merkaz

central area (of a given space)

alte bubby

old woman, great-grandmother

zall

study hall; beis medrash (lit. "hall")

sidra

weekly Torah portion

bragas

underwear

gurnisht

"nothing, zilch, zero" (JPS)

justo

True, right.

Katschke

A Duck

pushke

"The little container...in which money to be donated to charity is accumulated." (Rosten)

Borscht Belt

region in the Catskill Mountains with many summer resorts frequented by Jews, especially in the mid twentieth century

Land of Israel

not just the state of Israel but the physical place

bechina

examination, particularly for rabbinic ordination

ghattis

derogatory term for working-class or boorish Afrikaaner person

Sheket

Quiet!

middos

character traits (singular: "middah")

shtadlan

an elected or self-appointed Jewish emissary pleading the cause of his people before the authorities

an intercessor

alter bocher

a man that is too old not to be married

an old yeshiva student who really should have been married off by now

unetaneh tokef

a particular High Holiday prayer recited on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

shawarma

Thinly cut meat (usually lamb, but may be chicken, beef, or other meat) cooked on a vertical rotating spit. Often served on a laffa (large pita type bread, but flat like a pizza dough and without a pocket) and with French fries ("chips" in Israel). Sometimes served on pita.

apikoros

heretic, non-believer, especially one with great knowledge of Judaism