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Words to be Added to the Main Glossary Pages
[I warned you that this is a work in progress.]
B
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Beit HaT’futzot
The Diaspora Museum, in Tel Aviv
b'emet
lit.= in truth: "Really?";
"Really!"
Be'ersheva
lit.=well of the oath: Israeli
city in the Negev
Beit...
pron."bate": House of... [Sefardi
pron.]
Beit Din
lit.=house of law: rabbinical
court
Beit HaMikdash
Holy Temple, twice destroyed
Beit Lechem
lit.=House of bread (Heb.)
Bethlehem, Rachel's burial place
Beit (Ha)Midrash
room, building for religious study
ben...
son of...
bentch
(Yid.) say Grace After Meals
bentch licht
(Yid.) light and bless the Shabbat
candles
Beth...
pron. "bett": House of...
[Ashkenazi pron.]
biblical
of the Five Books of Moses, the
Prophets, or the Writings
bikur cholim
visiting the sick
bimah
Torah-reading table in synagogue
Birkat HaMazon
lit.=blessing of the food: Grace
After Meals
Birkat Kohanim
the blessing of the kohanim (see
"duchan")
bitachon
(Heb.) trust [n]
biz hundret un tzvensik yor
lit.=to a hundred and twenty
years: "(May you) live a long life." [Moses lived to 120]
blood libel
the pernicious libel that the
blood of Christian children is used to make kosher wine or matzah
b’nai mitzvah
more than one bar/bat mitzvah
celebrant
boch'r
yeshiva student
borscht
cold beet soup
Boruch Atoh
"Blessed are You..."
boruch haboh
lit.=bless the arrivers:
"Welcome!"
boychik
(Yid.) boy, term of endearment
bracha
blessing
B'reshit
Genesis
brit (mila)
lit.=covenant: circumcision
b'samim
fragrant spices smelled during
Havdala
b'shert
destined; one's destined
mate/spouse
b'tayavon
lit.=in appetite: Bon Appetit!
bubbe
(Yid.) grandmother
bubbe meiseh
lit.=grandmother's story:
old-wive's tale
bulvan
(Yid.) ox-like person
bupkes
(Yid.) nothing; something
worthless
b'vakasha
"Please"; "You're welcome."
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C
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cacamamie
half-baked, silly
calla
(Heb.) bride
C.E.
Common Era
Chabad
see "Lubavitch"
chag
holiday, esp. a religious one
chai
(Heb.) life
challah
braided egg bread for Shabbat and
holidays
chaloshes
(Yid.) disgusting
chalutz
pioneer; early Israeli settler,
esp. on kibbutz
chamalyeh
(Yid.) punch, hard hit [n]
chametz
leavened products forbidden on
Pesach
Chanukah
winter holiday for defeating the
Syrian Hellenists
chanukia
Chanukah menorah
charoset
Seder condiment of chopped apples,
walnuts, and wine; recalls mortar made by Hebrew slaves in Egypt
chas v'sholom
lit.=mercy and peace: "God
forbid!"
chasana
wedding
chasid (pl. chasidim)
member of an Orthodox Jewish sect
chatchke(s)
knick-knack(s)
chaver
(Heb.) friend
chavruta
study partner or group
chaya (ruah)
(wicked) wild animal
chayrem
state of excommunication, shunning
Chazal
abbr. of Chachomim, Zichronom
L'Vracha: our Sages, may their Memories (be) for a Blessing.
chazan
cantor
chazer
pig
chazerai
(Yid.) disgusting stuff, trash
chazuka
claim of ownership based on
repeated use
cheder
religious lesson, or where it's
held
chesed
(Heb.) kindness
Cheshvan
2nd Jewish month (Oct-Nov)
chevra kadisha
lit.=holy association: burial
society
chidush
innovation; revelation
chilul HaShem
lit.=defamation of the Name: a
scandalous act or statement
chinuch
early childhood education
chiyuv
lit.=obligated: one to whom an
honor is due in shul
chochma
(Heb.) wisdom
chochom (pl. chochomim)
sage; wise one
chodesh
lit.=new (moon): month
Chol HaMo'ed
middle 4 days of 8-day holidays,
esp. Pesach and Sukkot. rules of the holiday apply, but work is
permitted.
cholent
24-hour stew for Shabbat,
holidays, etc.
choson
(Heb.) groom
chrain
(Yid.) horseradish
chug
activity group
Chumash
lit.=five: The Five Books of Moses
chuppah
wedding canopy
churban
destruction, ruin [n]
chutzpah
sass, moxy; nerve, gall
chiloni
Israeli non-affiliated Jew
Converso
Jew forced to convert under
the Inquistion; a modern descendant living in the southwest U.S.
