Showing 237 of 237 words, page 1 of 1
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Adonai
"Literally, 'my Lord', another word for God." (JPS)
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aleichem sholom
Peace be upon you. Response to "sholom aleichem"
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aleph-bet
"A name for the Hebrew alphabet" (JPS)
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alte kaker
elderly person, old-timer [literally "old shitter"] "A crotchety, fussy, ineffectual old man." (Rosten)
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amen
Agreed. "The word used at the end of prayer to signify affirmation." (Rosten)
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apikoros
heretic, non-believer, especially one with great knowledge of Judaism
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aroisgevorfene gelt
"a waste of money"; lit., thrown out money.
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Ashkenazi
pl. Ashkenazim. "The name given to the group of Jews who were originally from Germany and France (and their descendants)... The Ashkenazim migrated to Central and Eastern Europe during times of oppression" (JPS).
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Ashkenazic
Adjectival form for 'Ashkenazim', "The name given to the group of Jews who were originally from Germany and France, and their descendants" (JPS)
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averah
religious transgression (Glinert: "An aveirah is an infringement on the Torah, the opposite of a mitzvah.")
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bagel
"A leavened, firm, doughnut shaped roll" (JPS)
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balaboosta
1) Female head of household 2) Impressively competent homemaker
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balabotish
"Quiet; respectable; well mannered" (Rosten). "middle class"; normal
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bar mitzvah
Jewish coming-of-age ceremony/celebration for a 13-year-old boy; the boy who has come of age.
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batlan
"naive, impractical person" (Steinmetz)
"Someone with intellectual pretensions and half-baked ideas" (Rosten).
"Layabout" (Glinert)
"An unemployed or lazy man" (Rosten).
"One who consistently wastes time: Bum, Fainéant" (Weiser).
"A misfit, such as a Talmud student of no promise" (Rosten).
"Someone without a trade or regular means of livelihood" (Rosten).
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beit din
A rabbinical court of law that makes judgments on matters of Jewish religious life, especially conversion and divorce.
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bench
JPS: "To recite a blessing. It usually refers to Birkat ha-Mazon, the Grace after Meals... The word can also refer to the reciting of any blessing; for example, the expression bentsch licht means to light Shabbat [or Chanukah] candles."
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berya
"Complimentary term for a talented, competent, energetic woman, especially one who gets a lot done - and does it well - around the house." (JPS Dictionary of Words)
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bialy
A flat breakfast roll, shaped like a round wading pool, sometimes sprinkled with onion. (Rosten)
A round, crusty chewy bread roll with an indented center well, the bialy is usually topped with toasted onions—and—at its most authentic—with poppy seeds. (JPS)
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blintz
A folded thin pancake filled with cheese, fruit, or potatoes.
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boychick
"A young boy...equivalent of the American expression 'buddy'" (JPS)
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bracha
blessing (in the technical or figurative sense)
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bris
circumcision ceremony; the celebration surrounding it. Lit. covenant.
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bubbale
sweetie, darling [term of endearment]
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bubbe
grandmother
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bubbe meise
"old wive's tale"; an untrue story, sometimes related to superstition
"Something of little importance, an inconsequential thing or minor happening." (JPS)
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bulbenik
One who is inept, clumsy, all thumbs, who fouls things up (Rosten)
An actor "who talks as though he has a potato in his mouth"—that is, an actor who "blows" his lines, mixes them up, commits embarrassing spoonerisms, a malaprop
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bulvan
loud mouth know-it-all; "a boorish, brutish person" (Steinmetz)
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challah
"The braided egg bread that traditionally is eaten on almost every Jewish holiday and [the Sabbath]" (JPS)
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chazan
The official at a synagogue who leads the congregation in prayer and song. (JPS)
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chazir
1. pork 2. a pig, greedy person (JPS)
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Chelm
from Yiddish literature/folklore, "The 'legendary' town inhabited by befuddled, stupid, foolish, but endearing people." (JPS). Also a real town in Poland (Chełmno).
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chillul Hashem
disgracing God's name; an action that might be looked down upon; an action that might make Jews look bad
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chuppah
wedding ceremony (not including reception)
"The Jewish wedding canopy; that is, the cloth under which the Jewish wedding ceremony is conducted." (JPS)
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chutzpah
guts (positive)
nerve, audacity, the quality of over-stepping boundries with no shame (negative)
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Cohen
"A made descendent of the family of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi. Aaron and his descendants were consecrated to the service of God... in the Tabernacle... in the desert and later the Holy Temple" (Steinmetz). Often poorly translated as "priest," though the term "Levite" or "Aaronite" is more accurate, especially due to Christian usage (Steinmetz).
