Yisrael - Jewish English Lexicon

Yisrael

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Pronunciations

Yisrael

(yees-rah-EL)

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Definitions

n. Israel.
n. A Jew descended from the ancient Israelites (as opposed to a Kohen or a Levite).
n. (Jewish literature) The people of Israel; Jews.
n. Biblical Jacob's new name after he wrested with an angel.
n. (ancient times) The northern kingdom of the Jews.
n. (ancient times) The twelve tribes who left Egypt and settled in Canaan.
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Example Sentences

"'Excuse me, are you a Kohen?' 'No, I'm a Yisrael.'" (Glinert)
"The mother determines if the child is Jewish or not according to Halakha and then if the child is Jewish, the father determines if the child is Kohen, Levi or Yisrael." (source)

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Languages of Origin

Textual Hebrew
Yiddish

Etymology

TH יִשְׂרָאֵל > Y ישׂראל yisroel

Who Uses This

Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education

Regions

North America

Dictionaries

The New Joys of Yiddish, by Leo Rosten and Lawrence Bush (New York, 2003[1968]).
The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).
The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).

Alternative Spellings

Yisra'el, Yisroel, Yisro'el

Notes

"The majority of Jews fall in[to the Yisra'el] category. A Yisra’el is traditionally the third person called for an aliyah, after a Kohen and a Levite." (JPS)

See also Israel, Eretz Yisrael, Medinat Yisrael, and Land of Israel.

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