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D
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daf yomi
lit.=page of the day: practice of
learning a page of Gemara each day
darshen
to interpret, esp. in religious
issues
daven
(Yid.) pray
Dayenu
"It Would Have Sufficed," a Seder
song; "Enough already!"
dayun
(Heb.) judge [n]
derech eretz
lit.=the way of the land: courtesy
Diaspora
those Jews not living in Israel
din
(Heb.) law
drasha
sermon
dreidel
toy top used on Chanukah
duchan
blessing the congregation [v],
done by kohanim
D'varim
Deuteronomy
dvar Torah
lit.=word of Torah: speech on
enlightening biblical passage or any aspect of religious thought
dybbuk
(Yid.) dead person's soul
inhabiting a living person
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E
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Eicha
Lamentations
Einsatzgruppen
Special Forces of the Nazi Army
El Al
lit.=to above: Israel's airline
Elul
12th Jewish month (Aug-Sept)
emunah
(Heb.) faith
eppis
something undefinable, a
"you-know-what"
Eretz Yisrael
(Heb.) The Land of Israel
Erev...
lit.=evening: the night before,
esp. Shabbat or yom tov; like New Year's Eve
eruv
series of posts connected with
string that fence in an area, making it permissible to carry on
Shabbat in that area
etrog
citron, used on Sukkot
ezra
(Heb.) help [n]
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F
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Falasha
lit.=wanderer: derogatory name for
Ethiopian Jews
far vus
(Yid.) for what, why
farblonget
(Yid.) lost
farbrengen
(Yid.) party [n], esp. religious
or family
farbrent
(Yid.) burning; zealous
farfallen
(Yid.) collapsed, fallen in
felafel
pita sandwich with fried chick-pea
balls
ferdrimmeled
(Yid.) dreaming, daydreaming
ferklempt
(Yid.) clenched
fermished
(Yid.) mixed up, messed up
ferpitzed
(Yid.) dressed up
fershtays
(Yid.) understand
fershimmeled
(Yid.) moldy
ferschnoshked
(Yid.) drunk
fertootsed
(Yid.) over-dressed, overdone
fleischig
containing or relating to meat
fress
(Yid.) gobble
fresser
(Yid.) glutton
freylach
(Yid.) festive
frosk
(Yid.) slap
fumfer
(Yid.) mumble
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G
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gaon
head of a Babylonian yeshiva;
composer of the Talmud
gabbai
rabbi's synagogue assistant
Gallil
lit= rolling: the northern,
grassy, hilly part of Israel
Galut
lit.=exile: where the Diaspora
lives
Gan Aiden
The Garden of Eden
ganev
thief; clever person
gan k’tanim
lit.=garden of (the) small (ones):
kindergarten
gantze megilla
(Yid.) the whole story
gantze mishpocha
(Yid.) the whole family
gartl
(Yid.) belt, sash
gefilt croht
stuffed cabbage
gefilte fish
fish cakes
gelilah
rolling and re-clothing of Torah
scroll after hagbah
gelt
(Yid.) money, esp. as Chanukah
gift
Gemara
commentary on the Mishna
gemilut chasadim
acts of kindness
genizah
storage/burial for worn-out, but
holy, papers, books, etc.
ger
convert [n]
geshmackt
(Yid.) delicious, lip-smacking
geshrai
(Yid.) cry, shout, yell [n]
get
divorce document
gezunt
(Yid.) healthy
gezuntheit
(Yid.) good health
glatt
lit.=smooth: highest level of
fleishig kashrut
glick
(Yid.) good fortune
Goldena Medina
lit.=Golden Country: the United
States
golem
automaton; mindless person
gomel
one who has just undergone a
dangerous experience
gorgl
(Yid.) neck
gornisht
(Yid.) nothing, emptiness
gottenyu
"Dear God!"