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daven
pray; lead services
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dybbuk
a spirit, "often thought to be the soul of a dead person, that wanders the earth looking for a living body to inhabit" (JPS)
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Elohim/Elokim
"One of the many names used to refer to God" (JPS)
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farblondzhet
Rosten: "Lost...mixed up, wandering about without any idea of where you are." Can refer to being physically or intellectually lost.
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farchadat
"Dizzy, confused, dopey, 'punchy.'" (Rosten)
"Having a headache." (Rosten)
"Smitten, charmed, beguiled." (Rosten)
"Surprised, stunned, shocked." (Rosten)
"Confused, distracted, mixed up." (JPS)
"confused; dazed; stunned" (Steinmetz)
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farshtunken(e)
literally 'stinking' (Rosten); contemptible
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fartootst
"The state of being bewildered, disoriented, discombobulated; slightly more intense than tsedrayt." (Rosten)
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feh!
an expression of disgust; "portraying...negative feelings" (Rosten)
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feigele
Gay man
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fleishig
"The general term for food in the meat category, according to the Jewish dietary laws" (JPS)
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fress
To gobble up food; to gorge oneself. "To eat quickly or noisily, like an animal" (JPS)
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fresser
big eater, "pig". "A heavy eater." (JPS)
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frosk
a slap
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frum
religious; observant; Orthodox
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gaon
"A title of honor for the rabbis and teachers who were the spiritual heads of the Babylonian yeshivot between the 6th and 11th centuries C.E." (JPS)
"A rabbi whose learning was so great that he was given the honorary title of gaon" (Rosten), e.g. the Vilna Gaon
Modern Hebrew: genius (JPS)
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gefilte fish
minced sweet or sour fish, cooked in balls or a log and sliced. [lit., "stuffed fish"(JPS), since the chopped fish used to be placed back in the fish for cooking.]
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gelt
Money (slang usage)
"The foil wrapped chocolate coins that are a traditional Hanukkah treat for children." (JPS)
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gemara
"A compilation of 300 years of rabbis' legal and ethical commentaries on the Mishnah...together, the Gemara and the Mishnah comprise the Talmud." (JPS)
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gematria
"An ancient system of Hebrew numerology," (JPS), in which each Hebrew letter possesses a numerical value, allowing words or phrases to express possible "hidden" meaning (when one adds up the letters' values)
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gesundheit
Health. (Bless you) - said in response to a sneeze.
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get
a writ or deed of divorce
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gevald
an interjection of alarm
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glitch
flaw; slight problem in a process
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golem
"A creature of Jewish medieval folklore, a golem is a figure made into the form of a human and given life." (JPS)
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golus
literally "exile" (JPS); outside of the Land of Israel; away from a vibrant Jewish community; the time period since the destruction of the Second Temple at Jerusalem (Glinert)
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gonif
thief
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goy
a nation, but not the Jewish nation
"most often used among Jews to refer to someone who is not a Jew" (JPS)
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goyish
"in the manner or style of a non-Jewish person" (JPS), especially something WASPy or "white bread"
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goyishe kop
Someone who fails to use his/her head; a dull mind. Someone who thinks like a non-Jew. Lit. "non-Jewish head."
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haftorah
"A reading from the biblical book of Prophets that is recited in synagogue immediately following the reading of the Torah" (JPS)
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haggadah
"The small book of liturgy, prayers, songs, and rituals used at a Pesach seder" (JPS)
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Hak mir nisht keyn tshaynik
Literally, don't knock a teakettle at me
Stop annoying me
Don't bother me
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halacha
"Jewish law" (JPS)
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hamentaschen
"Small, triangular-shaped cookies filled with fruit or jam that are eaten on Purim" (JPS)
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hanukkah
The winter-time festival that commemorates the rededication of the Temple after the Maccabean revolt in the second century B.C.E. (lit. "dedication")
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Hasid
A follower in a non-religious sense (ironic).
Adherent of a Hasidic Jewish group ("A mystical religious movement founded in Poland" (JPS)
A disciple of a rabbi, not only a member of a Hasidic group.
Pious person
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hatikvah
literally "the hope." "The Israeli national anthem." (Glinert)
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havdalah
"literally 'separation'. The ceremony that marks the end of [the Sabbath] on Saturday evening" (JPS)
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hock
"to bother incessantly: ANNOY" (Weiser)
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Kabbalah
a Jewish mystical work, sometimes used as a catch-all term for Jewish mysticism. "The Jewish mystical tradition" (JPS)
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kaddishl
A son who will say kaddish for a parent (literally, "little kaddish").
