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Sefer Torah (Torah Scroll)
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The Sefer Torah includes the Five Books of Moses and is written
on parchment made from the skin of a kosher animal. A scribe (Sofer
Stam) copies the text carefully according to ancient traditions
that determine the shape of the letters, special decorations on
certain letters, which letters are written large or small, and
the spaces between sections. There are approximately 245 columns
in a Sefer Torah, and each column has 42 lines. One letter may
not touch another, and if a single letter is missing, the Sefer
Torah may not be used.
Neither the punctuation marks, cantillations (trope) that indicate
the tune nor the vowels that show us how to pronounce the words
are written in the scroll. The Baal Koreh, the one who reads the
Torah , must study and practice the reading in order to know how
to read and chant it correctly. A Tikkun, a book containing a
copy of the column the way it appears in the Torah and a version
that includes vowels, punctuation and cantillation signs, is used
for preparation.
The scribe (Sofer) writes tefillin, and mezuzot as well- hence
the appellation Sofer Stam : initials of the words Sefer (Torah),
Tefillin, Mezuzah.
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Seudat Mitzvah
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A festive meal celebrating the performance of a Mitzvah
- such as a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Brit or wedding. It is customary
to include a D'var Torah to make a meal into a religious occasion.
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Shabbat
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 The
Jewish Sabbath. This is a day of rest, cessation from creative
work and dedicated to spiritual renewal. It is the most important
Jewish ritual, and mentioned in the Ten Commandments.
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Shaharit
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Morning service. This service is recited before a third of the
day has past. Tallit and Tefillin
are worn on weekdays. On Mondays and Thursdays, the Torah is read.
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Siddur
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 Prayerbook.
Beside being essential for prayer, the Siddur is an excellent
resource book for learning about Judaism. Do you get lost in the
Siddur?
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Simcha (Plural: S'machot)
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A joyous Jewish occasion
- such as your Bar or Bat Mitzvah
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Socks
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  What
you don't want for your Bar/Bat Mitzvah presents!
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Speech
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Your speech, or Drashah, is a way to share
something you have learned and your feelings about Judaism. It
is traditional to thank family and your guests, and to discuss
the weekly Torah reading.
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Synagogue
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The synagogue is a place of meeting, prayer and Jewish study.
The first synagogues developed after the destruction of the First
Temple in 586 BCE, and have become a central pillar in Jewish
life everywhere in the world. Reform congregations usually refer
to their place of worship as a temple. The Yiddish name for a
synagogue is "Shul".
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