grogger
Purim noisemaker
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H
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HaAretz
lit.=the land: The Land of Israel
hachnasat orchim
the welcoming of guests;
hospitality
hader
(Heb.) pride
hadasim
myrtle leaves, used on Succot
Haftorah
after Torah reading, a reading
from Prophets, usu. related in content or theme to parsha just read
hagbah
raising and display of the Torah
scroll after reading
Hadassah
U.S.-based Jewish women's
organization
Haggadah
Pesach guidebook, used during
Seder
hakafot
dances around bimah on Succot [n]
hak'n a chainik
lit.=banging a kettle: annoying
[v]
halachah
Jewish law
ha-levai
(Yid.) "If only!"
Hallel
holiday prayer of thanks-giving
Psalms
halvah
sesame candy
hamentash(en)
Purim cookie(s), filled with fruit
or poppyseeds
HaMotzi
the blessing over bread
HaShem
The Name (in place of God’s
actual Name)
Haskala
19th cent. European Jewish
"Enlightenment"
HaTikvah
lit.=The Hope: Israel's anthem
Havdala
prayer bidding farewell to Shabbat
haymish
lit.=home-like: friendly, joyous
hefker
abandoned, ownerless
Herzl, Theodore
early Zionist, Hebrew-language
proponent
Holocaust
always capitalized
hora
fast, festive circle-dance
hoshanah
prayer for hakafot
Hoshanah Rabbah
holiday at end of Succot
hummus
chick-pea paste, a
Mid-Eastern dish
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I
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ikor
core, essence
im yirtza HaShem
"God willing."
ima
(Heb.) mother
Iyar
8th Jewish month (May), 5th
is Yom HaAtzma'ut, 18th is Lag BaOmer.
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J
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Judenrat
council of ghetto Jews
charged with picking Jews to give to Nazis for delivery to
concentration/death camps
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K
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Kabalah
lit.=acceptance: Jewish mysticism
Kaddish
mourner's prayer
kallah
study session
kapo
head of a Judenrat
kaporah
atonement
karpas
vegetables (usu. parsley, celery,
potato) dipped in salt water and eaten at Seder
kasha
couscous-like dish made of
buckwheat
kashe
question, esp. on ritual
observance
kasher
to make kosher, esp. meat or
dishes
kashrut
the laws of kosher-ness
kapoteh
long, black coat worn by chasidim
kedoshim
lit.=holy ones: martyrs
kedushin
the marriage ceremony
kehilla
congregation; community
ken ayina hora
lit.=without the evil eye: "Not to
jinx it" (said after complimenting)
keter Torah
ornamental crown placed on Sefer
Torah
ketubah
lit.=writ: marriage contract
khap
grab, snatch; understand [v];
insight [n]
kibbitz
(Yid.) chitchat
kibbutz (pl. kibbutzim)
Israeli collective farm
kichel
air-filled cookies
kiddish
celebratory meal after synagogue
services
Kiddush
prayer/blessing for wine
kiddush HaShem
lit.=sanctification of the Name:
selfless act, esp. martyrdom
Kiddush Lavona
prayer for the new moon
kinder(lach)
(small) children
kipah (pl. kipot)
(Heb.) skullcap
kiruv
lit.=closeness: outreach
kishka
seasoned mashed potatoes in a
casing
kishkas
(Yid.) innards; "guts" ("She's
got..."; "I feel it in my...")
