Showing 209 of 209 words, page 1 of 1
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a long life
Used to greet a mourner after someone has died.
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Adonai
"Literally, 'my Lord', another word for God." (JPS)
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afikomen
a piece of matzah from the Passover seder traditionally hidden by adults, found by the children (or vice versa), and then ransomed for gifts after the meal. "The last piece of matzoh...eaten at the meal." (Steinmetz)
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alte kaker
elderly person, old-timer [literally "old shitter"] "A crotchety, fussy, ineffectual old man." (Rosten)
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Am Yisrael
"Literally, The People of Israel." (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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babka
"A loaf type coffee cake" (JPS)
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bagel
"A leavened, firm, doughnut shaped roll" (JPS)
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bageling
Inserting a Jewish phrase or concept into a conversation in order to indicate that one is Jewish or to determine whether the other person is Jewish.
Identifying another person as a Jew.
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bakbuk mayim
water bottle
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banot
girls
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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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barmy
Bar mitzvah
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bat mitzvah
in gender egalitarian communities, the ceremony of a 13- (or 12-) year-old girl's first calling up to the Torah, symbolizing her adulthood in Jewish life. can also refer to the girl herself. In Orthodox communities, refers to celebration of girl turning 12. "Celebration of a Jewish girl's coming of age; a girl who has reached that age." (Glinert)
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BCE
Before the Common Era (used in place of B.C.). Steinmetz: "...recently, a new awareness of the Christian character of these abbreviations have led many Jewish writers and editors to replace them with [C.E. And B.C.E.]"
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Be well
Closing to a letter or conversation: Take care, be healthy
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Birthright
A free 10-day trip to Israel for young Diaspora Jews ages 18-26. Over 400,000 Jews have been to Israel on Birthright.
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black hat
Haredi; describing people or traditions of the right end of the Orthodox continuum, encompassing Hasidic and non-Hasidic (or just non-Hasidic) Orthodox Jews, of whom the men wear black hats
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boydem
attic
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bris
circumcision ceremony; the celebration surrounding it. Lit. covenant.
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Bujew
a Jew who practices Buddhism; a Jew interested in Eastern spirituality
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Chabad
an outreach-oriented branch of Hasidic Judaism that follows the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Chabad has thousands of branches around the world, including at many college campuses.
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Chabad house
a synagogue/residence/outreach center operated by Chabad-Lubabvitch, usually run by a Rabbi and wife, and often their children.
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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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charoses
Sweet, mushy mixture that represents mortar at the Passover seder.
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chuppah
"The Jewish wedding canopy; that is, the cloth under which the Jewish wedding ceremony is conducted." (JPS)
wedding ceremony (not including reception)
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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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Conservative Judaism
originally known as "historical positive Judaism," a denomination that combines observance with an idea of "halachic process." See further comments below.
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continuity
An objective, often expressed in response to rising rates of interfaith marriage, to ensure that Judaism is transmitted from one generation to the next.
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dreidel
"A small, four-sided spinning top used in a game during Chanukah" (JPS); the top itself
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falafel
a Middle Eastern sandwich featuring a deep-fried ball made of chick peas and spices inside pita bread, often served with other vegetables, hummus, and techina
the deep-fried chick pea ball itself
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farkakte
"lousy, messed up, ridiculous" (JPS) Shitty, full of crap.
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farmisht
mixed up, confused, crazy
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feigele
gay man
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from your mouth to God's ears
response to a good wish or blessing that mentions future events: I want that to happen, but I'm not sure it will.
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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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gefrunzled
slighted, insulted, feeling unappreciated
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gesheft
business
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gesundheit
Health. (Bless you) - said in response to a sneeze.
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gey schluffen
Go to sleep!
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glitch
flaw; slight problem in a process
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good for the Jews
an expression, often used ironically, to ask what the effect of a given event will be on the Jewish community.
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good yom-tov
standard holiday greeting
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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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halleluyah
praise God
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hamsa
a hand-shaped amulet (often a wall-hanging or jewelry) conferring good luck or protection, popular in Israel and originally from the Middle East / North Africa
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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).
Pious person
A disciple of a rabbi, not only a member of a Hasidic group.
