The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia

Style Guide

jewishphilly.org

Table of Contents

The Importance of the Style Guide ............................................................................... 1

Jewish Federation Mission Statement and Boilerplate .............................................. 1

General Marketing Guidelines ........................................................................................ 2

Branding Guidelines ......................................................................................................... 3

Jewish Federation People, Places & Things ................................................................. 7

Greater Philadelphia Area Synagogues ........................................................................ 10

Communal Organizations ................................................................................................ 13

Commonly Used Hebrew and Yiddish Words .............................................................. 16

Jewish Holidays ................................................................................................................ 22

The Hebrew Date .............................................................................................................. 23

Gender-neutral Language ............................................................................................... 24

General Language and Punctuation Usage .................................................................. 25

The Importance of the Style GuideThe Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s various departments and partners produce an enormous amount of digital and printed communications. Though every piece has its own purpose, audience and objectives, each is a critical part of the Jewish Federation’s overall marketing strategy. To ensure that the Jewish Federation’s collective marketing and communications efforts strengthen Jewish Federation as a whole, each piece must be consistent with the pieces of other groups. This effectively brands the Jewish Federation’s work, and most importantly, enables our Jewish Federation audience to quickly recognize and understand every Jewish Federation communication.

The primary audience for this Style Guide is Jewish Federation’s staff members, Directors, and Trustees, though we encourage use by additional groups as needed. For the sake of our community members, we advocate using a clear, consistent, contemporary style of writing in documents, websites, publications and any other communication disseminated by the Jewish Federation. This Style Guide will help you improve the clarity and consistency of communications coming from your department or group. Please use it whenever your communications are intended for public consumption, including forms, letters, emails and anything and everything else.

We appreciate your cooperation in following these guidelines. Creating consistency and continuity in our writing style builds the Jewish Federation’s credibility, demonstrates our commitment to high-quality communications and greatly enhances our audiences’ commitment to the Jewish Federation. This Style Guide will continually evolve to address any Jewish Federation, communal or stylistic changes.

If you have a suggestion to add additional content, please contact the Marketing Department. To access the Style Guide online, visit jewishphilly.org/styleguide.

Jewish Federation Mission Statement and Boilerplate

The Jewish Federation’s Mission StatementThe Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s mission is to mobilize financial and volunteer resources to address the community’s most critical priorities in Greater Philadelphia, in Israel and around the world.

Jewish Federation BoilerplateSince 1901, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia has served as the central philanthropic and volunteer address for Greater Philadelphia’s Jewish community. The Jewish Federation is the one place every community member looking for help or to help can turn. We act as a convener, fundraiser and funder for dozens of local, national, Israeli and overseas Jewish programs that address the Jewish community’s critical priorities. Through a unique partnership of Jewish Federation volunteers, staff and partner organizations, we provide a safety net of social services and strengthen Jewish continuity for tens of thousands of people each year. For more information, visit jewishphilly.org.

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General Marketing Guidelines

C2C (Concept to Completion)All requests for the creation of marketing materials should be sent to jewishphilly.org/C2C.

In the case of minor editing or writing assistance, a C2C form is not necessary, simply email your request to Jessica Endy at jendy@jfgp.org.

In the case of emergency, last-minute jobs, your request should be emailed to Steve Rosenberg at srosenberg@jfgp.org for approval.

Any communications pieces that staff or volunteers create on their own without a c2c request must be sent to srosenberg@jfgp.org and jendy@jfgp.org for review and approval prior to distribution, no matter the audience or distribution quantity.

TaglineThe only approved tagline to appear with the Jewish Federation’s logo is “One People. One Community. One Federation.”

The phrase “Stronger Together” is to be used as part of campaign messaging, not as part of any logo.

PrintingQuantities of up to 1,000 of any previously created and approved flier should be printed by staff or volunteers. All print runs over 1,000 will be managed by the Production Department.

Jewish Community Services Building Lobby and ElevatorsNo fliers can be taped up in the building or elevators. Once the new TV screens are operational in the lobby, no more posters will be permitted in the lobby.

InvitationsPlease note:

• The Hebrew date should appear on every invitation.

• The language Dietary laws observed or other wording defining an event’s kashrut, such as Dairy reception, must be included on every invitation.

• If attendees of a campaign event will not be asked to make a gift, it is suggested to include There will be no solicitation of funds on the invitation.

• Whenever needed, suggested R.S.V.P. language is R.S.V.P. by DATE to STAFF NAME at EMAIL or PHONE NUMBER. Or R.S.V.P. using the enclosed reply card by DATE.

• When including leadership and staff names on the back, updated names must be submitted to Marketing each time to ensure accuracy.

• When committees are included on invitations, new committee lists must be submitted to Marketing each time to ensure accuracy.

Photo captionsIdentify all relevant people in a photo caption, beginning with the description from left. (Don’t write from left to right. From left will suffice). Make certain you include significant titles – whether that title reflects a person’s position here at the Jewish Federation or in another capacity. Since titles will need to be offset by commas, you may want to separate the identifications of each person in a photo with semi-colons. Example:

From left, Event chair of Voices Milfred Hofberg; keynote speaker Valerie Plame Wilson former CIA Operations Officer & author and subject of the movie Fair Game, and Bunny Chapman, past president of Women’s Philanthropy.

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Branding Guidelines

Email SignaturesBelow is a sample of approved Jewish Federation staff email signature format. The only changes that can be made by staff without prior approval are the addition of a name suffix or a cell phone number.

Jessica Endy Director of Marketing & Communications Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia 2100 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 Work: 215.832.0550 Fax: 215.832.0523

Celebrate Jewish heritage with the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia on Tuesday, May 12th, at Citizens Bank Park. Enjoy a free festival celebrating Israel Independence Day beginning at 4:30 p.m., followed by the Jewish Heritage Night baseball game when the Phillies take on the Pittsburgh Pirates at 7:05 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit jewishphilly.org/phillies. #JHNJewishPhilly

This e-mail and any attachments may contain confidential information that is legally privileged. If you received

this e-mail in error or are not the intended recipient, you should delete and destroy the e-mail and any attachments or copies; you are prohibited from retaining, distributing, disclosing or using any information contained in the e-mail. Please notify the sender of the erroneous e-mail delivery by return e-mail. Thank you for your cooperation.

Out of Office MessagesJewish Federation staff members must activate their out-of-office phone (both internal and external) and email messages when they are away from the office for a full weekday or longer (including Jewish holidays on which we are closed, as the general public may not be familiar with them).

Suggested phone text:

You have reached the voicemail of Joe Smith at the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. I will be out of the office through Monday, Feb. 1. If you need immediate assistance, please contact Sue Cohen at 215.832.0500. Otherwise, please leave me a message and I will return your call on Monday. Thank you.

Suggested email text:

Thank you for your email. I am currently out of the office and will return on Monday, Feb. 1. If you need immediate assistance, please email Sue Cohen at scohen@jfgp.org. Otherwise, I will respond to your email on Monday. Thank you.

Social MediaIn order to promote Jewish Federation’s Web site and social media vehicles, we request that you please include the following on all communications:

Jewish Federation staff members should refer to the Employee Handbook for guidelines when using social media.

SponsorsWhen creating pieces for events with sponsors, please ensure sponsor lists are edited for accuracy by sponsorship staff before submitting them to Marketing. Please ensure Marketing is apprised of any sponsorship changes as they arise. Pieces will be updated once a week to incorporate sponsor changes, unless it is deemed an emergency.

Blank Rome should be included on all invites and promotional materials as follows:

Sponsor

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Logo Usage Guide

Please note: all logo files are available at jewishphilly.org/logo

The four symbols depicted in The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia logo reflect the core values and funding priorities of our organization. Please note: the Jewish Federation is no longer using Center or Jewish Community Relations Council logos. The organization is looking to move to one logo by the end of 2015 with the exception of the Federation Endowments Corporation logo.

SIZEThe logo should not be manipulated in any way other than to proportionally resize it. Be careful about skewing the dimensions of the logo when inserted into Microsoft Word. A good rule of thumb is to hold down the SHIFT key when resizing to maintain proper proportions. The Jewish Federation’s logos must never be used smaller than 1.5 inches wide.

COLORSThe logo should only be used in black and white or in one of the official Jewish Federation colors (there is a two-color version and a one-color version). The approved Jewish Federation colors are based on the Pantone Matching System (PMS). There is a two-color version of the logo which uses the colors PMS 288 (blue) and 5845 (green). The one-color version is only PMS 288. If you are using a program to create materials that does not allow you to choose PMS colors (i.e. Microsoft Word), you can create the colors using RGB or CMYK color models.

PMS 288

RGB - RED 0, GREEN 75, BLUE 141

CMYK - CYAN 100, MAGENTA 67, YELLOW 0, BLACK 23

PMS 5845

RGB - RED 191, GREEN 182, BLUE 120

CMYK - CYAN 0, MAGENTA 1, YELLOW 47, BLACK 30

FONTSThe Jewish Federation’s logo uses the fonts Sabon LT Std and Gill Sans Std. If there is a necessity to add a line of text or an attribution to a Jewish Federation logo, the text should be in one of these fonts, or similar fonts as suggested below. The fonts should be in one of the approved Jewish Federation colors (black, PMS 288 or PMS 5845).

Sabon substitutes: Gill Sans Std substitutes:

Times HelveticaGoudy Arial

serif fonts sans serif fonts

1.5”

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COMMUNITY PARTNER/PROGRAM LOGOSIf you are a partner/program of the Jewish Federation, we request you use one of the following logos to brand your materials. The same guidelines for resizing apply to these logos as well. One of the following attributions must accompany logos to indicate partnership or funding. Please note: the Jewish Federation’s organizational logo must be used, the Center and Jewish Community Relations Council logos should no longer be used.

DOWNLOADING LOGOSGo to jewishphilly.org/logo to download high resolution logo files in JPG and EPS formats. The logo is available in black and white, one-color (PMS 288) and two-color (PMS 288 and 5845). The webpage provides contact information for technical support.

LOGO APPROVALPrior to distribution (print, email, etc.) all materials on which a Jewish Federation logo appears must be approved by Jewish Federation’s Marketing and Communications department. An emailed PDF is preferred to approve proportions, resolution, legibility and attribution. The turn-around time for approval is 24 hours, typically less. Proofs should be emailed to:

Jessica Endy, Director of Marketing & Communications .......... jendy@jfgp.org

Mark Berman, Creative Services Manager ..................................mberman@jfgp.org

This program has been generously sponsored by

In cooperation with and funded by

In partnership with

Funded in part by

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Event NametagsEvent nametag templates have been created to ensure consistency in appearance and branding, and are available on FedNet. Only the Jewish Federation logo should appear on the nametags, with the First Name on line 1, Last Name on line 2, and a title (optional) on line 3, all centered horizontally above the logo, which appears on the bottom, centered. The nametags should only use a sans serif font such as Arial or Helvetica. The font sizes are established in the templates but may be altered only if a name is too long to fit on one line.