Kislev
3rd Jewish month (Nov-Dec), 25th
is Chanukah
kitel
white robe, esp. for Pesach and
Yom Kippur
Klal Yisrael
(Heb.) The Jewish People
klezmer
Yiddish music: part Jewish, part
big-band
klutz
(Yid.) clumsy one
Knesset
Israel's Parliament
k'neidlach
thin noodles, esp. for soup
k'nish
puff pastry filled with meat or
potatoes
ko'ach
strength; endurance, energy
kodesh
(Heb.) holy
kohen (pl. kohanim)
descendant of Moses, Aaron; thus,
a member of the priest class
Kol Nidre
"All Vows," key prayer, by chazan
on Erev Yom Kippur
korban
(Heb.) holy sacrifice; (Yid.)
scapegoat
kos
(Heb.) wine goblet
kosher
permissible to eat under Jewish
law
Kotel (HaMa'aravi)
The (Western) Wall
kovod
(Heb.) honor [n]
kreplach
won tons
Kristallnacht
"Night of Broken Glass," Nazi
pogrom on Nov.9-10, 1938; the worst pogrom ever, it marked the
Holocaust's start
kriyah
lit.=rip: the tearing of one’s
clothes to signify mourning
kriyat haTorah
the reading of the Torah
kugel
casserole, usu. of potatoes or
noodles; tease [v, slang]
kvell
derive deep pride or intense
satisfaction
kvetch
whine(r), complain(er)
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L
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Ladino
the Jewish-Spanish language
Lag BaOmer
the thirty-third day of the Omer,
minor spring holiday
landsman
fellow native (usu. of place in
Old Country)
landsmanshaft(en)
organization(s) of fellow natives
lashon harah
lit.=bad language: slander, gossip
Lashon HaKodesh
lit.=holy tongue: Hebrew
latke
potato pancake, esp. for Chanukah
lavayah
lit.=procession: funeral
layn
read from the Torah, etc., with
trop
l'chaim
"To Life!"
lechem
(Heb.) bread
lev
(Heb.) heart
levi (pl. leviim)
member of the tribe of Levi, but
not a descendant of Moses or Aaron; thus, a member of the
priest-assistant class
licht
lit.=light: Shabbat or yom tov
candles
Likud
Israeli conservative political
party
loch in kopf
lit.=a hole in (the) head: "the
last thing I need"
lochshen
wide noodles, esp. for kugel
l'shanah tova
lit.=for a good year: Rosh
HaShanah greeting
Lubavitch
large and influential chaisidic
group focusing on outreach
luftmensch
lit=air man: one without visible
means of (monetary) support
lulav
palm frond. used on Succot
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Ma'arat HaMachpela
Tomb of the Patriarchs
ma'ariv
evening prayer
Maccabi
follower of Judah of the Maccabis
maccabiah
Jewish preteen mini-Olympics (cap.
if official version)
machotin
child's father-in-law
machatonim
child's spouse's parents,
co-in-laws
machatonista
child's mother-in-law
macher
lit.=maker: mover-and-shaker
machzor
holiday prayerbook, esp. for High
Holidays
madrich
camp counselor; youth-group
leader; tour guide
makos
(Heb.) whip-lashes; plagues
Mama Loshon
lit.=mother tongue: Yiddish
mandel brot
almond pastry
Ma Nishtanah
"What Distinguishes?" set of
children's questions in Haggadah, the "Four Questions"
maot chitim
lit.=wheat money: charity given
for poor to buy matzah
Marrano
lit.=pig: derogatory name for
Converso
marror
bitter herb eaten on Pesach
matzah (pl. matzot)
unleavened bread, esp. eaten on
Pesach
matzah brei
French-toasted matzah
matzevah
tombstone
mayven
expert; know-it-all
mazel
lit.=constellation: luck
Mazel Tov
lit.= (a) good star:
"Congratulations!"
mazik
impish person, esp. a child
mechaya
lit.= which makes live: relief;
joy (said of a person, thing, or situation)
mechitza
partition between men and women in
shul
medina
country (the actual territory)
Medinat Yisrael
(Heb.) The State of Israel
megillah
(Heb.) Esther, Ruth, Ecclesiastes,
Song of Songs, Lamentations (Yid.) any long, drawn-out story
Megillah
The Book of Esther
melamed
religious teacher, esp. a
non-rabbi
melaveh malkeh
Shabbat party
melech/Melech
king/ capitalize in reference to
God
menachem avel
lit.=comforting a mourner: paying
a condolence call
menorah
candelabra, esp. for Chanukah
mensch (pl. menschen)
(Yid.) upstanding person
menschlach
decent, morally upright, polite
meshuge
(Yid). crazy
meshugene
(Yid.) crazy one
metziah
lit.=a find: a bargain
mezuzah
biblical passage on a parchment
scroll, placed in an ornamental case and affixed to a doorpost
Midrash
collection of extra-biblical
stories
mikvah
ritual bath
milchig
dairy
mincha
afternoon prayer
minyan
quorum of 10 required for certain
prayers
mishalach manot
gifts of food given on Purim
misheberach
blessing of healing given during
kriyat haTorah
mishpacha
(Heb.) family
Mishkan
portable Holy Temple used during
Exodus
mishmash
eclectic collection or arrangement
Mishnah
oral law, parallel to Torah.
