aba

father, dad, daddy

aliyah

immigration to Israel

ascent

"calling to the reading of the Torah" (Glinert)

ascent of the soul of a deceased person to a higher level, as is believed to happen on their yartzeit

b'vakasha

JPS: "Literally, 'please'. It can be used in various ways, including "please go ahead" and at the end of a sentence as 'you're welcome'."

boydem

attic

chag sameach

"Literally, 'Happy Holiday.' The traditional, all-purpose greeting exchanged on almost any Jewish holiday" (JPS).

chaver

comrade, mister (in left-wing political organizations)

friend

chug

elective class, group activity

group, circle (of people)

chush

flair

feeling

sense

chutzpah

guts (positive)

nerve, audacity, the quality of over-stepping boundries with no shame (negative)

dati

Modern Orthodox

religious

davka

"definitely or exactly stated; specifically" (Weiser)

even; despite expectations to the contrary -- often with a slightly amused or ironic feeling of "wouldn't you know it?" or "of all things" ("of all people" ... etc.)

just to annoy, just to be contrary

eema

mother

emunah

"faith"; sometimes contrasted with practical striving in the material world

goy

"most often used among Jews to refer to someone who is not a Jew" (JPS)

a nation, but not the Jewish nation

hafsaka

break or interruption

halevai

"Would that it be so" (Steinmetz, Yiddish and English)

If only

I wish!

kol hakavod

"well done" (Glinert)

Literally, "All the honor", as in "More honor to you!"

kumzits

sing-along; campfire gathering with singing

machloket

disagreement, dispute, argument, conflict, especially one about a halachic issue

madrich

1. Youth counselor or supervisor 2. A teacher's assistant for elementary and middle schoolers during classes in religious schools.

matzav

political, military situation in Israel/the Middle East

situation

mazel

luck (good)

congratulations

mazel tov

congratulations [lit. "good fortune"]

moadon

clubhouse, lounge

oleh

Immigrant to Israel; a person who makes aliyah.

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)

savta

grandmother

shalom

hello, goodbye, peace

sherut

Lit. "service"; specifically a shared taxi used in israeli transportation

shidduch

mate

a date in the process of finding one's spouse

match

arranged spousal match

shuk

Open air market in Israel

slicha

"Excuse me", "Sorry"

svara

guess, hypothesis

justification, reason, plausible explanation

toda

"thank you"

toyve

A favor

tzadik

A highly learned and esteemed rabbinic leader (sometimes used as an alternative name for a Hasidic rebbe).

Someone who does extremely righteous deeds.

Common name for the 18th letter of the Hebrew alphabet (tzadi / tzade).

yerida

emigration from Israel