Directions for using Jewish Federation Nametag templates:Templates Available:

Avery Template 5390 (used for magnet nametag holders)

Avery Template 5392 (used for large clip on nametag holders and lanyard mission nametag holders

Avery Template 5395 (used for stick on nametags)

Directions for use:

1. Open nametag template

2. If merging from a spreadsheet follow directions below, if manually entering names, do so.

3. To merge in names from a spreadsheet, click “select recipients” under the Mailings Tab and select the worksheet you are pulling names from.

4. Highlight “First Name” and click “Insert Merge Field” to insert the first name on the nametag.

5. Do the same with the last name to insert that field and the title if using. If not using the title field just delete it.

6. Click “Update Labels” to carry changes across label sheet. Treat the first label in the sheet as the master and the changes will carry over.

7. Click “Preview Results” to make sure the name tags appear as you would like them.

8. If satisfied click “Finish & Merge” to finish and print your name tags.

jewishphilly.org

PowerPoint BannerPowerPoint presentations should use the PowerPoint banner which is accessible on FedNet.

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Jewish Federation People, Places & Things In the sections that follow, the “Full Name/First Reference” entry tells you how to refer to a given organization or person the first time you mention them or it in a given communications piece. The “Second Reference” entry tells them how to refer to them or it after the first mention. Where the second reference is an abbreviation, it is custom-ary to include the abbreviation, in parentheses, immediately after the first reference. We’ve done so in our “First Ref-erence” entries, but if the first reference is the ONLY reference, the abbreviation can be omitted. For example, if you refer to the Jewish Federations of North America just once in a given piece, simply say “Jewish Federations of North America.” If you refer to them more than once, say “Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA)” the first time, and “JFNA” after that. When (The) appears before a name, it is recommended to use “The” (if appearing at the beginning of a sentence) or “the” (if appearing within the sentence) before the name of an organization.

Jewish Federation and its Centers

Full Name/First Reference Second Reference

(The) Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia .................................................... (The) Jewish Federation

Never simply “Federation” without “Jewish,” and never “JFGP.”

The Centers:

(The) Center for Israel and Overseas ........................................................................... (The) Center if it’s clear which one is meant;

otherwise use the full name.

(The) Center for Jewish Life and Learning ................................................................ (The) Center if it’s clear which one is meant;

otherwise use the full name.

(The) Center for Social Responsibility ......................................................................... (The) Center if it’s clear which one is meant;

otherwise use the full name.

Affinities and other Jewish Federation Entities

First Reference Second Reference

Federation Endowments Corporation (FEC) ............................................................FEC

(The) Foundation for Jewish Day Schools

of Greater Philadelphia (FJDS) .......................................................................................FJDS

[The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania tax-incentive programs FJDS works to channel towards our community’s schools are:]

Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) ..........................................EITC

Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) ...........................................OSTC

(The) Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) .............................................. JCRC

Jewish Federation Real Estate (JFRE) ........................................................................ JFRE

Renaissance Group ..............................................................................................................Always use the full name. (Never use “Ren”)

Women of Vision (WOV) – the Jewish Women’s Foundation of Greater Philadelphia

or Women of Vision (WOV) .............................................................................................Always use the full name.

Women’s Philanthropy .......................................................................................................Always use the full name.

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Jewish Federation Programs and Services

First Reference Second Reference

(The) Jewish Information and Referral Service (JIRS) .......................................... JIRS

(The) Mitzvah Food Project (MFP)................................................................................MFP

Note: “Project” not “Pantry,” which was a former name for the same program.

“Pantry” is used to refer to the Project’s individual sites. Also note the Project’s “Choice Food Program.”

Partnership 2Gether (P2G) ...............................................................................................P2G

Note: “P2K” was a former name for this program. And our P2G community in Israel is known as “Netivot – Sedot Negev.”

Philadelphia Israel Experience (PIE) .............................................................................PIE

(The) Rhawnhurst NORC (Naturally Occurring Retirement Community)(The) Rhawnhurst NORC or (The) NORC

Note: This is a rare instance where you’ll use an abbreviation outside parentheses and a full name inside them.

This is because “Rhawnhurst NORC” is the program’s proper name, but explaining what that stands for is helpful.

Jewish Federation Campaign and Financial Terms

First Reference Second Reference

(The) Annual Campaign .................................................................................................... (The) Annual Campaign

Note: always capitalize

(The) Israel Emergency Fund (IEF) ............................................................................... IEF

(The) Jewish Community Fund ......................................................................................Always use the full name.

Executive Staff & Lay leadership Titles

First Reference Second Reference

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) ........................................................................................CEO

Generally speaking, other titles, and names of committees, should always be given in full, not abbreviated;

with key words capitalized. Examples:

Chief Development Officer

Director of the [or Jewish Federation’s] Center for Israel and Overseas

President

Campaign Chair

Board of Directors

Board of Trustees

Policy, Strategy and Funding Committee

Women’s Philanthropy Board

In giving names, honor people’s personal preferences regarding professional credentials, nicknames, etc.

Examples:

Naomi L. Adler, Esq.

Bud Newman

On second reference, use last names only:

Adler

Newman

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Jewish Federation Facilities

First Reference Second Reference

(The) Jewish Community Services Building ..............................................................Always use the full name.

(The) Myer and Rosaline Feinstein Campus .............................................................. (The) Feinstein Campus

(The) Mandell Education Campus .................................................................................Always use the full name.

(The) Robert Saligman Campus ..................................................................................... (The) Saligman Campus

(The) Schwartz Campus ....................................................................................................Always use the full name.

Jewish Federation Events

In most cases, use the full name; where there is a shorter version for second reference, that appears below.

You can also say “the event,” “the competition,” “the seminar,” etc., if it’s clear what event is meant.

First Reference Second Reference

(The) Mordechai Anielewicz Creative Arts Competition ...................................... (The) Anielewicz competition

(The) [x]th Annual Solomon and Sylvia Bronstein

Seminar for Professionals ................................................................................................. (The) Bronstein Seminar

Circle of Partners..................................................................................................................Always use the full name.

(The) General Assembly [of the Jewish Federations of North America] ....... (The) G.A.

(The) [x]th Annual Memorial Ceremony

for the Six Million Jewish Martyrs .................................................................................. (The) Holocaust Memorial Ceremony

(The) [x]th Annual Youth Symposium on the Holocaust ..................................... (The) Holocaust Youth Symposium

Israel Independence Day ...................................................................................................Always use the full name.

Jewish Community Day at [name] Country Club .................................................... (The) [name of club] day or event

Jewish Heritage Night at the Phillies ............................................................................ Jewish Heritage Night

Jewish Law Day ....................................................................................................................Always use the full name.

(The) Legacy and Remembrance Event ......................................................................Always use the full name.

Legends and Leaders .........................................................................................................Always use the full name.

(The) Lion of Judah Luncheon........................................................................................ (The) Lion Luncheon

(The) Main Event ..................................................................................................................Always use the full name.

(The) Pomegranate Event.................................................................................................Always use the full name.

Renaissance Group Rebuild .............................................................................................Always use the full name.

Super Sunday ........................................................................................................................Always use the full name.

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Greater Philadelphia Area SynagoguesAlphabetize according to the order listed

Full Name/First Reference (Affiliation, Location)* Second ReferenceTemple Adath Israel..............................................................(Conservative, Merion Station) .......................Adath Israel

Congregation Adath Jeshurun .........................................(Conservative, Elkins Park) ...............................Adath Jeshurun

Congregation Ahavas Torah .............................................(Orthodox, Northeast Phila.) ...........................Ahavas Torah

Aish HaTorah Philadelphia .................................................(Orthodox, Bala Cynwyd) .................................Aish or Aish Philadelphia

Bais Medrash Harav B’nai Jacob .....................................(Orthodox, Northeast Phila.) ...........................Bais Medrash Harav

Beit Harambam Congregation .........................................(Orthodox, Northeast Phila.) ...........................Beit Harambam

Beiteinu (no “Congregation” or “Temple”) .................(Independent, meeting places vary) ............Beiteinu

Congregation Beth Ahavah ...............................................(LGBT/Reform, Center City) ............................Beth Ahavah

Congregation Beth Am Israel ...........................................(Conservative, Penn Valley) .............................Beth Am Israel

Temple Beth Ami ...................................................................(Traditional, Northeast Phila.) .........................Beth Ami

Beth Chaim Reform Congregation .................................(Reform, Malvern) ................................................Beth Chaim

Beth David Reform Congregation ..................................(Reform, Gladwyne) ............................................Beth David

Congregation Beth El or Congregation Beth El of Bucks County .......................(Conservative, Yardley) ......................................Beth El

Congregation Beth El – Ner Tamid .................................(Conservative, Broomall) ..................................Beth El – Ner Tamid or CBENT

Beth Emuna Congregation ................................................(Conservative, Northeast Phila.) .....................Beth Emuna

Congregation Beth Hamedrosh .......................................(Orthodox, Wynnewood) ..................................Beth Hamedrosh

Temple Beth Hillel – Beth El ..............................................(Conservative, Wynnewood) ...........................Beth Hillel – Beth El

Beth Israel Congregation of Chester County .............(Conservative, Uwchland) ...............................Beth Israel or Beth Israel of Chester

County Congregation Beth Israel (of Media) .............(Reconstructionist, Media) ...............................Beth Israel or Beth Israel of Media

Congregation Beth Or .........................................................(Reform, Maple Glen) .........................................Beth Or

Beth Sholom Congregation ..............................................(Conservative, Elkins Park) ...............................Beth Sholom

Congregation Beth Solomon or (The) CBS Community Center .........................................(Orthodox, Northeast Phila.) ...........................Beth Solomon or CBS

Beth Tikvah B’nai Jeshurun ............................................(Conservative, Erdenheim) ...............................BTBJ

Congregation Beth Tovim ..................................................(Traditional, Overbrook) ....................................Beth Tovim

Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel ...........................................(Conservative, Center City) ..............................BZBI

Congregation B’nai Abraham ...........................................(Orthodox, Society Hill) .....................................B’nai Abraham

Congregation B’nai Israel – Ohev Zedek ......................(Orthodox, Northeast Phila.) ...........................B-nai Israel or B’nai Israel – Ohev Zedek

Congregation B’nai Jacob .................................................(Conservative, Phoenixville).............................B’nai Jacob

(The) Bristol Jewish Center ...............................................(Reconstructionist, Bristol) ..............................BJC

Temple Brith Achim ..............................................................(Reform, King of Prussia) ..................................Brith Achim

(The) Bucks County Free Synagogue ...........................(Independent, New Hope) ................................Bucks County Free Synagogue

(The) Chabad Lubavitch Jewish Center .......................(Lubavitch, Abington) ........................................Chabad

Chabad Lubavitch of Bucks County ..............................(Lubavitch, Newtown) ........................................Chabad

Chabad Lubavitch of Chester County ...........................(Lubavitch, Devon) ..............................................Chabad

Chabad Lubavitch of Delaware County .......................(Lubavitch, Media) ...............................................Chabad

Chabad Lubavitch of the Main Line ...............................(Lubavitch, Merion Station) .............................Chabad