Written down circa 200 C.E.
mitzvah (pl. mitzvot)
religious commandment
Mizbe'ach
altar used in Holy Temple
mizrach
east, dir. American Jews face when
praying
Mizrachi
Orthodox Zionist movement
Mogen David
lit.=Shield of David: Jewish star
mohel
one who performs circumcisions
Mordechai
hero of Book of Esther
moshav
kibbutz, but with more private
property
Moshiach
the Messiah
moshol
parable, fable, usu. with a moral
motzi
see "HaMotzi"
muktzah
forbidden on Shabbat, said esp. of
an object
musaf
lit.=gathered: additional
post-shacharit prayers on holidays
mussar
constructive criticism
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N
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na'areshkeit
lit.=adolescent stuff: worthless
things or activities
nachas
pride, esp. parental pride for
children
nais
(Heb.) miracle
ner tamid
lit.=forever candle: eternal
flame, esp. in shul
nasi
lit.=prince: head of Biblical
tribe or Sanhedrin
navi
prophet
nazir
ascetic abstainer from wine,
haircuts, and contact with death
Nevi'im
biblical writings and stories of
Prophets
nebach
(Yid.) "(Such) a pity!"
nebbish
pitiful person
nechomah
(Heb.) pity
Negev
the southern, desert part of
Israel
Ne'ilah
flnal prayer on Yom Kippur
neshoma
(Heb.) soul
netilat yadayim
the washing of the hands, esp.
before eating bread
niggun
tune to which liturgy is sung;
wordless melody sung by chasidim
Nisan
7th Jewish month (Mar-Apr), 15th
starts Pesach, 27th is Yom HaShoah
Nine Days
days of mourning leading up to
Tisha B'Av
nisht gerferalach
lit.=not important: "Don't worry."
no-goodnick
a good-for-nothing person
nosh
snack [n,v]
nosherai
snack foods; silly, time-wasting
stuff
nu
(Yid.) "So?"
nudge
pest [n], to pester [v]
nudnick
unthinking, inconsiderate
person
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olam
world; universe; everything;
forever
Olam HaBah
The World to Come
oleh (pl. olim)
lit.=ascender: immigrant to Israel
Omer
period of 49 days between the
second night of Pesach and the first night of Shavuot; first 33 are
period of national mourning
oneg
party, usu. on Shabbat
(The) O.U.
The Union of Orthodox Rabbis, or
its kashrut insignia
Oy, gevalt
"Oh, drat!"; "Quick, help!"
Oy, gottenyu
"Oh, God!"
Oy, vey
lit.=(it) hurts: "Oh, no!"
Oy, vey is mir
"Oh, woe is me."
