews (especially non-Jewish spouses)

Kesef
Hebrew Transmission of an object of monetary value in order to fulfill kinyan (acquisition)

Kesher
Hebrew Connection

Keter (Ketarim pl.)
Hebrew Crown

Keter Kehunah
Hebrew Priestly domain/rule

Keter Malkhut
Hebrew Civil domain/rule

Keter Torah
Hebrew Torah domain/rule

Ketubah [picture]
Hebrew 1. A Jewish marriage contract; 2. A tractate of Nashim

Ketuvim
Hebrew [lit. writings] The third section of the Tanach

Kibbutz (Kibbutzim pl.)
Hebrew Collective farm/settlement in Israel

Kibbutz Galuyot
Hebrew Ingathering of the exiles

Kiddush
Hebrew 1. Blessing said over a glass of wine or grape juice; 2. Refreshments offered after services at a synagogue

Kiddush HaChodesh
Hebrew Sanctification of the New Moon

Kiddush Hashem
Hebrew [lit. sanctification of the Name] Act of martyrdom

Kiddushei Ta’ot
Hebrew Talmudic concept for annulment

Kiddushin
Hebrew 1. The marriage act, laws of genealogy; 2. A tractate of Nashim

Kikar
Hebrew Town/Village square

Kilayim
Hebrew 1. Various kinds of seeds, trees, and animals; 2. A tractate of Zeraim

Kinnim
Hebrew 1. Birds (nests) offerings; 2. A tractate of Kodashim

Kinnor [picture]
Hebrew Harp

Kinot (pl.)
Hebrew Dirges

Kinyan
Hebrew Acquisition

Kippah (Kippot pl.) [picture]
Hebrew Head covering; Skull cap

Kislev
Hebrew Ninth month of the Jewish year

Kissui LaChallot [picture]
Hebrew Challah cover

Kissui Rosh
Hebrew Head covering

Kitniyot
Hebrew Vegetables similar to the five grains (i.e. beans, rice)

Kittel [picture]
Hebrew A white robe worn by a groom, during Yom Kippur services, and as a burial robe

Kitzur Shulchan Aruch
Hebrew Part of the Code of Jewish Law

Klal Yisrael
Hebrew [lit. oneness of Israel] Jewish people

Klezmer
Hebrew Eastern-European instrumental music

Knesset
Hebrew [lit. assembly] Israeli parliament

Kodashim
Hebrew [lit. holy things] The fifth seder of the Mishnah/Talmud

Kof
Hebrew 1. Nineteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet; 2. Represents the number one-hundred

Kohelet
Hebrew The seventh book of the Ketuvim (Ecclesiastes)

Kohen (Kohanim, pl.)
Hebrew Jewish priest

Kohen Gadol
Hebrew Jewish High Priest

Kosher
Yiddish [lit. fit] Food permitted to be eaten according to Jewish Law

Kotel
Hebrew [lit. wall] Abbreviation for Kotel HaMa’arivi

Kotel HaMa’arivi [picture]
Hebrew The Western Wall in Jerusalem

K’riah
Hebrew Ritual rending of one’s clothes upon witnessing or hearing of a relative’s death

K’riat Shema
Hebrew Passage from Torah expressing our faith in G-d’s soverignty and oneness in reward and punishment and redemption

K’sidran
Hebrew In order

Kulmus (Kulmushim, pl.) [picture]
Hebrew Quill

Kumah
Hebrew Arise

Kvater (m)
Hebrew A person who brings the child from the mother to the Sandek for the brit

Kvaterin (f)
Hebrew A person who brings the child from the mother to the Sandek for the brit

K’vod HaChayim
Hebrew Honor of the living

K’vod HaMeit
Hebrew Honor of the dead