Everything is Illuminated Study Guide

Glossary of Terms

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.