oysvorf
(Yid.) layabout,
ne'er-do-well
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P
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parnasah
livelihood
parsha
chapter, esp. of Torah
parshat hashavua
weekly parsha read in shul; the
parsha for a given week
parve
status of food containing neither
dairy nor meat ingredients; wishy-washy [slang]
paskin
to answer a question on religious
practice
pe'ah
li.=corner: section of field left
for poor to glean
perek
paragraph, esp. in Torah
perochet
ornamental curtain in front of
aron
Pesach
Passover, in spring
pesachdik
legal for Passover use or
consumption
Petach Tikva
Israeli city, east of Tel Aviv —
Chicago's Israeli "sister city"
peyis
sideburns, esp. long ones worn by
chasidim
pidyon haben
the redemption of the bachor from
Temple service; still done ceremoniously
pidyon shvuyim
lit.=the redeption of captives:
the rescue of refugees
Pirkei Avot
"Ethics of the Fathers," a
Mishnaic book of sages' sayings
pikuach nefesh
the tenet of violating Jewish law
to save a life
pintele
(Yid.) lit.=the point of a Jew:
the "spark" of Jewishness within all Jews
pisk
(Yid.) mouth; loudmouth
pits'l
(Yid.) tiny bit; very young or
small child
plotz
(Yid.) explode, esp. with intense
emotion
pogrom
violent, anti-Semitic attack of a
Jewish village or area
posek
one trusted to made halachic
decisions
potch
(Yid.) spank
potchkied
(Yid.) overdone, overwrought
prust
rough, coarse; socially unrefined
pupik
(Yid.) navel, belly button
Purim
spring holiday for Book of Esther
events
punim
(Yid.) face
pushka
box or canister for
collecting tzedakah
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rachmanut
(Heb.) mercy
rav
term of endearment for rabbi
reb/rebbe/rebbie
terms of endearment for rabbi
rebbetzin
wife of a rabbi
refusenik
one refused an exit visa from the
Soviet Union
regah
(Heb.) minute; "One minute!"
rimon
(Heb.) pomegranate; grenade
rimonim
ornamental cylinders placed on
Sefer Torah
Rishonim
post-Gemarah-era commentators,
incl. Rashi & Maimonides
Rosh Chodesh
first day of the new month
Rosh HaShanah
lit.=head of the year: Jewish New
Year, autumn holiday
ruach
(Heb.) spirit; enthusiasm
ruggelach
croissant-like pastries,
usu. w/ chocolate or cinnamon
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saba
(Heb.) grandfather
sabra
(Heb.) prickly-pear fruit
Sabra
native Israeli
sakanot nefashot
life-endangerment
same'ach
(Heb.) happy
savta
(Heb.) grandmother
Sanhedrin
ancient rabbinical council of 70
sages
saychel
(Yid.) common sense
s'chach
loose thatch used for succah roof,
must be from plants
schav
cold soup of leafy vegetables
schlaf
(Yid.) sleep [v]
schlemazel
luckless one
schlemiel
bumbler, one who "can't do
anything right"
schlep
carry; drag, lug; drag one's feet;
travel a great distance [v], lazy one; unkempt person [n]
schlump
(Yid.) flop [v]; stoop-shouldered
person [n]
schmaltz
(Yid.) fat, grease, oil; maudlin
sentimentality
schmateh
(Yid.) rag; cheap piece of
clothing
schmeggege
disorganized one, one who "doesn't
have it together"
schmeichl
(Yid.) smile; smooth-talk
schmooze
(Yid.) intimate chat [n]; persuade
[v]
schmutz
(Yid.) filth, scum
schnook
unscrupulous one; cheater, crook
schpiel
(Yid.) story; sales pitch
schpilkes
lit.=pins: anxiousness
schtick
bit, piece; comic act;
eccentricity
schtickl(ach)
little bit(s) or piece(s)
schtiebl
small synagogue, often a
storefront or private home
schtreiml
round, fur-edged hat worn by
chasidim
seder
Pesach ceremonial meal
sedrah
reading from Tanach
sefer
(Heb.) book, esp. of religious
topic
Sefer Torah
the Torah scroll itself
sefirat haOmer
counting of the days of the Omer
Sephardi
of Mediterranean Jewish tradition
se'udah
feast [n], esp. for Shabbat or
holiday
sha
"Shh! Quiet!"