Congregation Brothers of Israel ......................................(Conservative, Newtown) .................................CBOI or Brothers of Israel

(The) Community Torah Center of Bucks County ....(Independent, Richboro) ...................................CTC

Germantown Jewish Centre ............................................(Conservative, Germantown) ..........................GJC

Har Zion Temple ....................................................................(Conservative, Penn Valley) .............................Har Zion

Congregation Hesed Shel Emet ......................................(Conservative, Pottstown) ................................Hesed Shel Emet

Heymish ....................................................................................(Independent, meeting places vary) ............Heymish

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Greater Philadelphia Synagogues (continued)

Alphabetize according to the order listed

Full Name/First Reference (Affiliation, Location)* Second ReferenceKehilat HaNahar (“The Little Shul by the River”) ......(Reconstructionist, New Hope) ......................KHN

Kehillas B’nai Shalom/ (The) Bensalem Jewish Outreach Center ....................(Orthodox, Bensalem) ........................................KBS/BJOC

Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel ..........................(Reform, Elkins Park) ..........................................Keneseth Israel or KI

(Historic) Congregation Kesher Israel ...........................(Traditional, Society Hill) ...................................Kesher Israel/ Kesher Israel in Society Hill

Kesher Israel Congregation (in West Chester) ..........(Conservative, West Chester)..........................Kesher Israel/ Kesher Israel in West Chester

Congregation Knesset Hasefer ........................................(Orthodox, Yardley) ............................................Knesset Hasefer

Congregation Kol Ami .........................................................(Reform, Elkins Park) ..........................................Kol Ami

Congregation Kol Emet ......................................................(Reconstructionist, Yardley) ............................Kol Emet

Kol Tzedek (no “Congregation” or “Temple”) ............(Reconstructionist, West Phila.) .....................Kol Tzedek

Congregation Leyv Ha-Ir (Heart of the City) .............(Reconstructionist, Center City) ....................Leyv Ha-Ir

Lower Merion Synagogue ..................................................(Orthodox, Bala Cynwyd) .................................LMS

Lubavitch of Center City ....................................................(Lubavitch, Center City) ....................................Lubavitch

Lubavitch of Montgomery County .................................(Lubavitch, Fort Washington) .........................Lubavitch

Congregation Lubavitch of Northeast Philadelphia ..................................................(Lubavitch, Northeast Phila.) ...........................Congregation Lubavitch

Lubavitch House at Penn ...................................................(Lubavitch, University City) .............................Lubavitch House

Main Line Reform Temple (-Beth Elohim) ...................(Reform, Wynnewood) ......................................Main Line Reform or MLRT

(The) Congregation at Martin’s Run ..............................(Independent, Media) .........................................Always use full name.

Mekor Habracha .................................................................(Traditional, Center City)...................................Mekor Habracha

Melrose B’nai Israel Emanu-El .......................................(Conservative, Elkins Park) ...............................MBIEE

Congregation Mesilat Yesharim .......................................(Orthodox, Northeast Phila.) ...........................Mesilat Yesharim

Congregation Mikveh Israel ...............................................(Sephardic, Old City) ..........................................Mikveh Israel

Minyan Sulam Yaakov ..........................................................(Independent, Center City (Gershman Y)) .......MSY

Congregation Mishkan Shalom ........................................(Reconstructionist, Roxborough) ..................Mishkan Shalom

The Congregations of Ner Zedek ...................................(Conservative, Northeast Phila.) .....................Ner Zedek

Ohev Shalom of Bucks County .....................................(Conservative, Richboro) ..................................Ohev Shalom/ Ohev Shalom of Bucks County

Congregation Ohev Shalom (of Wallingford) ............(Conservative, Wallingford) .............................Ohev Shalom/ Ohev Shalom of Wallingford

Old York Road Temple – Beth Am ..................................(Reform, Abington) .............................................OYRTBA or Beth Am

Congregation Or Ami ..........................................................(Reform, Lafayette Hill) .....................................Or Ami

Or Hadash Congregation ..................................................(Reconstructionist, Fort Washington) .........Or Hadash

Congregation Or Shalom ...................................................(Conservative, Berwyn) .....................................Or Shalom

(The) Philadelphia Little Shul – Congregation Shivtei Yeshuron Ezras Israel ...............(Traditional, South Phila.)..................................The Little Shul

P’nai Or Jewish Renewal Congregation of Philadelphia ...........................................(Jewish Renewal, Mount Airy) ........................P’nai Or

(The) Frank and Joyce Podietz Synagogue ...............(Independent, Abramson Center for Jewish Life) Always use the full name.

Congregation Raim Ahuvim .............................................(Orthodox, Overbrook) ......................................Raim Ahuvim

Congregation Rodeph Shalom ........................................(Reform, Center City) .........................................Rodeph Shalom

(The) Congregations of Shaare Shamayim ................(Traditional, Northeast Phila.) .........................Shaare Shamayim

Shir Ami .................................................................................(Reform, Newtown) .............................................Shir Ami

Shir Shalom – A Community for Humanist Judaism.........(Humanist, Haverford) ........................................Shir Shalom

Society Hill Synagogue .......................................................(Conservative, Center City) ..............................Society Hill Synagogue

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Greater Philadelphia Synagogues (continued)

Alphabetize according to the order listed

Full Name/First Reference (Affiliation, Location)* Second ReferenceTemple Judea of Bucks County .......................................(Reform, Furlong) ................................................Temple Judea

Temple Menorah Keneseth Chai ......................................(Conservative, Northeast Phila.) .....................TMKC

Temple Sholom (in Broomall) ...........................................(Reform, Broomall) ..............................................Temple Sholom

Temple Sinai ............................................................................(Conservative, Dresher) .....................................Temple Sinai

Congregation Tiferes B’nai Israel ....................................(Independent, Warrington) ..............................TBI or TBI Warrington

Tiferet Bet Israel ....................................................................(Conservative, Blue Bell) ...................................TBI or TBI Blue Bell

Congregation Tifereth Israel (of Lower Bucks County) ...................................................(Conservative, Bensalem) .................................Tifereth Israel

Tzedek v’Shalom .................................................................(Reconstructionist, Newtown) ........................Tzedek v’Shalom

Vilna Congregation ...............................................................(Orthodox, Society Hill, Philadelphia) ..........Vilna Congregation

YPC Shari-Eli ...........................................................................(Conservative, South Phila.) .............................YPC Shari-Eli

Young Israel of Elkins Park ................................................(Orthodox, Elkins Park) .....................................YIEP, Young Israel, Young Israel of Elkins Park

(the) Young Israel of the Main Line ................................(Orthodox, Bala Cynwyd) .................................YIML, (the) Young Israel, (the) Young Israel of the Main Line

*use full name when necessary to distinguish from other Chabad congregations.

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Communal OrganizationsFull Name/First Reference Second Reference

Regional Organizations

Abrams Hebrew Academy................................................................................................Abrams

(The) Madlyn and Leonard Abramson Center for Jewish Life............................ (The) Abramson Center or Abramson

(The) Board of Rabbis of Greater Philadelphia ........................................................ (The) Board of Rabbis

Camp Achdus ........................................................................................................................Always use the full name.

Camp Galil...............................................................................................................................Always use the full name.

Camp JRF ...............................................................................................................................Always use the full name.

Camp Ramah in the Poconos ..........................................................................................Camp Ramah

(The) Center for Advanced Judaic Studies ................................................................ (The) Center

Chasdei Eliahu .......................................................................................................................Always use the full name.

The Chevra ..............................................................................................................................Always use the full name.

Einstein Healthcare Network ...........................................................................................Einstein

(The) Etz Chaim Center for Jewish Studies ...............................................................Etz Chaim

Federation Early Learning Service ................................................................................FELS

Federation Housing(, Inc.) ................................................................................................Federation Housing

(The) Feinstein Center for

American Jewish History at Temple University ........................................................ (The) Feinstein Center

(The) Female Hebrew Benevolent Society ................................................................FHBS

(The) Friendship Circle ......................................................................................................Always use the full name.

(The) Gershman Y ................................................................................................................Always use the full name.

Golden Slipper Camp .........................................................................................................Always use the full name.

(The) Golden Slipper Center for Seniors .................................................................... (The) Golden Slipper Center

Golden Slipper Club and Charities ................................................................................Golden Slipper

Gratz College .........................................................................................................................Gratz

Hadassah of Greater Philadelphia..................................................................................Hadassah

Hazon Philadelphia ..............................................................................................................Hazon

(The) Hebrew Free Loan Society ...................................................................................Always use the full name.

HIAS Pennsylvania ...............................................................................................................HIAS

Hillel at Penn ..........................................................................................................................Penn Hillel (or “Hillel”)

Hillel at Temple ......................................................................................................................Temple Hillel (or “Hillel”)

Hillel of Greater Philadelphia ...........................................................................................Hillel

(The) Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia ........................................................ (The) Interfaith Center

Interfaith Family/Philadelphia ......................................................................................... Interfaith Family

(Jack M.) Barrack Hebrew Academy ............................................................................Barrack

JEVS Human Services ........................................................................................................ JEVS

(The) Jewish Center of Northern Liberties ................................................................Always use the full name.

13

Communal Organizations (continued)

Full Name/First Reference Second Reference

(The) Jewish Children’s Folkshul and Adult Community ...................................... (The) Jewish Children’s Folkshul or (The) Folkshul

(The) Jewish Community High School of Gratz College ...................................... JCHS

(The) Jewish Exponent ...................................................................................................... (The) Exponent

Jewish Family and Children’s Service .......................................................................... JFCS

(The) Jewish Farm School ................................................................................................Always use the full name.

Jewish Heritage Programs................................................................................................Always use the full name.

Jewish Learning Venture ...................................................................................................Always use the full name.

(The) Jewish Relief Agency (JRA) ................................................................................ JRA

Judith Creed Homes for Adult Independence (JCHAI) ........................................ JCHAI

Kaiserman JCC ......................................................................................................................Always use the full name.

KleinLife ..................................................................................................................................Always use the full name.

Note: This is the former Klein JCC; the name was changed in April 2015.

Kohelet Foundation (and Fellowship Programs) .....................................................Kohelet Foundation

Kohelet Yeshiva High School (KYHS) ...........................................................................KYHS

Kosloff Torah Academy High School (for Girls) .......................................................Kosloff or KTAHS

Makom Community .............................................................................................................Makom

Mekom Torah .........................................................................................................................Always use the full name.

Mesivta High School (of Greater Philadelphia) ........................................................Mesivta

Mitzvah Circle Foundation ................................................................................................Always use the full name.

Moishe House Philadelphia ...............................................................................................Moishe House

Moving Traditions .................................................................................................................Always use the full name.

