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Glite Dictionary
mechitzah

mechitzah

1 9.9
A divider that separates men and women in a synagogue during prayer
  • noun
  • /mɛˈχiːtsə/
  • Jargon
: mechitzá
  • The mechitzah was installed to ensure that both men and women could participate in the service while respecting traditional customs.

Examples

  • In many synagogues, a mechitzah is used to create a clear division between the seating for men and women.

  • This mechitzah may refer to a chancel screen or something physically akin.

    Academic text (1992)

  • The text asks whether a divider, mechitzah, between the priestly class (the kohanim) and the congregation obstructs the blessing.

    Academic text (1992)

  • During the religious ceremony, the mechitzah effectively separated the men from the women in accordance with Jewish traditions.

Synonyms

partition
vsmechitzah
15 4.2

A wall or screen that divides one area of a room from another

is specifically the religious divider used to separate men and women
mehitzah
vsmechitzah
  • Jargon
1 9.9

A divider like a curtain that separates men and women in a synagogue during services

has identical meaning but is a differently spelled or styled form

Surface Forms

mechitzah singular
mechitzot plural

Etymology

Mechitzah comes from a Hebrew word mechitzah that means 'partition' or 'divider', a name for any wall or screen that separates spaces. So today mechitzah refers to the screen or barrier used to separate men and women in a synagogue.