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kaparot
Ritual performed between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to remove sins carried out by swinging a chicken over ones head.
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kashe
Question, difficulty (Steinmetz), challenge, objection.
A question posing some difficulty because of apparent inconsistencies with accepted premises: problem. A tough, perplexing question.
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keinehora
"no evil eye" (Rosten). "An expression said to ward off the evil eye or bad luck in general; the verbal equivalent of knocking on wood." (JPS)
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kibbitz
"To socialize aimlessly...To carry on a running commentary" (Rosten)
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kibbitzer
Someone who jokes, fools around.
Someone who "gives unasked-for advice ... especially as a bystander-observer at a game (bridge, poker, checkers, chess)." (Rosten)
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kibbutz
"[Israeli agricultural] collective" (Glinert) Most settlements in Israeli which originally began as kibbutzim now function as regular municipalities.
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kike
A derogatory slur for a Jewish person.
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kinder
"children" (Rosten)
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kishka
"Stuffed derma: a sausagelike comestible of meat, flour, and spices stuffed into intestine casing and baked" (Rosten) Also, "guts," literally, Slavic. (Wikipedia)
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klezmer
"Eastern European style of instrumental music" (JPS)
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klutz
"clumsy, slow-witted...person" (Rosten)
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knaidel
matzah ball; "a dumpling made of matzah meal meal and beaten eggs, usually served in chicken broth, often at the Pesach seder" (JPS)
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Knesset
Israel's parliament
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knish
Eastern European dumpling with thin dough filled with potato, kasha, onion, meat, and/or other ingredients
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kochleffel
A cooking spoon, as for soup. By extension, a person who stirs up trouble; meddler, busybody.
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kosher
"acceptable according to Jewish [ritual] law" (JPS); "trustworthy, reliable" (Rosten); acceptable according to dietary laws
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kugel
Baked pudding or casserole made with eggs and various ingredients, including noodles, potatoes, or spinach
The South African equivalent of a "Jewish American Princess"
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kurveh
(profane) whore, slut, bitch
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kvell
feel or express pride, "to be extraordinarily pleased" (JPS)
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kvetch
"to chronically complain or gripe to others over minor issues" (JPS)
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l'chaim
traditional toast. [lit. "to life" (Rosten)]
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Ladino
Judeo-Spanish language
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landsman
Someone who comes from the same or nearby hometown, especially if one or both of you no longer lives there and all the more so if one or both now live far away from home, in which case an entire region (e.g., metro NY) or country e.g., Poland) may be the point of connection.
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lokh in cup
"hole in the head" (Rosten)
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lokshen
noodles
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lox
smoked salmon
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maariv
the evening prayer
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macher
"1. Someone who arranges, fixes, has connections...someone who is [very] active in an organization" (Rosten) "important person", "hot shot"
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magen david
"star of david", a symbol that has commonly been associated with Jews and Judaism; [lit. "shield of david"]
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mame-loshn
"mother tongue", usually refers to Yiddish
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mamzer
bastard [see note]; "A detestable [person] like the colloquial English "He's a bastard"" (Rosten)
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matzoh
unleavened bread eaten on Passover
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maven
"An expert or connoisseur; a specialist" (JPS)
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mazel tov
congratulations [lit. "good fortune"]
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mazume
"ready money, cash" (Steinmetz)
"A group of three or more adult males who join together to recite the after-meal blessings..." (Steinmetz).
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mechaye
"Pleasure, enjoyment, a real joy" (Rosten); something that gives great joy
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mechuten
In laws, more generally (http://www.pass.to/glossary/gloz2.htm#letm).
the father of one's child's spouse, though can sometimes be used to refer to the grandfather of one's grandchild's spouse.
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menorah
candelabrum, especially for Chanukah
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mensch
"An upright, honorable, a decent person." (Rosten)
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meshuga
crazy
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mezuzah
a piece of parchment with the Shema written on it that is then placed in a case and mounted on doorways in keeping with the Biblical commandment mentioned in the Shema
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midrash
stories or explanations that interpret or ellaborate on the Torah's text.
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mikvah
"Ritual bath" (JPS)
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milchig
"...food in the "dairy" category, according to the Jewish dietary laws...also refers to the utensils and dishes used for cooking, eating, and serving milk products." (JPS)
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mishegoss
"Foolishness, nonsense, craziness." (JPS)
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Mishnah
an authoritative collection of exegetical material embodying the oral tradition of Jewish law and forming the first part of the Talmud.