(The) National Museum of American Jewish History .............................................NMAJH or (The) Jewish Museum

(The) OROT Program .........................................................................................................OROT

P’TACH (Parents for Torah for All Children) ..............................................................P’TACH

Penn State Hillel ....................................................................................................................Penn State Hillel (or “Hillel”)

Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition (PJC) ............................................................................PJC

Perelman Jewish Day School (PJDS) ...........................................................................PJDS

(The) Philadelphia Jewish Voice ....................................................................................Full name or “(The) Voice”

(The) Philadelphia-Israel Chamber of Commerce (PICC) ....................................PICC

PhillyIsrael ...............................................................................................................................Always use the full name.

Pinemere Camp ....................................................................................................................Always use the full name.

Politz Hebrew Academy (of Philadelphia) .................................................................Politz

Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC) ............................................................RRC

(The) Satell Teen Fellowship for Leadership and Social Action ......................... (The) Satell Teen Fellowship or Satell

Shomrim of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley .................................................Shomrim

(The) Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia ................................................................... (The) Talmudical Yeshiva

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Communal Organizations (continued)

Full Name/First Reference Second Reference

Tikvah/AJMI (Advocates for the Jewish Mentally Ill) .............................................Tikvah

Torah Academy of Greater Philadelphia .....................................................................Torah Academy

Tribe 12: The Collaborative ..............................................................................................The Collaborative

Tribe 12 Fellowship ...............................................................................................................Always use the full name.

Tribe 12: Spectrum ..............................................................................................................Spectrum

URJ Camp Harlam ...............................................................................................................Always use the full name.

Venture Philanthropy Partnership .................................................................................Always use the full name.

National and International Organizations

(The) American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) ....................................AIPAC

(The) American Jewish Committee (AJC) .................................................................AJC; (The) AJCommittee

(The) American Jewish Congress (AJC) .....................................................................AJC; (The) AJCongress

(The) American Jewish World Service (AJWS) .......................................................AJWS

(The) American Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) ............................................ JDC

(The) Anti-Defamation League (ADL) ......................................................................... (The) ADL

(The) B’nai B’rith Youth Organization (BBYO) .........................................................BBYO

Birthright Israel – Taglit ......................................................................................................Birthright

(The) Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) ........................................CCAR

(The) Foundation for Jewish Camp ..............................................................................Always use the full name.

(The) Global Planning Table .............................................................................................GPT

(The) Government of Israel-World Jewry Joint Initiative .....................................The Initiative

Hadassah .................................................................................................................................Hadassah

Hebrew Union College (HUC) .........................................................................................HUC

Israel Bonds ............................................................................................................................Always use the full name.

(The) Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) ......................................................................... JAFI or (The) Jewish Agency

(The) Jewish Communal Service Association (JCSA) ........................................... JCSA

(The) Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) ........................................................ JCPA

(The) Jewish Educational Service of North America (JESNA) .......................... JESNA

(The) Jewish Labor Committee (JLC).......................................................................... JLC

(The) Jewish National Fund (JNF) ................................................................................ JNF

(The) Jewish Outreach Institute (JOI) ......................................................................... JOI

(The) Jewish Publication Society (JPS) ...................................................................... JPS

Jewish Reconstructionist Communities (JRC) ......................................................... JRC

(The) Jewish Social Service Agency (JSSA) ............................................................. JSSA

(The) Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) ..................................................................... JTA

15

Communal Organizations (continued)

Full Name/First Reference Second Reference

(The) Jewish Theological Seminary (of America) (JTS) ....................................... JTS

Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A. (JWV) .................................................................. JWV

(The) National Association of Temple Educators (NATE) ....................................NATE

(The) National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) ................................................NCJW

(The) National Council of Synagogue Youth (NCSY) ............................................NCSY

(The) New Israel Fund (NIF) ............................................................................................NIF

(The) North American Association of Synagogue Executives (NAASE) .......NAASE

(The) North American Conference on Ethiopian Jewry (NACOEJ) .................NACOEJ

(The) North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY) ..............................NFTY

(The) Orthodox Union (OU) ............................................................................................. (The) OU

(The) Rabbinical Assembly (RA) ...................................................................................RA

(The) Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) .............................................................RCA

(The) Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association (RRA) ........................................RRA

(The) Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) ...................................................................RJC

(The) Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) ......................................................................URJ

(The) United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ) ................................USCJ

United Synagogue Youth (USY) .....................................................................................USY

(The) World Jewish Congress (WJC) ...........................................................................WJC

Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) ......................................................................ZOA

Commonly Used Hebrew and Yiddish WordsFollowing is a list of the more commonly used Hebrew and Yiddish words. When transliterating Hebrew words, spell according to the Sephardic pronunciation: Shabbat, Sukkot, bat mitzvah rather than Shabbos, Sukkos, Bas Mitzvah. In general spell the guttural ch sound as ch, not as h. Hence Chanukah, challah, chai. When possible, choose a Hebrew word in preference to a Yiddish one and an English word in preference to either. Write kippah, not yarmulke. Passover, not Pesach. Form the plurals of Hebrew words by adding ot or im, not s. Write aliyot or siddurim, not aliyahs or siddurs. Italicize Hebrew words.

A

Afikoman – A piece of the second of three matzohs that is hidden and then found by the children at the Passover Seder. It symbolizes brokenness and our hope for redemption and repair. Italicize as a non-English word.

Agunah (sing.), agunot (pl.) – A Jewish woman whose husband has refused to grant her a Jewish divorce document, known as a get (See get). Without a get, a woman cannot remarry under Jewish law. As a result, any children she subsequently has with another man – even if she’s married to him under civil law – are considered illegitimate under Jewish law unless a get is first granted. Italicize as a non-English word.

Aliyah – Word used to describe both the act of immigrating to Israel and the act of being called up to the Torah

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to recite the blessing before and after the reading. The usual verb is to make when referring to the immigration to Israel. She made aliyah. When referring to being called up to the Torah, the correct verb is to have or to be called up. He was called up for an aliyah. Italicize as a non-English word.

Ashkenazi, Ashkenazim (pl), Ashkenazic (adj.) – Literally Jews of German ancestry, but generally used to describe any Jew of German or Central Eastern European extraction. (See also Yiddish)

B

Bar Mitzvah (m.), Bat Mitzvah (f.),B’nai Mitzvah (m. pl.), B’not Mitzvah (f. pl.) – Avoid the use of the spelling Bas Mitzvah (for Bat Mitzvah), except in quoted material. Do not use the word as a verb. A person is not Bar Mitzvahed, but rather becomes a Bar Mitzvah or celebrates a Bar Mitzvah. The plural, B’nai Mitzvah or B’not Mitzvah, while correct, may be unfamiliar to many, as in, We attended many B’nai Mitzvah this past year. To avoid this, you can simply say, We attended many Bar Mitzvah celebrations this past year. Italicize plural forms as non-English words.

Baruch Dayan HaEmet – Blessing said upon learning of someone’s death.

Birkat HaMazon – The prayer after the meal. Birkat is acceptable on second reference. Italicize as a non-English term.

B’racha (sing.), b’rachot (pl.) – Any of various formulaic Hebrew blessings. Italicize as a non-English word.

Bris, brit milah – The ritual circumcision ceremony. Italicize as a non-English term.

C

Challah – Not hallah. Traditional Jewish bread. Italicize as a non-English word.

Chazzan – The word cantor will usually suffice and will be more universally understood. When chazzan is used, put it in a context in which readers will be able to glean its meaning. Italicize as a non-English word.

Chesed – Translates as kindness. Italicize as a non-English word.

Chevra Kadisha – “Burial society” which prepares a body for burial. Italicize as a non-English term.

Chol HaMoed – The intermediary days of Sukkot and Passover. Italicize as a non-English term.

Chumash – The Five Books of Moses in bound form rather than in a scroll form like the Torah. If this word is used, either define it or put it in a context in which its meaning will be clear. Italicize as a non-English word.

Chuppah – The ceremonial canopy under which Jewish weddings are performed. Italicize as a non-English word.

D

Dreidel (sing.), dreidel (pl.) – Spinning-top game played on Chanukah. Italicize as a non-English word.

D’var Torah – Literally a word of Torah. General term for any sermon or oral study of Torah. Frequently used at large meetings to establish a Jewish tone for the meeting. Italicize as a non-English term.

E

Erev – Literally evenings as in Erev Shabbat – Sabbath eve – or Erev Yom Kippur – the eve of the Day of Atonement. Significant because all Jewish holidays begin at sundown and hence are first observed during the eve of the holiday. Sometimes used to refer to the entire day before a holiday. Capitalize erev only when it’s part of a holiday’s name, such as Erev Shabbat. Erev Sukkot, etc. Italicize erev when it’s being used outside the context of the name of a holiday. Also italicize erev when it’s modifying the name of a holiday that – as determined by this style guide – requires italicization, such as erev Yom HaShoah. (See individual entries for each Jewish holiday). When the name of a holiday doesn’t require italicization, do not italicize the word erev.

Eretz Yisrael – Literally “The Land of Israel,” one of the names to refer to the stretch of land also referred to as the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land and the Holy Land. Italics because this is a Hebrew phrase.

Eruv – A mechanism that permits Jews to circumvent the Shabbat prohibition against carrying items out-of-doors. The eruv often involves stringing wire around a designated section of a city or neighborhood, thereby defining the area as a single domain. By establishing the eruv, everything within its boundaries is viewed as if it were an extension of everyone’s private property, places in which carrying is already permitted on Shabbat. Italicize as a non-English word.

G

Gemarra – See Talmud entry. Italicize as a non-English word.

Gemilut chasadim – Acts of loving kindness. Italicize as a non-English term.

Get – Religious divorce document. Italicize as a non-English word.

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H

Haggadah (sing.) haggadot (pl.) – The book that contains the Passover Seder service, which includes prayers, blessings, legends, songs, psalms and commentaries.

Halachah – The system of Jewish law. Literally translated, it means “path to follow.” If you use this term, you may have to explain its meaning or put it into context to make its meaning clear. Italicize as a non-English word.

Haredi (sing.), haredim (pl.) – Refers to ultra-Orthodox Jews. However, haredim are not necessarily Hasidic. Although the Hebrew spelling begins with a chet and is more accurately transliterated with a ch, we’ve opted to spell it with an h to be consistent with the way the word is spelled in American newspapers, the spelling with which readers will be more familiar. Italicize as a non-English word.

Hasidic, Hasid, Hasidim – Should not be used as a synonym for ultra-Orthodox Jews since most ultra-Orthodox Jews are not Hasidic. Lubavitch and Satmar are the two largest Hasidic movements, but there are many others. Although the Hebrew spelling begins with a chet and is more accurately transliterated with a ch, the English spelling is with an h. Since these words are now part of the English lexicon, italics are not necessary.

HaTikvah – Literally, The Hope, the Israeli national anthem. Depending on the audience, you may need to define it. They sang HaTikvah, the Israeli national anthem.

Havdalah – Not habdalah. Service that concludes Shabbat. Literally translated, it means separation. Italicize as a non-English word.

K

Kabbalah –The Jewish mystic tradition. Italicize as a non-English word.

Kaddish – Most commonly used to refer to the Jewish prayer recited by mourners. Don’t fall into the trap of describing someone as reciting the prayer in Hebrew. The mourner’s Kaddish is actually recited in Aramaic, the colloquial language of the ancient Jews. Italicize as a non-English word.

