oneg

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Pronunciations

oneg (OH-nehg) listen

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Definitions

  • n. An informal, festive gathering Friday night involving food, casual Torah study, Jewish songs, etc.

  • n. An informal reception held in synagogue after Friday night Shabbat services and on Saturday after morning services including drinks and snacks.

Example Sentences

  • "The Jewish camp counselors knew to expect sweet treats at the staff oneg late Friday night after they put the campers to bed."

  • "Do you think they’ll have chocolate chip cookies at the Oneg again this week?" (JPS)

  • "We're having an oneg shabbat this evening at eight, at our place. Can you come?" (Glinert)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew

Etymology

  • עונג שבת 'lit. joy of Shabbat'

      • Who Uses This

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

      Regions

      • North America
      • Australia / New Zealand
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa

      Dictionaries

      • 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

      oyneg , oneg Shabbat, oyneg Shabbos, kiddush

Notes

  • Most religious Jews use this term to refer to a Friday night gathering, but among Reform Jews it can be used interchangeably with 'kiddush'.

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