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mishpacha
"Literally, "family". ...The word conveys a warm feeling of friendship." (JPS)
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mohel
A person trained to perform Jewish ritual circumcision
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moshiach
The Messiah
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nebach
interjection, adverb: "unfortunately"; noun: an unfortunate person
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nebbish
noun: nerdy, clumsy, awkward person. "An innocuous, ineffectual, weak, helpless, or hapless unfortunate" (Rosten)
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no-goodnik
bad person, scoundrel (sometimes humorous or affectionate)
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noch
still, yet, moreover
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nosh
to snack or eat; a snack
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nu
so what?; so?; hurry up already
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nudnik
"A pest, a nag, an annoyer, a monumental bore." (Rosten)
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olav ha-sholom
"peace be upon him"; said of someone who is deceased
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ongepotchket
overly elaborate, excessively decorated, slapped together senselessly, overdone, tacky, ostentatious, overcomplicated. "Excessively and unaesthetically decorated; overly baroque." (Rosten)
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parve
1. neither milk nor meat; 2. uninteresting, plain, generic
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patshke
"1. To fuss or "mess around" inefficiently and inexpertly. 2. To dawdle, to waste time." (Rosten)
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payos
Sidelocks, sidecurls, or earlocks, common among Haredi boys and men.
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Pesach
The Jewish Holiday of Passover
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pisher, little pisher
a diminutive that combines amusement, admiration and annoyance
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pisk
(vulgar) snout, grimace (Steinmetz)
Colloquialism: an eloquent or garrulous speaker. (Rosten)
mouth, loud-mouth, similar to English slang "trap" for mouth.
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pitseleh
little one, dear
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pletzl
"A thin, flat, crisp roll, often garnished with poppy seeds or onion" (Rosten)
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prost
coarse, base, not classy, vulgar, common
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pupik
Navel, belly button
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Purim
A joyous holiday that takes place in February or March on the 14th of Adar, retelling the story of the Book of Esther.
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pushke
"The little container...in which money to be donated to charity is accumulated." (Rosten)
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putz
"A fool, an ass, a jerk." (Rosten) [lit. "penis"]
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rachmones
mercy, pity, empathy
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reb
"sir"; "mister"
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rebbe
the spiritual leader of a Hasidic sect
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rebetzin
wife of a rabbi
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Rosh Hashanah
The Jewish new year
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rov
A particularly notable rabbi; a halachic decisor
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schach
branches or bamboo used to cover a sukkah
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schav
A cold cream-of-sorrel soup.
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schlemiel
idiot; contemptible person. "Clumsy, bungling person." (Steinmetz)
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schlep
To travel from one place to another when one would prefer not to
An annoyingly long journey
"To carry, lug" (JPS)
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schlimazel
Unlucky person; the constant butt of idiotic or unfortunate happenings
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schmaltzy
"Overly sentimental or romantic." (JPS)
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schmear
to spread; cream cheese
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schmegege
"silly or stupid person; simpleton; nitwit" (Steinmetz)
"An untalented loser; a whiner; a petty person" (JPS).
"An unadmirable, petty person" (Rosten)
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schmooze
to make small talk or informally chat; to network, kiss up
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schnapps
"A strong, dry liquor." (JPS)
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schnorrer
a begger, a parasite. "A moocher" (JPS)
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sechel
"Common sense" (JPS), intelligence
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seder
order, orderliness, system, routine
The name for the six sections of the Mishnah.
A ceremony involving recitations, singing, food, and drink typically associated with Passover, but also with Tu B'shvat and Rosh Hashanah.
period for Torah study
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Sephardic
Jews whose ancestors came from the Iberian Peninsula before the Jewish expulsion
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Shabbos
the Jewish Sabbath
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Shabbos goy
"A non-Jew who by prearrangement performs chores [that are forbidden] for a Jew on the Sabbath or holidays." (Steinmetz)
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shadchen
matchmaker
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shalom
hello, goodbye, peace
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shamash
1. candle lit first and then used to light other hanukah candles
2. the caretaker of a synagogue.
