abba (ah bah) Hebrew word for father; a term of endearment.
Agitated emotionally and physically disturbed.
ailanthus tree a tree with bitter-scented flowers, usually found in the tropics.
allusions indirect references.
Amulets objects or charms superstitiously worn to ward off evil.
apikorsim (ah pik or sim) a word of disfavor used by the ultra-Orthodox to refer to the Modern Orthodox.
Ascribe credit with.
assimilationist a person who believes in the inclusion of different racial and ethnic groups into mainstream culture.
avenues of prayer This philosophy of Hasidism was expounded by its leader and founder, Israel Ba'al Shem Tov (Master of the Good Name). In the novel, Hasidic philosophy is represented by Danny Saunders and his father, Rabbi (Reb) Saunders.
Avodah Zarah a book in the Talmud dealing with idolatry and superstitions.
Baba Bathra a book in the Talmud.
Battle of the Bulge a month-long battle (December 1944 to January 1945) in the Ardennes region of northeast France during which the Allies succeeded in holding off German troops and hastened the end of the war in Europe.
Beadle a minor church official in charge of ushering and keeping order during religious services.
Benedict de Spinoza (1632-77) Dutch Jewish philosopher.
Bialik (Bee al lick) Hayyim Nahman Bialik (1873-1934), a Jewish poet who had a decisive influence on the renaissance of the Hebrew language in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Blatt a page of Talmud.
Breslau a city in Germany.
British Foreign Minister Bevin Ernest Bevin (1881-1951), who served as England's foreign secretary from 1945 to 1951.
Brownstones residential buildings made of reddish-brown sandstone, common in urban areas.
Caen and Carentan cities in northwestern France.
caftan (calf tan) a long coat worn by the Hasidim.
Cassell's a brand of comprehensive language dictionaries, available in French, Spanish, German, and other languages. Danny uses the German one to assist him in reading Freud.
Catechism a written record of religious beliefs, usually in a question-and-answer format.
cerebral hemorrhage severe bleeding of the brain.
Chaim Weizmann (1874-1952) a Zionist leader and first president of the state of Israel.
Clop a colloquialism for a physical blow.
Cockeyed askew; slightly crazy.
conjunction in logic, a statement that is true if and only if each of its parts is true.