Shabbat
the Sabbath
shacharit
morning prayer
shadchan
matchmaker
shailah
question, esp. on religious
matters
shaliach
messenger; representative;
ambassador; Israeli delegate to community, youth group, synagogue,
etc.
shaliach tzibur (abbr. shatz)
lit.=messenger of (the)
congregation: cantor
shalom
peace; "Hello/Goodbye"
shalom aleichem
lit.=peace to you: "Hello"
(response is "aleichem, shalom")
shalom bayit
lit.=peace of the house: domestic
harmony
shalosh se'udot
third and last meal of Shabbat
shamos
assistant synagogue manager
shamosh
candle that kindles the Chanukah
candles
shanda
(Yid.) disgrace, scandal
Shavuot
holiday for receiving the Torah,
in autumn
shayna maideleh
(Yid.) beautiful girl
Sh'china
God's presence
shchita
kosher slaughtering
shecht
slaughter, esp. in a kosher
manner; to defeat soundly, as in sports [slang]
Shehecheyanu
blessing for annual, lifetime, or
historic events
sheket
(Heb.) quiet, silence
Shema
lit.=Hear (O, Israel): a key
Jewish prayer
Sheva B'rachot
set of seven blessings said at
weddings and at parties for one week after
sheytl
(Yid.) wig, esp. for married women
shidduch
match (see shadchan)
shira (pl. shirim)
(Heb.) song
shiva
period of mourning observed for
seven days after a family member's funeral
Shiv-asor B'Tamuz
17th of Tamuz, summer fast day for
destruction of Holy Temple
shloshim
period of mourning observed for
thirty days after a family member's funeral
Sh'mini Atzeret
eighth day of Succot, a holiday
shmita
Shabbat of the land: every seventh
year, when Israeli land lies fallow
Shmonah Esrei
lit.=18: 19-blessing (1 was added
later) shacharit Amidah
Shmot
Exodus (2nd bk. of Torah)
Shoah
lit.=destruction: The Holocaust
shochet
slaughterer who slaughters in the
kosher manner
shofar
ram's horn, blown like a bugle on
holidays
shok’l
sway meditatively during prayers
shul
synagogue
shtetl
Eastern European Jewish village
Shulchan Aruch
lit.=set table: Code of Jewish Law
shvach
(Yid.) weak; tepid, unsubstantial
sh'varim
shofar blast of three short sounds
Shvat
5th Jewish month (Jan-Feb), 15th
is Tu B'Shvat
shvitz
sweat [v]; sauna [n]
siddur
daily prayerbook
simcha
happiness; special happy occasion,
esp. bris, wedding, etc.
Simchat Torah
holiday celebrating the Torah, in
autumn
Sivan
9th Jewish month (May-Jun), 5th
and 6th are Shavuot
sivivon
(Heb.) dreidle, esp. in Israel
siyum
completion of the study of a
section of scripture; a celebration thereupon
slicha
forgiveness; "Forgive me/Pardon
me"
Slichot
prayers of repentance said around
High Holidays
smicha
rabbinic ordination
sofer
scribe; author
S.S.
the Nazi infantry, "Brownshirts"
succah (pl. succot)
outdoor booth lived in on Succot
Succot
harvest holiday, in autumn
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tachlis
(Yid.) essence, substance; worth;
basics, "brass tacks"
takkah
(Yid.) really
talit (pl. taliot)
prayer shawl
Talmud
Mishna with its relevant Gemara,
bound together
Tamuz
10th Jewish month (Jun-Jul), 17th
is Shiv-asor B'Tamuz
Tana'im
lit.=teachers: compilers of Mishna
tante
(Yid.) aunt
tarfos
that which is trayf
Tashlich
Rosh HaShanah practice of throwing
bread, etc. into water, symbolically casting away our sins
techina
sesame paste, a Mid-Eastern food
tefillah
prayer
tefillin
biblical passages on parchment
scrolls, placed in small boxes and affixed with leather straps, worn
during prayer
Tehillim
Psalms
teiglach
small, fruit- or nut-filled
pastries, dipped in honey
teretz
reason, explanation
Tevet
4th Jewish month (Jan), 10th is
Asoroh B'Tevet
Three Weeks
period of mourning from Shiv-asor
B'Tamuz to Tisha B'Av
thirty-nine melochot
39 categories of "work"
prohibitted on Shabbat
tichel
kerchief; headcovering, esp. for
married women
tikun
study book for layning
tikun layl Shavuot
all-night study session on the eve
of Shavuot
tikun olam
the repair or completion of the
world
tikva
(Heb.) hope
Tisha B'Av
the 9th of Av, a major fast day
for the destruction of the Holy Temples, in summer
Tishrei
1st Jewish month (Sep-Oct), 1st is
Rosh HaShanah, 10th is Yom Kippur, 15th is Succot, 22nd is Sh'mimi
Atzeret, 23rd is Simchat Torah
t'kia
shofar blast of one long sound
todah (rabbah)
"Thank you (very much)"
Torah
the written Jewish law
tractate
section of the Talmud
trayf
lit.=torn: not kosher
trop
marks indicating musical notes for
chanting the Torah, etc.
