Vocabulary

Hanukkah – (noun) Jewish holiday. It is an 8-day festival in December.  During this festival candles are lit to commemorate (to remember)

WASPy  -   (adjective) (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant), a member of the dominant American upper-class culture.  (slang)

hailed from – (verb) came from

shabbat – is a “holy day.”  It starts on Friday night after sunset and the family lights candles and has a special meal and says a special prayer.  Saturday is the day of the week that Jewish people attend religious services (like Sunday for Christians). 

evangelical - (adjective) of or relating to a Christian sect or group that stresses the authority of the Bible, the importance of believing that Jesus Christ saved you personally from sin or hell, and the preaching of these beliefs to other people.

skew  - (noun)  a bias towards one particular group or subject.

Example: "the paper had a working-class skew" (this phrase means that the articles in the newspaper are written with working-class people in mind and from a point of view that they would agree with).

agnostic - (noun)  a person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God.

sensory playground – (noun)  a place that includes any activity that stimulates a child's senses: touch, smell, taste, sight and hearing. Sensory activities and sensory tables facilitate exploration and naturally encourage children to use scientific processes while they play, create, investigate and explore.

challah – (noun)  a special Jewish bread eaten on Sabbath and Jewish holidays. 

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kippah - (noun)  is the Hebrew word for skullcap, a kind of hat,  also referred to in Yiddish as a yarmulke, or less frequently as a koppel.
Jewish law requires men to cover their heads as a sign of respect and reverence for god when praying, studying Torah, saying a blessing or entering a synagogue.

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ha-motzi - (noun)  is a blessing/prayer  which is said before eating bread.

menorah - (noun)  a special candle holder that holds seven or nine candles and that is used in Jewish worship.

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synagogue - (noun)  a building that is used for Jewish religious services (equivalent to a church), also called a temple.

temple store – (noun)  a shop that sells religious items, such as a menorah

Costco - (noun)  a shop in the United States with lots of products and very good prices.

A Costco-bought Christmas tree is a Christmas tree that someone bought at Costco.

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shamash - (noun)  the "attendant" candle that is used to light the other candles – it usually sits a bit higher or lower than the other candles. 

Thanksgiving – an American holiday in November. People give thanks for all of the good things in their life.

side-eye  - used when we are being sarcastic or are annoyed

 

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matzo balls - (noun)  a small dumpling made of seasoned matzo meal bound together with egg and chicken fat, typically served in chicken soup.

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kosher (adjective) kitchen (noun) – using food prepared according to the requirements of Jewish law.

gelt - chocolate coins given to Jewish children on the festival of Hanukkah.

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Dreidle - (noun) A children’s toy

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