Kashrut – The Jewish dietary laws. In using the word, you may need to define it or put it into a context in which its meaning can be gleaned. Italicize as a non-English word. See also kosher.

Kavod – Honor and respect. Italicize as a non-English word.

Kehillah – Hebrew word for community, sometimes spelled without the h; italicize as a non-English word.

Kibbutz (sing.), kibbutzim (pl.), kibbutznik (sing.), kibbutznikim (pl.) – Kibbutzim are communal Israeli farming settlements. Not to be confused with moshavim. (See also moshav, moshavim). A man or woman who lives on kibbutz is known as a kibbutznik. Since this word is now part of the English lexicon, italics are not necessary.

Kiddush – Not kiddish. The prayer over the wine. One says Kiddush or makes Kiddush. Italicize as a non-English word.

Kippah (sing.), kippot (pl.) – The Hebrew (and increasingly popular) term for a skullcap and the preferred term for Jewish Federation. Italicize as a non-English word.

Klal Yisrael – Loosely translated as the entirety of the Jewish people or the whole house of Israel. Always translate or put in a context in which its meaning is clear. Note lowercase k in klal, but uppercase Y in Yisrael. Italicize as a non-English term.

Kol Yisrael areivim zeh bazeh – Loosely translated as Jews are responsible for each other. Always translate or put in a context in which its meaning is clear. Italicize as a non-English expression. Note capitalization of Y in Yisrael. You may see the last word of this expression sometimes written as lazeh, but bazeh is the preferred usage at Jewish Federation.

Kotel – The Western Wall in Jerusalem. Always translate or use in a context in which its meaning is clear. Note capitalization. Also italicize as a non-English word. See also Wailing Wall, Western Wall.

Kristallnacht – Literally the night of broken glass, Kristallnacht occurred on the night of November 9-10, 1938, when the Nazis killed 91 German Jews and arrested 30,000 and put them into concentration camps. This tragedy marked a turning point in the Nazis’ treatment of Jews, moving from legislated denial of rights to overt violence. The event took its name from the windows of synagogues and Jewish-owned stores that were smashed during the evening of rioting. The event was also instrumental in the formation of United Jewish Appeal, initially founded to help Jews who were persecuted by the Nazis. Italicize as a non-English word.

Kol Nidre – The evening service that begins Yom Kippur. Also refers to the prayer that begins that service. Italicize as a non-English term.

Kuppah – Hebrew word for communal fund. Italicize as a non-English word.

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M

Mashgiach – A person knowledgeable in laws of kashrut who oversees adherence to Jewish dietary laws. Lowercase except when preceding someone’s name. Rabbi Murray Schachter is a mashgiach. Italicize as a non-English word.

Masada – Not Massada. Italicize as a non-English word.

Matzoh (sing.) matzohs or matzot (pl.) – Unleavened bread. Italicize as a non-English word.

Mazel tov – Hebrew for good luck. Typically used to express congratulations on evidence of good luck, not as a good wish for the future. Italicize as a non-English term.

Megillah (sing.), megillot (pl.) – Literally any long scroll, but usually refers to one of five megillot that comprise a part of the Bible known as the Ketuvim. The five megillot are the Book of Esther (read on Purim), the book of Ruth (read on Shavuot), Lamentations (read on Tisha B’Av), Ecclesiastes (read on Sukkot) and Song of Songs (read on Passover). In its English usage, it’s come to mean any long or involved story. Since the word is now part of the English lexicon, italics are not necessary.

Menorah – A seven-branched candelabrum originally used in the ancient Temple that has become a symbol of the Jewish people. Not restricted to the nine-branched menorah used for Chanukah called a chanukiyah. Since this word is now part of the English lexicon, italics are not necessary.

Mensch – Yiddish term: a decent, caring ethical human being. Italicize as a non-English word.

Mevushal – Kosher wine. Italicize as a non-English word.

Mezuzah (s.), mezuzot (pl.) – Literally means door posts. It refers to both the case nailed to the door posts of Jewish homes and the parchment contained inside it on which portions of the Torah are written. Italicize as a non-English word.

Mikvah – Ritual bath that is used primarily by women following their menstrual period and used by both men and women for preparation for conversions. Italicize as a non-English word.

Minyan – A prayer quorum of 10 people or, in the Orthodox movement, specifically 10 men. Italicize as a non-English word.

Mishna – See Talmud entry. Italicize as a non-English word.

Mishpacha – Means family. If you’re going to use the term, make sure you additionally give its meaning or put it in a context where its meaning is clear. The staff at the agency treated her like mishpacha – like family. Avoid the spelling mishpoche, except in quoted material. Italicize as a non-English word.

Mitzvah (sing.) mitzvot (pl.) – Although it literally means commandment, it is used colloquially to mean good deed. Note: The plural is mitzvot, not mitzvahs. Italicize as a non-English word.

Mizrach (n.) – A plaque hung to identify the East for purposes of prayer. Italicize as a non-English word.

Mizrachi (sing.), Mizrachim (pl.), Mizrachic (adj.) – Sephardic Jews of Central Asian ancestry. Literally means “eastern.” Italicize as a non-English word.

Moshav (sing.), moshavim (pl.) – Israeli agricultural collectives in which families individually own their own homes, but collectively own the farmlands and equipment. Distinct from kibbutzim (See also kibbutz, kibbutzim). Italicize as a non-English word.

Motzi, hamotzi – The Hebrew blessing over bread. Sometimes anglicized as the motzi. Don’t use the redundant the hamotzi. Italicize as a non-English word.

N

Nachas (n.) – Yiddish term: deriving special pride, pleasure, satisfaction, particularly from a happy event or a child. Italicize as a non-English word.

O

Oleh (m.), olah (f.), olim (pl.) – Literally immigrant, but usually used to mean an immigrant to Israel. Define or put in a context in which its meaning will be clear. Italicize as a non-English word.

P

Parshat HaShavua – The portion of the Torah that is read and studied weekly. Define or put into a context in which the reader can glean its meaning. Italicize as a non-English.

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R

Rav, rebbe – Rav is Hebrew. Rebbe is Yiddish. Both refer to rabbis/educators of great distinction, learning and respect. Italicize as non-English words.

Rosh Hashanah – The Jewish New Year, literally “head of the year,” celebrated on the first and sometimes second of Tishrei often in September or October. It is marked by the blowing of the shofar, calling for repentance before Yom Kippur.

S

Sabra – Term that refers to people born in Israel. Can be used to refer to both men and women. Literally, the name of a species of cactus native to Israel. Italicize as a non-English word.

Seder – The home ceremony on the first two nights of Passover during which the haggadah is read. Since this word is now part of the English lexicon, italics are not necessary.

Sephardi, Sephardim (pl.), Sephardic (adj.) – Literally Jews of Spanish ancestry, but generally used to describe any Jew of Spanish, Middle Eastern or Moroccan extraction. (See also Ladino). Italicize as non-English words.

Shabbat, Shabbos – The preferred term for the Jewish Sabbath is Shabbat. Note capitalization. The plural is Shabbatot. Use the spelling Shabbos only in quoted material and where it’s more commonly used in an expression, such as Gut Shabbos, although here again Shabbat shalom – have a peaceful Sabbath – would probably be preferable.A typical greeting before or during Shabbat is Shabbat shalom – have a peaceful Sabbath. Immediately after Shabbat, the greeting would be shvua tov – have a good week.

Shalom – Literally peace, but also used as a greeting and a farewell. Not sholom. Use the spelling sholom only in proper names that use that spelling, such as Beth Sholom Congregation.

Shanah Tovah – Greeting of Rosh Hashanah meaning Good New Year. Italicize as a non-English expression.

Sukkah – The temporary shelter built as part of the celebration of Sukkot. The plural of sukkah is sukkot (with a lowercase s), from which the name of the holiday is derived. (See also Sukkot). Italicize as a non-English word.

Sukkot – This holiday falls five days after Yom Kippur and celebrates the fall harvest and recalls the 40 years that the Jewish people wandered in the wilderness. It is celebrated from the 15th through the 21st day of Tishrei, which typically falls in September or October on the western Gregorian calendar. Use the spelling Sukkos only in quoted material. A typical greeting if someone around the first or last two days of this holiday, or a letter closing if you’re writing to someone, might be chag sameach – have a happy holiday. However, during the interim days, you would say moadi’im l’simcha – may this season of the year be festive. Italicize as a non-English word. (See also sukkah)

Shema – Shema literally means the command hear. With a capital S, it refers to the principal Jewish prayer of faith, affirming the Jewish belief in one G-d. It should be used with the article the. He recited the Shema. Italicize as a non-English word.

Shemini Atzeret – Festival observed the day after Sukkot ends. This day is generally not observed separately by Reform Jews or by Jews living in Israel, who generally regard it as part of Simchat Torah. It is celebrated on the 22nd day of Tishrei, which typically falls in September or October on the western Gregorian calendar. Italicize as a non-English term.

Shiva – The traditional mourning period following a funeral. Italicize as a non-English word.

Shoah, HaShoah – Literally means whirlwind or cataclysm – the Hebrew word used for the Holocaust. Don’t assume everyone knows its meaning; either put it in a context in which its meaning can be gleaned or define it. Italicize as a non-English word, except in a proper name, such as The Shoah Foundation.

Siddur (sing.), siddurim (pl.) – Prayer book will usually suffice and will be more universally understood. If used in quoted material, put it in a context that will ensure that your audience will understand its meaning. “We are fortunate to have a family siddur,” he said, referring to the prayer book that had been in his family for generations. Italicize as a non-English word.

Simcha (n.) – Joy and happiness, a happy occasion. Italicize as a non-English word.

Simchat Bat (n.) – ceremony when a baby girl is born to welcome her into the covenant. Italicize as a non-English term.

Simchat Torah – The holiday follows Sukkot and celebrates the annual cycle of Torah readings. It is observed on the 23rd day of Tishrei, which generally falls in September or October on the western Gregorian calendar. Italicize as a non-English term.

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T

Tahara – Preparation of a body for burial. Italicize as a non-English word.

Tallit (sing.), talliot (pl.) – The Jewish prayer shawl worn by men, and in some congregations, by women as well. Avoid the spelling tallis except in quoted materials or when dictated by the context. Italicize as a non-English word.

Talmud – Rabbinic commentaries written in the (approximately) 1st through 4th centuries C.E. Actually composed of two parts: the older Mishna, which is a commentary on the Torah, and the newer Gemarra, which is a commentary on the Mishna. Sometimes Talmud is used to refer to the Gemarra alone; sometimes as a reference to both Mishna and Gemarra. Italicize as a non-English word.

TaNaCH – Acronym for Torah, Neviim, K’tuvim, that refers to the complete Hebrew Bible, comprising the Five Books of Moses, Prophets and Writings. The word Bible will usually suffice and will be more universally understood. Do not refer to it as the Old Testament. If TaNaCH is used, either define it or put it in a context in which its meaning can be gleaned. Italicize as a non-English word.

