Showing 72 of 72 words, page 1 of 1
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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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Borscht Belt
region in the Catskill Mountains with many summer resorts frequented by Jews, especially in the mid twentieth century
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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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chutzpah
guts (positive)
nerve, audacity, the quality of over-stepping boundries with no shame (negative)
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Diaspora
The extensive settlement of Jews outside the land of Israel after the Babylonian Exile in 586 BCE.
"The term for Jewish communities and their residents who live outside of the State of Israel" (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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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
"most often used among Jews to refer to someone who is not a Jew" (JPS)
a nation, but not the Jewish nation
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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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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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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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kugel
The South African equivalent of a "Jewish American Princess"
Baked pudding or casserole made with eggs and various ingredients, including noodles, potatoes, or spinach
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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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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
"A group of three or more adult males who join together to recite the after-meal blessings..." (Steinmetz).
"ready money, cash" (Steinmetz)
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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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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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putz
"A fool, an ass, a jerk." (Rosten) [lit. "penis"]
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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 carry, lug" (JPS)
To travel from one place to another when one would prefer not to
An annoyingly long journey
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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
period for Torah study
order, orderliness, system, routine
A ceremony involving recitations, singing, food, and drink typically associated with Passover, but also with Tu B'shvat and Rosh Hashanah.
The name for the six sections of the Mishnah.
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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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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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shtetl
"A town or village with...Jewish inhabitants, commonly found in Eastern Europe before World War II." (Steinmetz)
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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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yarmulke
religious skullcap
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yid
A derogatory term used by non-Jews for a Jewish person (particularly so in Great Britain).
a Jewish person
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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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