antecedent
A preceding event or cause, or an ancestor.
ark
The container or cabinet, in a synagogue, that holds the Torah.
gefilte fish
Lumps of chopped, preserved fish meat.
gentile
A non-Jew.
Kiev
The capital of Ukraine.
Lutsk
The capital of the Volyn Region in Ukraine.
Lvov
A city in southeastern Poland.
matzoh
Unleavened bread traditionally eaten during Passover.
Odessa
A port city on the Black Sea in Ukraine.
Rovno
Capital of the Rovno region of Ukraine.
shtetl
A village or town.
spleen
A bodily organ sometimes associated with anger. Alex uses this word as a verb meaning "to vex."
squire
A man who attends a woman.
synagogue
A Jewish house of prayer.
Torah
The first five books of the Jewish Bible (also known as the Old Testament), often printed in the form of a scroll and read at synagogue services.
usurer
A person who lends money at interest. Usury is traditionally considered a sin.
Yankel-then-Safran
Yankel, before he changed his name from Safran to Yankel.
Yom Kippur
The Jewish day of atonement.