Adherent of a Hasidic Jewish group ("A mystical religious movement founded in Poland" (JPS)
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Haskalah
19th century Jewish Enlightenment, in which modern philosophy and literature entered Jewish consciousness
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Hillel
a rabbi often quoted in Pirkei Avot and the Talmud who was martyred by the Romans, famous for his disputations with Shammai
an organization for Jewish college life, especially in North America
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JalapeƱo Bagel
A person of Hispanic (non-Jewish) and Jewish origins.
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JAP
Jewish American Princess
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JDate
A popular dating site for Jewish singles.
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Jew by Choice
A convert to Judaism.
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Jewishness
Ethnic or cultural Jewish identity, as distinct from "Judaism"
The quality of being a Jew, not limited to (nor necessarily excluding) religion, ethnicity, biology, or nationality.
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Jewy
Demonstating stereotypical or conspicuous appearance or behaviors that identify one as a Jew.
Highly identified Jewishly, either outwardly in terms of actions and affiliations, or inwardly based on self-definition.
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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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ketubah
"The Jewish marriage contract, traditionally written in Aramaic." (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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kitke
braided egg-bread eaten on the Sabbath (known as challah elsewhere)
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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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kollel
Institution where married men pursue advanced Talmudic study and, often in conjunction with their wives, offer classes and other rabbinic services to the Jewish community around them, especially in non-Orthodox neighborhoods.
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kosher
"acceptable according to Jewish [ritual] law" (JPS); "trustworthy, reliable" (Rosten); acceptable according to dietary laws
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krav maga
A form of mixed martial arts developed in the Israeli Army but popularized worldwide. Literally means "contact combat"
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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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Land of Israel
not just the state of Israel but the physical place
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lashon hara
"gossip" (lit. "evil tongue") (JPS)
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latka
"a potato pancake [fried in oil traditionally eaten on Chanukah]" (Rosten)
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lo matim
Inappropriate
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lobbus
a rascal, mischievous or cheeky child (usually a boy)
a young mischievous person with a lot of chutzpah
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lox
smoked salmon
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maccabiah
international Jewish sports competition, known as the Jewish Olympics, held (mostly) every four years since 1932; smaller regional competitions held in Jewish community centers around the world
color war / intra-camp competition in a Jewish summer camp
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machane
Summer camp [lit. "camp"]
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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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Maimonidean
Having to do with Maimonides, the Jewish rabbi, physician and scholar who lived in the 12th century
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Manischewitz
sweet brand of wine often used by American Jews for ritual purposes
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mannah
the food that fell from the sky to feed the wandering Israelites in the Bible
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matzah brei
fried matzah pieces mixed with eggs, usually eaten on Passover
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matzoh
unleavened bread eaten on Passover
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matzoh ball
dumpling made with matzah meal and eggs and generally served in chicken soup
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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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mechula
broke, bust, bankrupt, spoiled
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megillah
one of the five books that compose kethuvim--writings--in Tanakh; can also refer to the physical scroll on which one is written; a long, engrossing story or description
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meldado
anniversary of someone's death; the study session done in honor of that person
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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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nice Jewish boy
Jewish male, in pop culture it often indicates nebbishy traits and lack of traditional masculinity
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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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oirik
Derogatory reference to a non-Jewish male, especially a common labourer
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oy
exclamation of dismay, exasperation, or surprise
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oy vey
exclamation of dismay, exasperation, or surprise
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pastrami
Smoked, seasoned deli meat
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payos
Sidelocks, sidecurls, or earlocks, common among Haredi boys and men.
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pisk
Colloquialism: an eloquent or garrulous speaker. (Rosten)
(vulgar) snout, grimace (Steinmetz)
mouth, loud-mouth, similar to English slang "trap" for mouth.
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Pitseleh
Little one, dear
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plotz
"1. To split, to burst, to explode. 2. " To be aggravated beyond bearing" (Rosten) [lit. "to explode"]
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prakes
Stuffed cabbage, also known by holiptshes, goluptshes, and golomkes, among other names
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punim
face
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putz
"A fool, an ass, a jerk." (Rosten) [lit. "penis"]
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putzing, putzed
wasting time [offensive]
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rebbe
the spiritual leader of a Hasidic sect
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Reform
a Jewish movement founded on principles of the Jewish Enlightenment (Haskalah), which rejected the binding nature of the Law and attempted to concentrate on the prophetic message; it is now the largest movement in the United States, and has an additional 1 million adherents worldwide.
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Reform Judaism
A liberal, progressive branch of Judaism that emphasizes choice through knowledge.
