Glossary
A
-
Aliyah: pl. aliyot (Heb., ascent), term for Jewish immigration Eretz Israel / Palestine from 1882.
Since the emergence of political Zionism in the 19th century, the term has meant “Jewish immigration” to Palestine, or since 1948, to Israel in general.
B
- Berufsumschichtung
- Beth halutz: pl. bate halutz (Heb., Pioneer house), state-run dormitories for Jewish youth organizations offering vocational training. Young people lived there together in kibbutz-like communities.
- Boded (m) / bodeda (f): pl. bodedim (m ) / bodedot (f) (Heb., lone), halutzim (m pl.) and halutzot (f pl.), who completed their Hakhshara training alone or the individual members of the HeHalutz.
C
- Chevra: (Heb., society).
E
- Eretz Israel: (Heb., Land of Israel), Biblical term for the Israelite Land of Canaan, more modern usage refers to the British-controlled Mandatory Palestine, particularly in Zionist circles.
G
- Galut / golah: (Heb., exile), has been used to describe the living situation of Jews outside of Eretz Israel in the diaspora since antiquity.
H
- Hakhshara: pl. Hakhsharot (Heb., preparation) used for the self-organized training of adolescents and young adults in agriculture, horticulture, practical trades and home economics as a prerequisite for immigration to the British-controlled Mandatory Palestine.
- Halutz (m) / halutza (f): pl. halutzim (m) / halutzot (f) (Heb., pioneer), term for the activists building up Palestine.
- Haschomer Hatzair
J
- Jugend-Alija
K
- Khaver (m) / khavera (f): pl. khaverim (m ) / khaverot (f) (Heb., comrade), term used for comrades in the youth movement, in trade unions or in political parties, also for members of a kibbutz.
- Kibbutz: pl. kibbutzim (Heb., gathering, clustering), Jewish communal settlements in Palestine/Israel based on the collective regarding property, class and the division of labor.
- Kibbutz movement: Associations in which the communal settlements have joined together since the 1920s. The associations were either social-democratic, leftist-socialist or religiously oriented.
- Kvutza: pl. kvutzot (Heb., group, community), term for smaller communal settlements founded by pioneers of the second Aliyah (1904–1914) which developed into the kibbutz movement.
M
- Madrikh (m) / madrikha (f): pl. madrichim (m) / madrikhot (f) (Heb., leader), term for the mostly young leaders of Jewish youth groups.
- Makkabi-Hazair
- Merkaz: (Heb., center).
- Mittleren-Hachschara (MiHa)
O
- Olim: (Heb., ascent), used to describe immigrants to Eretz Israel in Zionist circles.
P
- Pegisha: pl. pegishot (Heb., meeting), organized meeting of a group or several organizations for a particular purpose.
- Praktikant:innen
S
- Shaliach (m) / shlicha (f): pl. shlichim (m) / shlichot (f) (Heb., messenger), youth leaders who were sent by various kibbutz movements to help with organizational and educational work.
- Sicha: pl. sichot (Heb., conversation, speech).
- Snif: pl. snifim (Heb., local branch, group).
- Stamchaluzim
T
- Tarbut: (Heb., culture), tarbut work is the teaching of Jewish culture and history.
V
- Vorlehre
W
- Werkleute
Z
- Zeire Misrachi
- Zionism: the goal of the Zionist movement was the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine. The Zionist movement arose in the 19th century. There were both religious as well as secular forms existing side by side within the Zionist movement.