Tefillin – Leather boxes, attached by straps, which contain passages from the Shema and are worn by Jews during morning prayers. The tefillin are placed near the hairline of the forehead and wrapped around the left arm for right-handed people and the right arm for left-handed people. Use this term rather than the technical-sounding phylacteries. One lays tefillin. Italicize as a non-English word.

Tikkun olam – A Jewish religious concept translated as repairing or mending the world and meaning a devotion to improving the world. Always translate or put in a context in which its meaning is clear. The Jewish Federation is founded on the principle of tikkun olam – the obligation we have to make the world a better place. Italicize as a non-English phrase.

Tisha B’Av – Literally the ninth day of the month of Av, which usually falls in July or August on the western Gregorian calendar. An especially mournful Jewish fast day that commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temples on the ninth day of the month of Av in 586 B.C.E. and 70 C.E. respectively. Italicize as a non-English term.

Torah – The five Books of Moses – B’reisheet (Genesis), Sh’mot (Exodus), VaYikrah (Leviticus), BaMidbar (Numbers) and Devarim (Deuteronomy). Judaism’s central and holiest document, containing 613 commandments and on which all Jewish law is based. In Orthodox circles, sometimes used more broadly to indicate the scope and breadth of Jewish source text. Always spell out with a capital T. Italicize as a non-English word.

Tu B’Shevat – Literally the 15th day of the month of Shevat, which generally falls in January or February on the western Gregorian calendar. The Festival of Trees, this holiday celebrates the blooming of the almond trees in Eretz Yisrael and the pending return of spring. Italicize as a non-English word.

Tzedakah – Literally means justice or righteousness, although it is generally used in the context of charity. One gives tzedakah or performs acts of tzedakah. Italicize as a non-English.

Tzizit (sing.), tzizis (pl.) – The four corner fringes on the tallit, each with a special series of knots. Define or put in context in which its meaning can be gleaned. Italicize as a non-English word.

U

Ulpan (sing.), Ulpanim (pl.) – Intensive program that teaches conversational Hebrew. A crucial service provided by the Jewish Agency for Israel for new immigrants. Italicize as a non-English word.

Y

Yahrzeit – the anniversary of the Hebrew date of a loved one’s passing. Italicize as a non-English word.

Yasher ko’ach (m.), yasher ko’cheich (f.) – Hebrew expression for recognizing a job well done as in good job or way to go. The Jewish Federation wishes Sherrie Savett a yahser ko’cheich for her many achievements as president. Or Yasher ko’ach on that presentation. Italicize as a non-English expression.

Yeridah – the act of emigrating from Israel, as opposed to aliyah. One makes yeridah, after which time a person is sometimes called a yored (m.) or a yoreder (f.). Italicize as a non-English word. Can be construed as pejorative; use with caution. (See also yored, yoredet, yordim).

Yeshiva (sing.), yeshivot (pl) – A Jewish school that offers religious (and often secular) instruction. Can refer to any grade level from pre-school through rabbinic studies. Italicize as a non-English word.

Yizkor – A special prayer service when one remembers loved ones who have died. Italicize as a non-English word.

Yom HaAtzma’ut – Israel’s Independence Day, when David Ben Gurion declared Israel an independent state at the conclusion of the British Mandate on the 5th day of Iyar, 1948. The holiday typically falls in late April or early May on the western Gregorian calendar. Italicize as a non-English word.

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Yom HaShoah – The day set aside to commemorate the tragedy of the Holocaust – the 27th day of Nisan. The day typically falls in April on the western Gregorian calendar. Italicize as a non-English word.

Yom HaZikaron – Israel’s version of Memorial Day. It commemorates the soldiers who gave their lives in Israel’s wars and is observed the 4th day of Iyar – the day before Yom HaAtzma’ut, Israel’s Independence Day. The holiday typically falls in late April or early May on the western Gregorian calendar. Italicize as a non-English word.

Yom Kippur – The Jewish day of atonement and the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. It is observed the 10th day of Tishrei, which typically falls in September or October on the western Gregorian calendar. A typical greeting if you see someone around this holiday, or a letter closing if you’re writing to someone, might be tzom kal – have an easy fast. Or, during the Days of Awe, g’mar chatimah tovah – may the end of Yom Kippur portend well for you. Italicize as a non-English term.

Yom Yerushalayim – A relatively new holiday that celebrates Jerusalem’s reunification at the conclusion of the Six-Day War in 1967. It is celebrated on the 28th day of Iyar, which typically falls in May on the western Gregorian calendar. Italicize as a non-English word.

Yored (m.), yoredet (f.), yordim (pl.) – Jews who leave Israel for other countries – who make yeridah. Can be construed as pejorative. Use with caution. Italicize as a non-English word. (See also yeridah).

Z

Z”l – An abbreviation in Hebrew that means “of blessed memory”. Used to refer to someone who has passed away.

Jewish HolidaysAll Jewish holidays are set according to the Hebrew lunar calendar, so that they begin at sundown on the preceding evening and conclude at sundown on the dates noted in the following section. The Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday evening and concludes at sundown on Saturday. During most of these observances work is traditionally prohibited. Italicize as non-English words.

Chanukah – Festival of Lights, typically falls in late November or December.

Lag B’omer – Thirty Third Day of the Omer, typically in May.

Pesach – Passover, typically falls in April. In most contexts, use the English Passover.

Purim – Rejoicing of Jewish Deliverance, typically falls in March.

Rosh Chodesh – The day that celebrates the new moon and in turn the beginning of the Jewish month.

Rosh Hashanah – New Year, typically falls in September.

Shavuot – Receiving of the Torah, typically falls in May.

Shemini Atzeret – Eighth Day of Assembly, typically falls between September and October.

Simchat Torah – Rejoicing in the Law, typically falls in October.

Sukkot – Feast of Tabernacles, typically falls in September.

Tisha B’Av – Official Day of Mourning, typically in July.

Tu B’Shevat -- The Festival of Trees.

Yom HaAtzma’ut – Israel’s Independence Day.

Yom HaShoah – The day commemorating the tragedy of the Holocaust.

Yom HaZikaron – Israel’s Memorial Day.

Yom Kippur – Day of Atonement, typically in September

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Holiday greetings The acceptable greeting when writing or speaking to someone around the time of a Jewish holiday that’s joyous in nature is Chag sameach – have a happy holiday. You wouldn’t use this greeting for solemn holidays, such as Yom Kippur or Tisha B’Av.

The Hebrew DateWhenever creating a document including a date, such as a letter or invitation, use both the Gregorian and Hebrew dates. The proper format for a Hebrew date:

15 Sivan 5775 (Day, Month, Year with a single space between each word)

The Jewish calendar is lunar-based and generally lasts 354 days. However, to keep it in sync with the 365-day solar calendar, the Jewish calendar employs a 19-year cycle during which seven years gain an additional month.

Hebrew Month Equivalent on Gregorian Calendar

Tishrei ....................................................................................September-October

Cheshvan ..............................................................................October-November

Kislev ......................................................................................November-December

Tevet .......................................................................................December-January

Shevat ....................................................................................January-February

Adar* ......................................................................................February-March

Nisan ......................................................................................March-April

Iyar .......................................................................................April-May

Sivan .......................................................................................May-June

Tamuz ....................................................................................June-July

Av .......................................................................................July-August

Elul .......................................................................................August-September

*In leap years (the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th and 19th year of a 19-year cycle) an additional month of Adar occurs. When this occurs, an additional month of Adar is added to the calendar as a sort of “leap month” called Adar I (which is followed by Adar II). This ensures that holidays occur during the appropriate season so Sukkot a harvest festival, doesn’t fall in the winter or that Tu B’Shevat, a festival that celebrates the coming of spring, doesn’t get observed in the autumn, etc.

Visit Chabad.org. to view a Hebrew calendar.

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Gender-neutral LanguageThe Jewish Federation seeks to ensure that every community member feels valued and included. Thus, this style manual rests on the principle that people deserve to be called by the names and titles they prefer. It is not the writer’s place to determine what should or should not be offensive to a reader. Additionally language should be gender-neutral whenever possible. To accomplish this, we prescribe the following usages:

• Collective words, such as everyone or everybody, should be followed by a plural pronoun. For example, the sentence Everybody brought his book to class should be recast as Everyone brought their book to class. This violates traditional grammar, but is the dominant trend. The alternatives are to use his or her, which becomes tiresome and inelegant, or to rewrite the sentence to eliminate the collective: They all brought their books to class.

• The use of he or she should be avoided. When describing an unknown person, use an occupational or other title. Hence, in listing the characteristics of an ideal employee, do not write, He is punctual. She is efficient. He or she is conscientious. Instead, write the employee is… or the comptroller is…

• The suffix -man should not be used, especially when describing an occupation. Wherever possible, use a neutral suffix instead. A fireman should become a firefighter; a mailman a letter carrier; and a freshman a first-year student.

• If a neutral suffix is not available, do not substitute -woman for -man unless absolutely necessary and do not overuse -person as a suffix. The preference is for the suffix to be dropped entirely. Hence, do not write Congressperson or Councilwoman; write Representative and council member.

• Do not refer to nation, ships or other inanimate objects as she. Write it out instead. The same rule applies to hurricanes, which now carry men’s names as well as women’s names. Do not refer to Hurricane Bob as he or to Hurricane Sandy as she; call them both it. Eliminate phrases such as “fellow Jews,” which may carry an exclusively male connotation.

• Use gender-neutral language for G-d in all Jewish Federation publicity when writing in English. This includes substitutions for the word Lord, including but not limited toThe Eternal, “The Divine and HaShem; and Sovereign for King. Avoid referring to G-d as He, His, etc.

For example, the prayer over candles:

Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us by Your commandments, and commanded us to light the Sabbath candles.

should be rephrased,

Blessed are You, the Eternal our G-d, Sovereign of the Universe....

A recent edition of a Reform prayer book can be consulted for translations.

When quoting scripture, “The Contemporary Torah: A gender sensitive adaptation of the JPS translation,” can be consulted as a starting point. For example:

Genesis 1:27 traditionally reads: So G-d created man in His own image, in the image of G-d He created him; male and female He created them.

The Contemporary Torah rephrases it like this:

So G-d created humankind in the divine image, creating it in the image of G-d-- creating them male and female.

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General Language and Punctuation UsageA

Addresses

When addressing envelopes, the street address and the city address must appear in the last two lines so that they can be read by the post office’s scanners.

Correct example:The Jewish Federation of Greater PhiladelphiaMarketing Department2100 Arch Street, 6th FloorPhiladelphia, PA 19103

Also Correct: The Jewish Federation of Greater PhiladelphiaMarketing Department2100 Arch Street6th FloorPhiladelphia, PA 19103

African-American – When used to designate an American black person, the word should be hyphenated. The word is an acceptable synonym for black, which is also acceptable.

