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Glossary Amud A pulpit or lectern from which prayers are lead. Anusim Plural for the Hebrew word Anus, a Jew (or former Jew) forced to do something against his or her will. For example, the Jews that were forcibly converted in Portugal to Catholicism in 1497. Ark Also called the Aron Kodesh, it is the cabinet where the Torah scrolls are stored in the sanctuary of a synagogue. The origin of the ark comes from the biblical chest that was used to transport the tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments . Ashkenaz Is the Hebrew word for the area in central Europe now known as Germany . It is the root for the word Ashkenazi and Ashkenazim (plural), and so on, and refers to Jews and Jewish culture that historically fell under the dominion of Christian Europe. Auto-de-fé Literally translates from the Spanish as “act of faith” and was a public profession within Catholicism. During the Inquisition, these public professions were often associated with trials on Catholic heresy, where the punishments were often severe and included the loss of property, humiliation, and/or execution at the hands of the civil authorities. The most brutal punishment inflicted on those accused of Judaizing was being burned at the stake. Banca A special booth set aside for the congregation’s executive board in the sanctuary of the synagogue. Beth Din A traditional Jewish court of law that is typically presided over by a tribunal of three judges. Bimah The reader’s platform situated in the middle of the sanctuary in the synagogue where the Torah scroll is read. Chazzan Is the cantor, or precentor, that leads prayers in a synagogue. Chevra A small Jewish communal organization that usually has little if any formal structural organization. It can be thought of as a “society.” Converso Literally translates from the Spanish as “convert,” and refers to those who converted to Catholicism from Judaism in fifteenth-century Iberia or to the descendants of those who did. Conversos were also sometimes called Nuevo Cristiano, which means “New Christian.” Creole A person of European or African descent born in a European colony in the Americas. The word originates from the Spanish criollo, which has a similar meaning. Diaspora Refers to the continued dispersal of the Jewish people that began with the conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and deportation of the Ten Lost Tribes in 722 b.c.e. by the Assyrians. 274 Glossary Escola Ladino word for “synagogue” and “school” (similar in concept to the Yiddish term Shul or Hebrew term Beth Midrash). Escola comes from the Latin root word scola, which means “school.” Esnoga Ladino word for synagogue. It was usually used in reference to the second synagogue built in 1675 by Amsterdam’s Talmud Torah congregation. Ezrat Nashim The outer courtyard in the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem that was set aside for the women. The women’s area within the synagogue sanctuary is also sometimes called this. Haham / Hahamim The Sephardic term for “rabbi” as well as the plural version. Halakha Refers to the collective body of “Jewish Law” (rabbinic law). Hascamoth Hebrew term for a congregation’s bylaws or regulations. Haskalah The word used to refer to a period and movement of Jewish Renaissance or Enlightenment, the most famous of which began in eighteenth-century Prussia. Hechal The Sephardic word for ark. Italki The Jews and Jewish culture associated with the Italian Peninsula. Kahal The Hebrew word for “congregation” or “community.” Often the phrase Kahal Ha-Kodesh (The Holy Congregation) was placed in front of a congregation ’s name. Kosher Literally translates from the Hebrew as “fit.” It is most frequently used in relation to food and its fitness within Jewish spiritual purity as described in the book of Leviticus. Limpieza de sangre Literally translates from the Spanish as “cleanliness of blood” and usually refers to purity of Spanish ancestry (or lack thereof). Lukhot An iconic representation of the Ten Commandments that is often found on top of the ark or hechal. Mahamad A Sephardic word used to refer to the executive board in some Jewish congregations. Maroon An escaped fugitive slave or descendant thereof in the Americas. Marrano Literally translates from the Spanish word “pig” or “swine.” The word was used as a derogatory term for New Christians with Jewish ancestry. Marrano comes from the Arabic word muharram, which means “ritually forbidden,” stemming from the prohibition of eating pork among Muslims and Jews. Mechitzah The divider that visually splits the...

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