Judaism

Jewish Renewal

Jewish Renewal refers to a wide variety of contemporary Jewish movements that emphasize Jewish mystical spirituality, Jewish visionary reform, Jewish social conscience, and Jewish participation in tikkun olam, the “repair of the world.”

Numbers, Book of

The fourth book of the Humash or Five Books of Moses, Numbers (or Bamidbar, meaning ‘In the Wilderness’) details the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness, including the formative events of the twelve spies journeying into Canaan, the rebellion of Korach, the wars against the nations of Moab and Edom, and the deaths of Moses’ siblings, Aaron and Miriam.

Hanukkah; Chanukah

Hanukkah means, literally, "dedication." It is the eight-day Jewish holiday celebrating the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after it was reclaimed from the Seleucid Greeks in 167 BCE. Hanukkah is celebrated with the kindling of the menorah lights and the giving of gifts.

Yom ha-Shoah

Yom ha-Shoah or Holocaust Remembrance Day has been added to the yearly Jewish calendar in order to remember the Holocaust or Shoah, and thus to insure that such a crime against humanity will not be repeated again. Most importantly, it is a day to remember what was lost.

havdalah

Havdalah means distinction or division, referring specifically to the Jewish ritual that marks the end of Shabbat, the distinction between the holy day and the weekday.

Noah

Noah was the descendant of Adam whose story is told in the biblical narrative of Genesis 6-9. He built an ark and saved himself and his family from a flood, taking with him pairs of animals of all kinds. After the earth was devastated by flood, God made a covenant with Noah, sealed by the rainbow, never again to destroy the earth. Noah is also cited as a prophet in the Qur’an.
Sarna, Jonathan. Jews in New Haven. New Haven: Jewish Historical Society of New Haven, 1979.

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