Ages – Always write ages as numerals, not as words. Write a boy of 10 or a 12-year-old whiskey. As in the latter case, ages should be hyphenated when they are written as adjectives preceding a noun. This is true even when the noun is only implied, as in a 5-year-old for a 5-year-old child.

a.m., p.m. – Make lowercase with periods after each letter. Avoid redundancies, such as 10:00 a.m. this morning. Use zeros – correct: 10:00 a.m.; incorrect: 10 a.m.

Auschwitz-Birkenau – World War II-era Nazi extermination camp in Poland where an estimated 1.5 million people were systematically murdered, most of them Jews.

B

Biannual, semiannual, biennial, bimonthly, biweekly, fortnightly – Biannual and semiannual mean twice a year. Biennial means once every two years. Bimonthly means once every two months. Biweekly means once every two weeks. It may be clearer to avoid these expressions and instead say, for example, twice a week or every other month.

Bible – When referring to the religious book, always capitalize the word. Do not italicize it, underline it or put quotation marks around it. Do not capitalize the word if it refers to any other book. Do not capitalize the adjective biblical, but do capitalize Bible when it is used as an adjective: the Bible Belt.

C

Cantor – Capitalize only when it is a title that immediately precedes a name. But use lowercase when the title is set off by commas or when the cantor’s name is not specifically mentioned. The service was sung by Cantor Jacob Yaron. But: Jacob Yaron, cantor of the Community Synagogue, conducted the service. And He presented it to the cantor. (See also chazzan)

Capital, capitol, Capitol – The city that is the seat of government of a country, state, etc., is called the capital. Capital is also the correct spelling when referring to capital in the context of money: The organization needed to raise capital. The building that houses the U.S. Congress or other legislative body is called the Capitol (with uppercase capital C).

Capitalization – In the 18th century, English-speakers capitalized all nouns. Ever since then, the trend has been away from capitalization. Use lowercase letters wherever possible.

Capitalize proper names. Capitalize nouns and adjectives when they are part of proper names, but use lowercase when they stand alone. I work in the Empire State Building. But I work in the building. The Ritz Hotel overlooks Lake Erie. But The hotel overlooks the lake.

Do not capitalize adjectives that modify compound proper nouns. The Democratic Party. The Democratic and Republican parties. Meet me at the corner of Broad and Walnut streets.

Capitalize nouns standing alone when they are commonly accepted shorthand for proper names. Write the Street for Wall Street or the Derby for the Kentucky Derby.

Capitalize words that are derived from a proper noun and still depend on it for their meaning: a Marxist politician, a Shakespearean sonnet, a Molotov cocktail. Do not capitalize words derived from proper nouns if they are common idioms or if they no longer depend on the proper noun for their meaning: a quixotic adventure, a herculean task, a rubenesque woman, a pasteurized cheese. Also: a biblical verse, a presidential veto, a congressional decision, a constitutional amendment.

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Capitalize the main words in titles, but do not capitalize prepositions or articles shorter than five letters in titles. Gone with the Wind, Ode on a Grecian Urn.

Capitalize people’s titles when they precede people’s names. French President Hollande, Professor Schlessinger, Dr. Jonas Salk. Do not capitalize titles when they are used alone or when they are set off in apposition: The French president. The chairman of the board. Jonas Salk, a medical doctor. Arthur Schlessigner, a professor of history. If a word is a job description rather than a title, it should not be capitalized.

Exceptions: the President of the United States, the Secretary of State, the Chief Justice, etc.

Do not capitalize the names of institutions or organizations unless they are proper nouns: The university trustees, the Japanese Diet, the appellate court, the Supreme Court, the city council, the Philadelphia City Council.

Do not capitalize words like century or era unless they are part of a title or a proper name: The 20th century, the first century B.C., the Mesozoic era, the Era of Good Feeling, the Age of Enlightenment.

Caregiver – Write as one word for all references.

Chair – The preferred term for the head of a committee is the gender-neutral chair. Capitalize on invitations. Lowercase on all other materials except when immediately preceding the name and not separated by commas. Andrew J. Singer is the chair of the committee. The chair of the committee, Andrew J. Singer, attended the dinner. But Policy, Strategy and Funding Committee Chair Andrew J. Singer attended the dinner. Note the capitalization of the title in the last example.

City, state, federal – Capitalize only when referring to a specific governmental body or another proper noun. The housing program depends on federal funding. And He moved out of state. But Hate crimes are often investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. And The law was approved by the New York State Legislature.

Congregation, shul, synagogue, temple – When you’re referring to the group of people who worship at a particular Jewish house of worship, congregation is probably the best term to use. The congregation participated in the Annual Campaign. Decisions are made or actions are taken by congregations, not by synagogues. Synagogue generally should be used only to refer to the building in which the congregation is housed.

Synagogue generally refers to the physical house of worship. The Yiddish term shul often refers to Orthodox houses of worship, although it is used colloquially by many. The word temple often refers to Reform or Conservative institutions. When uncertain, synagogue is probably the best word to use when referring to the physical house of worship. We attended services at a synagogue in Philadelphia.

When referring to the ancient Jewish houses of worship built in Jerusalem, use Temple with a capital T. Solomon’s Temple, the Second Temple, etc.

Congregational school – A school for Jewish studies, usually sponsored by a congregation, in which students attend classes on weekends and/or afternoons. It serves to supplement secular education received elsewhere and is thus sometimes called a supplemental school.

Conservative – When referring to a general political philosophy, use lowercase. When referring to a specific political party, capitalize it. He is a conservative man, so he voted for the Conservative Party candidate.

Conservative Jew, Conservative Jewish – Note the capitalization of Conservative

Consul, council, counsel – A consul is an officer in the foreign service of a country. A council is a committee or another deliberative assembly. Counsel (usually without the or a) is an attorney or another advisor. Examples: Consul General of Israel to the Mid-Atlantic Region; Deputy Consul General (Do not abbreviate “Consul” or “deputy” or “General”).

D

Dates – In invitations, meeting notices, etc., when the date includes the month, day and year, use cardinal numbers – Arabic figures without st, nd, rd, or th. For example, it should be June 15, 2015 – never June 15th, 1999. In correspondence in which you aren’t writing the year, our preference is to use ordinal numbers and write We look forward to seeing you on June 15th. Use numerals to write all dates: May 10th, not May tenth. But: the tenth of May, the first of the month. When referring to decades, use numerals When writing the full name of a decades, write the decade without the use of an apostrophe; when using the contraction, put the apostrophe before the last two digits to signify that the first two digits are missing: the Roaring ‘20s, the 1950s, the ‘60s.

Day-care (adj.), day care (n.) – Hyphenate when using it as an adjective; use two words in other contexts. The synagogue had a day-care program. But The grant helped defray the high cost of day care.

Day school – A full-day school in which secular and Jewish studies are integrated into the curriculum.

Days of Awe - The 10 days beginning with Rosh Hashanah and ending with Yom Kippur traditionally a time for deep introspection and repentance, including seeking reconciliation with people you have wronged during the course of the year.

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Diaspora – The dispersal of Jews throughout the world after their ouster from Eretz Yisrael by the ancient Romans or, more generally, any country outside Israel in which Jews live today. Write with a lowercase d.

Disabled, disability – A general term used for a condition that interferes with an individual’s ability to do something independently. (See also handicapped). Person with a disability is preferable to disabled person.

Dollars and cents – Express cents with a numeral followed by the word cents, except at the beginning of a sentence: It cost 5 cents. Spell out entirely at the beginning of a sentence: Five cents was all she needed. Dollars are usually expressed with a numeral preceded by a dollar sign: It cost $30, $1.5 million, etc. When no cents are involved with a dollar figure, do not include the zeros. It cost $30, not: $30.00.

E

email – With a lowercase e, except at the beginning of a sentence or in a response form in which all the requested information is spelled with initial caps. Email has become an important way to communicate with donors. But he sent the information by email. In the past few years, the spelling email, without a hyphen, has become accepted and it is now our preferred spelling.

Ethiopian Jew – The preferred term for describing Jews living in, or who emigrated from, Ethiopia or who descended from Jews living in Ethiopia. Don’t use the term Falasha, which can be construed as derogatory. The term Ethiopian Jews use to describe themselves is B’nai Yisrael, the Children of Israel.

F

Flier, Flyer – Both flier and flyer are the same in meaning. The spelling flier is preferred for both aviators and handbills, while flyer is reserved for certain proper names such as Radio Flyer.

Fundraise (v.), fundraiser (n.), fundraising (v. and adj.) – When using fundraising as a noun or an adjective, write it as one word. As a verb, it is generally better to say raising funds. Examples: I will help with fundraising. Our fundraising efforts have been successful. We have been raising funds all year.

G

G-d, gods – If it’s necessary to use The Eternal’s name in a Jewish Federation letter or brochure, use the spelling G-d to avoid offending those people whose beliefs prohibit the full spelling. Use lowercase gods when referring to pagan deities: Antiochus tried to force the ancient Jews to worship his gods. But Despite his experience during the Holocaust, he never felt that G-d abandoned him.

H

Health care (adj.), (n.). – As a noun and adjective, it’s two words in all cases. One of the biggest issues for elderly Jews is health care. The Mount Sinai medical Center has numerous health care programs.

Holocaust – The Nazis’ systematic persecution, incarceration and extermination of about six million Jews, more than one-third of world Jewry, occurred from 1933-1945. While there have been other acts of genocide, such as the Armenian or American Indian holocausts, for Jewish Federation purposes the use of this word (with a capital H) should be restricted to references to the Jewish Holocaust.

I

IDF –Israel Defense Force

Intermarriage – One word.

Islam, Moslem, Muslim – The religion is called Islam. Its adherents are called Muslim (with a u). The spelling Moslem (with an o) is falling into disuse and should be reserved only for proper names that use that spelling. Two major divisions of Islam are spelled as follows: Sunni and Sh’ite. Members of the Sh’ite sect are called Shia. Although most Arabs are Muslims, most Muslims are not Arabs. Do not use the word interchangeably, as they are not synonyms.

Its, it’s – Its implies possession: The organization pays its bills. It’s is a contraction for it is: It’s a pity there are so many people in need of help.

J

Jewish movements, Jewish sects, Jewish streams – The Conservative, Orthodox, Reconstructionist and Reform movements should be described as just that – movements. The term Jewish stream is acceptable; the term sect is not.

Judaism – Capitalize the word and capitalize all references to its major divisions, whether or not the word Judaism appears. Examples: Susan is a Reform Jew but Rina is Orthodox. What’s the difference between Conservatives and Reconstructionists?

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Junior/Senior – It is acceptable to abbreviate these words when they are part of someone’s name, even in the most formal written document. Put a period after the abbreviation and separate it from the rest of the name with a comma. Example: John F. Kennedy, Jr. The Roman numeral II after someone’s name does not mean Jr. and should not be used as a synonym for it.

K

Kosher – Use only to refer to food, not to mean that something is legitimate. Always capitalize. See also kashrut in the “Commonly Used Hebrew and Yiddish Words” section.

L

Lay leader – Two words. Not layleader. Typically a volunteer of standing with a nonprofit organization.

