Ladino (Luh-DEE-noh)

• The "international language" of Sephardic Jews, based primarily on Spanish, with words taken from Hebrew, Arabic and other languages, and written in the Hebrew Alphabet.

• The 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer. A minor holiday on which the mourning restrictions of the Omer period are lifted.

• "From your home town". As in "They are landtslayt".

• Potato pancakes traditionally eaten during Chanukkah.

• "the evil tongue". Sins against other people committed by speech, such as defamation, gossip, swearing falsely, and scoffing.

• A common Jewish toast.

• Wife of Jacob. Mother of six of his sons. Sister of Rachel. One of the Matriarchs of Judaism.

• A year with an extra month, to realign the Jewish lunar calendar with the solar year.

• "go, go". The weekly Parsha for Genesis/Brishit.12.1-17.27

1. A descendant of the tribe of Levi, which was set aside to perform certain duties in connection with the Temple;
2. Son of Jacob (Israel). Ancestor of the tribe of Levi.

• A character from rabbinical folklore, a female demon who seduces men and threatens babies and women in childbirth. Some feminists have tried to reinterpret her as a hero of female empowerment, relying on a rather questionable source.

• A way of avoiding writing a name of G-d, to avoid the risk of the sin of erasing or defacing the Name.

• Smoked salmon. Commonly served on a bagel.

• "For a good year". A common greeting during Rosh Hashanah and Days of Awe.

• A sect of Chasidic Judaism that is active in outreach to other Jews and has a high media presence.

• "Palm branch". A collection of palm, myrtle and willow branches, used to fulfill the commandment to "rejoice before the L-rd" during Sukkot.

• The 16th century Kabbalist, Rabbi Isaac Ben Solomon Luria revolutionized the study of Jewish mysticism through Kabbalah. Books on his work include: Ez Hayyim, Shulhan Aruch Shel R. Yizhak Luria, Orhot Zaddikim and Patora de Abba.