Showing 97 of 97 words, page 1 of 1
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Adonai
"Literally, 'my Lord', another word for God." (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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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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bagel
"A leavened, firm, doughnut shaped roll" (JPS)
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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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blintz
A folded thin pancake filled with cheese, fruit, or potatoes.
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bris
circumcision ceremony; the celebration surrounding it. Lit. covenant.
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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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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
nerve, audacity, the quality of over-stepping boundries with no shame (negative)
guts (positive)
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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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Diaspora
"The term for Jewish communities and their residents who live outside of the State of Israel" (JPS).
The extensive settlement of Jews outside the land of Israel after the Babylonian Exile in 586 BCE.
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feigele
Gay man
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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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gesundheit
Health. (Bless you) - said in response to a sneeze.
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glitch
flaw; slight problem in a process
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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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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 disciple of a rabbi, not only a member of a Hasidic group.
Pious person
Adherent of a Hasidic Jewish group ("A mystical religious movement founded in Poland" (JPS)
A follower in a non-religious sense (ironic).
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Haskalah
19th century Jewish Enlightenment, in which modern philosophy and literature entered Jewish consciousness
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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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kasha varnishkes
kasha (buckwheat groats) with bowtie noodles
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kibbitz
"To socialize aimlessly...To carry on a running commentary" (Rosten)
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kibbitzer
Someone who "gives unasked-for advice ... especially as a bystander-observer at a game (bridge, poker, checkers, chess)." (Rosten)
Someone who jokes, fools around.
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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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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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kosher
"acceptable according to Jewish [ritual] law" (JPS); "trustworthy, reliable" (Rosten); acceptable according to dietary laws
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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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lox
smoked salmon
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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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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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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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mishegoss
"Foolishness, nonsense, craziness." (JPS)
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mohel
A person trained to perform Jewish ritual circumcision
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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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nosh
to snack or eat; a snack
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nudnik
"A pest, a nag, an annoyer, a monumental bore." (Rosten)
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payos
Sidelocks, sidecurls, or earlocks, common among Haredi boys and men.
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putz
"A fool, an ass, a jerk." (Rosten) [lit. "penis"]
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rebbe
the spiritual leader of a Hasidic sect
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Rosh Hashanah
The Jewish new year
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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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schmo
a fool; a jerk
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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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seder
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
The name for the six sections of the Mishnah.
order, orderliness, system, routine
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Sephardic
Jews whose ancestors came from the Iberian Peninsula before the Jewish expulsion
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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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shalom
hello, goodbye, peace
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shamash
3. personal assistant / aide / gofer, especially to a rabbi or in the Hollywood entertainment industry
1. candle lit first and then used to light other hanukah candles
2. the caretaker of a synagogue.
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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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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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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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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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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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tchotchke
trinket, knicknack
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Torah
Literally, "teaching". 1. The five books of moses. 2. Jewish law and values in general.
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tsorris
"Troubles, woes, worries, suffering." (Rosten)
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tzedakah
charity, money given to charity
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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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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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Yom Kippur
day of atonement, arguably the most important day on the Jewish calendar
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zaidie
grandpa, grandfather
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