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refusenik
Term for Soviet Jews who were not allowed to openly practice Judaism or emigrate from Soviet Union.
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renewal
An alternative stream of rabbis and congregations, independent of the "mainstream" denominations, that fosters an open and experimental approach to Judaism, often drawing from the Jewish mystical tradition and non-Jewish spiritual traditions.
Practices and beliefs in keeping with the philosphy of the renewal movement.
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Rosh Hashanah
The Jewish new year
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rugelach
"Bite-size crescent-shaped pastries, rolled around a variety of fillings, including chopped raisins and walnuts, apple, raspberry, [chocolate] or mun, topped with a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar" (JPS)
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sabra
a prickly pear, "tough and prickly on the outside, tender and sweet on the inside--a description that many say fits citizens of the Jewish state." (JPS)
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sandak
The person given the honor of assisting the mohel at the brit milah. The sandek may hold the child on his lap during the circumcision or, as is common today, just hold the baby for a moment in a symbolic fashion. The honor is often given to one of the baby's grandfathers or to another relative or close friend" (Eisenberg).
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schlemiel
idiot; contemptible person. "Clumsy, bungling person." (Steinmetz)
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schlemozel
The constant butt of idiotic or unfortunate happenings
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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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schlong
a penis
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schmaltzy
"Overly sentimental or romantic." (JPS)
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schmatta
rag, old/ragged piece of clothing, garment
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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
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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Shabbat
The Jewish Sabbath; Saturday
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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
2. the caretaker of a synagogue.
1. candle lit first and then used to light other hanukah candles
3. personal assistant / aide / gofer, especially to a rabbi or in the Hollywood entertainment industry
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shana tova
happy new year, lit. 'good year'
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shanda
"Scandal, shame." (JPS)
Misbehavior by a particular Jew or Jewish group that leads to embarrassment among the broader Jewish community.
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Sheket
Quiet!
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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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shluffy
[to go] to sleep (child-directed speech)
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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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shnoz
"A nose, especially a large, unattractive one." (JPS)
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Shoah
Eastern European Holocaust (of World War II)
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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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shtick
Performances and silly behavior at weddings, intended to entertain the bride and groom.
Props and decorations used for wedding entertainment.
"Overused actions or behavior." (JPS)
Comedy routine.
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shtum
quiet, voiceless, mute
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shtummer
quiet person, not much to say for themselves
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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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slivovitz
plum brandy, often consumed on passover because it doesn't contain fermented grains.
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spiel
play, performance, speech. "A long, involved story or tale." (JPS)
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sufganiyot
jelly-filled donuts traditionally eaten on Chanukah
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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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talmudic
1. literally, having to do with the talmud 2. a debate that was complex and had many sides
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tchotchke
trinket, knicknack
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teiglach
a confection of dough balls dipped in honey/syrup and eaten at Rosh Hashanah
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teshuvah
repentance [lit. "return"]
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Thanksgivukkah
"Thanksgivukkah is a pop-culture portmanteau neologism given to the convergence of the American holiday of Thanksgiving and the first day of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah on Thursday, November 28, 2013" (Wikipedia)
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The Chosen People
refers to the jewish people as a whole having a unique relationship with god; (translation of hebrew phrase "am nivchar")
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Torah
Literally, "teaching". 1. The five books of moses. 2. Jewish law and values in general.
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Torah reading
a section of the torah read on certain days during the week. (translation of hebrew phrase "kriyas hatorah")
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tsemisht
mixed-up, confused
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tsorris
"Troubles, woes, worries, suffering." (Rosten)
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tuches
buttocks
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tush
buttocks
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tza'ar ba'alei chayim
pity for living creatures (Steinmetz), or compassion for animals.
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tzedakah
charity, money given to charity
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unveiling
the ceremony marking the unveiling of a deceased person's headstone one year after his or her burial
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vig
The commission one receives for conducting a transaction, usually gambling or drug deals, but can also be used in day-to-day transactions.
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whole megillah
an expression of something done completely and/or taking a long time
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yad
the metal or wooden pointer used to follow the text when reading Torah; lit. "hand"
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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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yoikelta
Derogatory reference to a non-Jewish woman.
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yok
rowdy non-Jewish hooligan (derogatory)
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Yom Kippur
day of atonement, arguably the most important day on the Jewish calendar
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yutz
dumb jerk
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zaidie
grandpa, grandfather
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