tru'a
shofar blast of nine staccato
sounds
truma
tenth of a crop, given to kohanim
Tu B'Shvat
the 15th of Shvat, Jewish Arbor
Day
tuchus
lit.=under: buttocks
tzadik
righteous person, esp. a rabbi.
tzadreit
(Yid.) mixed up
tzar ba'aleh chaim
the suffering of living things
tzedakah
lit.=justice: charity
tzibur
congregation
tzimis
carrot/pineapple compote, usu.
with raisins or prunes; a hullabaloo [slang]
tzitzit
fringes worn on the corners of a
four-cornered garment; the garment and fringes together
tzniut
modesty, esp. of dress
tzom
day of fasting
tzuros
(Yid.) pains; troubles, problems,
distresses
tzutzik
(Yid.) ambitious or energetic
person
Tzvah Haganah L'Yisrael (Tzahal)
Israel Defense Forces (IDF),
Israel's army
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ulpan
Hebrew-language course, esp. in
Israel
ungebloozen
(Yid.) surly
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Vaad...
Committee (or Council) of...
Vayikra
Leviticus
viduy
confession to God of a sin
vilde chaya
(Yid.) wild animal;
uncontrolled person
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yad (pl. yaddayim)
lit.=hand: Torah pointer
Yad VaShem
lit.=hand and name: Israeli
Holocaust Museum
yam
pron. "yom": (Heb.) sea
Yam HaMelech
(...of salt) the Dead Sea
Yam HaGadol
(...the large one) the
Mediterranean Sea
Yam Kinneret
(...shaped like a harp) Sea of
Galilee
Yam Suf
(...the final one) the Red Sea
yarmulke
pron. "yamaka": (Yid.) skullcap
yartzeit
anniversary of a death
yasher ko'ach
lit.=(go) straight, (as) strong:
"Good job! Keep up the good work!"
yente
gossipy one [n]
yerusha
inheritance; heritage
Yerushalayim
(Heb.) Jerusalem
yeshiva (pl. yeshivot)
Talmudic seminary
yeshiva boch'r
seminary student
yeshuv
Israeli town
yetzer tov/harah
good/evil impulse
Yetziat Mitzrayim
(Heb.) Exodus from Egypt
Yiddishkeit
Jewishness
yisrael
member of a tribe other than Levi;
thus a member of the nonpriest class
Yisrael
(Heb.) Israel
Yizkor
communal service for personal
mourning
yom
pron. "yome": (Heb.) day
Yom HaAtzma'ut
Israel Independence Day
Yom HaShoah
Holocaust Memorial Day
Yom HaZikaron
Israel Memorial Day
Yom Kippur
Day of Atonement, in autumn
yom tov
lit.=good day: holiday
Yom Yerushalayim
Jerusalem Reunification Day
Yomim Nora'im
High Holidays, Rosh HaShanah & Yom
Kippur
yored (pl. yordim)
lit.=descender: emigrant from
Israel (considered impolite)
Yovel
every 50th yr.; see shmita
(trans. Jubilee)
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za'atar
an Israeli spice
zachor
remember
zecher
in remembrance of
zecher tzadik livracha (abbr. zt"l)
"(May) the memory of the righteous
(be) for a blessing." Said of deceased rabbis
zechut
merit, worth
zeide
(Yid.) grandfather
zhlub
(Yid.) slob
zichrono livracha (abbr. z"l)
"(May) his/her memory (be) for a
blessing." Said of the deceased
zmirah (pl. zmirot)
Shabbat song
Zohar
major tract of Kabbalah
Page last updated on
Wednesday, 26 August 2026 06:57 PM
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