3. personal assistant / aide / gofer, especially to a rabbi or in the Hollywood entertainment industry
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shehecheyanu
the blessing of thanksgiving that celebrates reaching a celebratory moment or marking a significant first
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sheitel
wig; worn by some observant jewish women after marriage. "A wig worn by strictly Orthodox...women as a [hair] covering." (Steinberg)
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shema
prayer recited in most services as well as at bedtime, and when death is imminent; one of the most important and well-known prayers in Judaism
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sheygets
"1. A non-Jewish boy. 2. An impudent youth or man. 3. An irreligious or nonobservant Jew. The term is often regarded as disparaging." (Steinmetz)
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shiksa
"1. A non-Jewish girl. 2. A housemaid. 3. An irreligious or nonobservant Jewish girl. The term is often regarded as disparaging." (Steinmetz)
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shivah
week-long period of mourning after the death of a relative, during which close relatives stay at home and greet visitors. mourners traditionally sit on low stools during this time, so someone in mourning is said to be 'sitting shiva'.
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shlock
something cheap or inferior. "A shoddy, cheaply made article." (Rosten)
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shlump
an unkempt person, a loser
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shmendrik
jerk, stupid person
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shmuck
annoying, irritating person (lit. penis)
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shmutz
"Dirt, stain, or filth." (JPS)
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shnook
"An incompetent person who is deserving of pity but also likable" (JPS); "A customer easily persuaded, a sucker." (H.L. Mencken, American Language)
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shofar
ram's horn sounded during the month of elul, especially associated with rosh hashanah
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shtetl
"A town or village with...Jewish inhabitants, commonly found in Eastern Europe before World War II." (Steinmetz)
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shtickle
designation of second-class status, when applied to rabbis or other professionals.
a small amount; a little; a bit of (a)
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shtrayml
A hat trimmed with fur pieces, typically worn by Hassidim on Shabbat.
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shtunk
stinker, nasty person, smelly person, nickname for a smelly baby.
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shul
synagogue
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siddur
Jewish prayer book
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smichah
"Rabbinic ordination" (Steinmetz)
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Sukkot
The feast of the booths; a fall holiday when Jews live in makeshift huts to represent the time the Israelites spent wandering in the desert.
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tachlis
practical details of a matter, "brass tacks" (as in, "Let's get down to brass tacks.")
purpose, aim
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tallis
prayer shawl
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Talmud
"The body of Jewish law and tradition comprising the Mishnah and the Gemara, compiled from about 30 B.C.E to about 500 C.E." (Steinmetz)
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tatala
"'Little papa.' A term of endearment for a little boy. Old-fashioned usage." (Eisenberg)
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tate
dad
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tchotchke
trinket, knicknack
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tefillin
Small black boxes containing sections of the shema attached to leather straps and worn around the head and arm during prayer.
"phylacteries"
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Torah
Literally, "teaching". 1. The five books of moses. 2. Jewish law and values in general.
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treif
(adj or noun) food prohibited by the jewish dietary laws
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tsedreyt
mixed up, twisted, distorted, turned around
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tsorris
"Troubles, woes, worries, suffering." (Rosten)
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tzadik
Common name for the 18th letter of the Hebrew alphabet (tzadi / tzade).
Someone who does extremely righteous deeds.
A highly learned and esteemed rabbinic leader (sometimes used as an alternative name for a Hasidic rebbe).
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tzedakah
charity, money given to charity
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tzimmes
"A sweet, baked dish of vegetables or fruit. Carrot tzimmes, a popular version, includes carrots, sweet potatoes, dried apricots, raisins, sugar, and cinnamon" (JPS).
"A prolonged procedure, and involved business, a mix-up" (Rosten).
"Troubles, difficulties, a contretemps" (Rosten).
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tzitzit
The fringes on a tallit (tallis) prayer shawl or on a tallit katan.
A garment worn under the shirt by Orthodox men and boys, with a tassel hanging down from each of the four corners.
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yahrzeit
The anniversary of a person's death, generally marked by relatives in some way.
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yarmulke
religious skullcap
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yenta
"A scandal spreader, a rumormongerer." (Rosten). Usually applied to women.
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yeshiva
traditionally, an institution that focuses on teaching Talmud to boys and young men. Today yeshivas exist for men and women.
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yichus
Bragging rights based on respected family history
"Pedigree, lineage, family background." (JPS)
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yid
a Jewish person
A derogatory term used by non-Jews for a Jewish person (particularly so in Great Britain).
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Yiddish
Traditional language of Ashkenazic Jewry. A descendant of High German, its vocabulary is roughly 80% Germanic, 10% Hebrew and 10% Slavic (depending on author/speaker and setting/genre)
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yold
fool, dupe
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Yom Kippur
day of atonement, arguably the most important day on the Jewish calendar
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yontif
a Jewish holiday, especially one on which work is prohibited (in contrast to chol hamoed)
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zaftig
pleasantly plump, buxom, lit. "juicy"
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zaidie
grandpa, grandfather
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