Legislative titles – Use Rep. Reps., Sen. and Sens. as formal titles before one or more names in regular text. Spell out and capitalize these titles in a direct quotation. Spell out and lower case representative and senator in other uses. In correspondence to an elected official, The Honorable also may be used in the inside address: The Honorable Allyson Schwartz.

Like – When used as a prefix meaning similar, follow it with a hyphen, as in like-minded. Do not hyphenate if the word containing like has a separate meaning, such as likelihood or likeness. When using like as a suffix meaning in the manner of, omit the hyphen unless the root word ends in the letter I. Examples: childlike, lifelike, bull-like, steel-like.

Log in/login – The term log in is a verb and is used to describe the action of logging in, whereas login refers to your password/username. Examples: I need to log in to the Jewish Federation’s website to make a donation; Please insert your login information here.

M

Magazine/journals – Write the names of magazines and journals in italics. If that is not possible, underline the names. Do not enclose the names of magazines in quotation marks and do not capitalize the word magazine unless it is part of the proper name.

Man/men – Not for use as a synonym for person or persons. Write humankind, not mankind. Do not use as a verb meaning to staff or to operate. Avoid referring to women as men, as in Six women will man the phones. Avoid using man as a suffix and wherever possible, avoiding substituting person as a suffix, as the construction is awkward. Write firefighter, not fireman, and letter carrier, not mailman. See also note on gender-neutral language.

Middle East, Mid East – Composed of Afghanistan, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Note: Take care using the term Middle East or Middle Eastern. Not all Arab countries are technically in the Middle East – Morocco and Algeria, for example, are not Middle Eastern. Nor is Israel the only Middle Eastern country that is not Arab – Turkey, Cyprus, Afghanistan and Iran are also not Arab countries. The term Mid East is acceptable, but Middle East is preferred.

Months – When the name of a month is followed by a specific date, it is acceptable to abbreviate the month, except in formal correspondence. Write the name of the month in full if it stands alone or if it is followed only by a year. Unless a specific date follows the name of the month, do not put a comma after it. Examples: I was born in November 1954, but I was born on November 16, 1954. Acceptable abbreviations: Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., May, June, Jul., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.

Mr./Mrs./Miss/Ms. – Men should be referred to as Mr. unless they are medical doctors or Ph.D.s who use the title Doctor as part of their names. Men holding high political, judicial, clerical or military rank may be addressed with their titles, but the use of Mr. is still acceptable. Robert Casey is properly addressed as Senator Casey or Mr. Casey. Women who are not married, whose marital status is unknown or who prefer Ms. should be referred to as Ms. unless they hold a doctoral degree, political office or military rank and use the title as part of their name. Married women should be referred to as Mrs. When referring to a husband and wife together, write Mr. and Mrs.

N

Numbers – Generally write out numbers up to nine and use numerals for 10 and above. There were nine people who were helped with that donation. It requires 10 people for a minyan. There are exceptions, however. Ages should always be written as numerals: She was 4 years old. In addition, numbers above 10 should be spelled out if they’re used at the beginning of a sentence. Fifteen years ago, she lived in poverty. Numerals of more than three digits require commas: 3,500, 15,567, etc. Numbers in the millions or billions should be expressed as a combination of numerals with the word million (or billion) written out:. There are 1.5 million Jews living in poverty there. But write out completely when in the beginning of a sentence: Six million Jews perished during the Holocaust. When expressing a range of values, repeat the word million or billion to avoid confusion. The program will cost between $15 million and $30 million.

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O

Of Blessed Memory – When referring to a Jewish person who is deceased, of blessed memory or z”l must follow their name; either usage is acceptable. Examples: Joe Smith, of blessed memory, OR Joe Smith, z”l. Additionally, when writing about a person who is deceased, you can use the phrase, “May their memory be for a blessing.” Also see Baruch Dayan HaEmet in the “Commonly Used Hebrew and Yiddish Words” section.

Online, on line – The computer term, meaning connected to a network, is one word for all uses. He worked online. She subscribes to an online service. On line, as two words, means to get in a queue. She waited on line for tickets.

Orthodox Jew, Orthodox Judaism – Note the capitalization of Orthodox. Avoid modifying terms such as modern Orthodox or ultra-Orthodox unless specifically relevant to the subject matter.

P

Place names – On the first reference, always use the name of the state or country, unless you’re referring to a major city or a place in Greater Philadelphia. If the name of the state or country isn’t followed by a period, it must be followed by a comma: He had homes in Ventnor, New Jersey, and Boca Raton, Florida. In text, always spell out state names, don’t abbreviate. For spellings of place names, the official dictionary is Merriam-Webster’s Geographical Dictionary, Third Edition.

The first spelling of any given entry in Merriam-Webster’s Geographical Dictionary is the official Jewish Federation spelling. Spellings of selected places include:

Azerbaijan - A person from Azerbaijan is Azeri.

Beersheba - Not Be’er Sheva.

Carmel - Not Karmel.

Chechnya - A person from Chechnya is Chechen.

Dagestan - A person from Dagestan is Dagestani.

former Soviet Union - Note the lowercase f. Avoid the term FSU or use it only on second reference when its meaning has been clearly established by putting it in parentheses after the full name was used.

Jaffa - Not Yafo.

Kazakhstan - A person from Kazakhstan is Kazakh.

Kyrgyzstan - A person from Kyrgyzstanis Kyrgz.

Masada - Not massada.

Moldova - A person from Moldova is Moldovan.

Romania - Not Rumaniz.

Tajikistan - A person from Tajikistan is Tajik.

Turkmenistan - A person from Turkmenistan is Turkmen.

Ukraine - Not The Ukraine.

Uzbekistan - A person from Uzbekistan is Uzbek.

The following are the Jewish Federation’s exceptions to Webster’s spellings:

Akko - Not Acre.

Belarus - Not Belorussia, although a person from Belarus is Belorussian.

Lake Kinneret – This is the preferred term at Jewish Federation for what most Americans refer to as the Sea of Galilee, although, on first reference, Sea of Galilee should be put in parentheses for clarification. The mission will visit Lake Kinneret (The Sea of Galilee).

Safed – Not Zefat.

Phone numbers – Separate the numbers by periods. Example: 215.832.0500

President – Capitalize the word only when it precedes someone’s name. Lower-case all other uses: Example: I voted for President Obama. What did the president eat for breakfast?

Q

Quotation marks – Put all punctuation inside the quotation marks, even if the quotation is not a full sentence in its own right. Contrast this rule with the one governing punctuation of parenthetical expressions. Example: “I love you,” he said.

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R

Rabbi – Title for a Jewish scholar and teacher appointed as a religious leader. Capitalize only when it is a title that immediately precedes a name. Lowercase is used for a title set off by commas or when the rabbi’s name is not specifically mentioned. The service was conducted by Rabbi Lori Forman. But: Lori Forman, a rabbi with The Jewish Federation, conducted the service. And: He gave the book to the rabbi.

Reconstructionist Judaism – Note the capitalization of Reconstructionist. A separate and distinct movement of Judaism, Reconstructionist Judaism should not be considered a branch of Reform or Conservative Judaism, although the roots of the Reconstructionist movement are intertwined with the Conservative movement in the United States.

Reform Judaism – Note the capitalization of Reform. Do not use the past tense reformed when referring to Reform Judaism.

Religious titles – The first reference to a member of the clergy, man or woman, normally should include a capitalized title before the individual’s name. Use Rabbi before a name on first reference. (See also Rabbi). On second reference, use only the last name of a man; use Miss, Mrs., Ms. or no title before a woman’s last name, depending on her preference.

Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops: The preferred form for first reference is to use the title before the individual’s name. Cardinal Edwin O’Brien; archbishop of Baltimore. Substitute the Most Rev. if applicable and appropriate in the context: He spoke to the Most Rev. Edwin O’Brien, archbishop of Baltimore. On second reference, O’Brien or the archbishop.

Ministers and Priests: Use the Rev. before a name on first reference. Substitute Monsignor before the name of a Roman Catholic priest who has received this honor. Do not routinely use curate, father, pastor and similar words before an individual’s name. If they appear before a name in a quotation capitalize them.

Nuns: Always use Sister, or Mother if applicable, before a name: Sister Agnes Rita in all references if the nun uses only a religious name; Sister Clare Regina Torpy on first reference if she uses a surname, Sister Torpy on second, or Miss, Ms. or no title as she prefers.

R.S.V.P. – The abbreviation for the French Répondez, s’il vous plaît, meaning Please reply. It is redundant to write please R.S.V.P. as the word please is already implied. Note the use of periods in the abbreviations.

S

Seasons – Lowercase, except when at the beginning of a sentence or in the context of the name of an event or another proper noun.

Serial Commas – Serial commas should not be used. Examples, incorrect: The Jewish Federation helps those locally, in Israel, and around the world. Correct: The Jewish Federation helps those locally, in Israel and around the world.

Spaces after period – Use one space after a period – not two.

Spaces between paragraphs – There should be two line spaces between each paragraph.

T

Time – In invitations, times should be expressed as hours and minutes, separated by a colon. The terms a.m. and p.m. should be lowercase and should include periods. Examples: 6:00 p.m.; 10:30 a.m. Example for giving start and end times: 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.; 5:40 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. OR 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.; 5:40 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Titles – In general, confine capitalization to formal titles used directly before an individual’s name.

News release example: Bud Newman, president of the Jewish Federation, stated…. Or: The president of the Jewish Federation, Bud Newman, said…. But Jewish Federation President Bud Newman said … (Note capitalization of the title in this last example, but not in the previous two).

On invitations, especially where there are long lists, our policy is to list the title first, then the name. On invitations, titles should have initial capitals. In letters, news releases and all other written materials (except invitations) do not capitalize a title unless (and this is tricky) it immediately precedes the name and is not separated by a comma.

Invitation Example:

President Bud Newman

Campaign Chair Gail Norry

(See also religious titles or legislative titles).

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U

Ukraine – Do not use the before Ukraine. It is used in the same way as France (not the France).

Urls – When using urls, there is no need to include http:/ or www. For example: jewishphilly.org

W

Wailing Wall, Western Wall – The preferred term for the holy site in Jerusalem is Western Wall. Use Wailing Wall only in quoted material. Note capitalization. (See also Kotel in “Commonly Used Hebrew and Yiddish Words” section).

Website, web browser, World Wide Web – Note that website is one word, but web browser is two words. Also note the capitalization of World Wide Web.

Y

Yiddish – Judeo-German language typically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe and still thriving in Hasidic communities. Although many Yiddish words have entered the American lexicon, use Yiddish with care since this language is not a universal Jewish language and has little relevance to Jews of non-Ashkenazi descent. When using religious terms, the Hebrew equivalent is more appropriate. When used, italicize Yiddish words and expressions.

Z

Zion/Zionism/Zionist – Always capitalized. A term used in the Torah to describe Israel and adapted in modern political issues to mean pro-Israel sentiments.

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2100 ARCH STREET, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103 n 215.832.3484 n JEWISHPHILLY.ORG

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s mission is to mobilize financial and volunteer resources to address the community’s most critical priorities

in Greater Philadelphia, in Israel and around the world.