Jewish English Lexicon

adon olam

a hymn in the traditional Jewish liturgy, usually recited before Shacharit and often sung after services in synagogue, made up of traits attributed to God

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)

Akedah

The binding of Isaac (episode in the Torah)

al regel achat

lit. "on one foot"; off-the-cuff; "To answer a question or deal with a query very briefly and cursorily." (Glinert)

aliyah

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

immigration to Israel

ascent

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

am haaretz

Vulgar, boorish person

People of the land

Bumpkin, ignoramus, uneducated person

amen

Agreed. "The word used at the end of prayer to signify affirmation." (Rosten)

Amida

The Shemoneh Esrei prayer, which is said while standing [Amida, lit. "standing".]

apikoros

heretic, non-believer, especially one with great knowledge of Judaism

aron kodesh

"Literally, "holy ark"." (JPS)

assur

forbidden

averah

religious transgression (Glinert: "An aveirah is an infringement on the Torah, the opposite of a mitzvah.")

b'ezras hashem

With God's help.

b'sha'ah tovah

Literally "at a good hour." All in good time. Good luck. Response to a pregnancy announcement--meaning may all go well.

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'."

baal koreh

The individual who chants Torah from the scroll at a synagogue. Sometimes used to refer specifically to a person capable of learning and chanting an entire parsha, or to a professional/paid reader as opposed to an amateur. (Literally, "master of reading" or "one who reads")

bal tashchit

Do not be wasteful, do not destroy.

balagan

"a disorderly, confusing, and/or overwhelming situation" (Glinert)

Bamidbar

The Book of Numbers, [lit. "in the wilderness"] (Glinert)

bar mitzvah

Jewish coming-of-age ceremony/celebration for a 13-year-old boy; the boy who has come of age.

baruch Hashem

"Thank God," "blessed is God"

fine

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)

behatzlacha

good luck (a wish)

go with success

beit din

A rabbinical court of law that makes judgments on matters of Jewish religious life, especially conversion and divorce.

bereshit

The Book of Genesis [lit. "in the beginning"]

beseder

allright; fine. [lit. "in order"]; "OK" (Glinert)

beteavon

bon appetit; enjoy your meal; dig in. Glinert: "Literally, 'bon appetit!'"

bikur cholim

visiting the sick

bimah

pulpit; "A raised platform or stage in a synagogue from which the Torah is read and services are led." (JPS)

Birkat Hamazon

The blessing after food, referring to the four blessing Grace After Meals said after consuming bread. Referred to in many communities as "bentching."

bitachon

faith, trust

security

bli neder

"Literally, 'without vowing', this is added to any casual promise to avoid it being taken as an absolute undertaking." (Glinert)

bracha

blessing (in the technical or figurative sense)

bris

circumcision ceremony; the celebration surrounding it. Lit. covenant.

broiges

a dispute (n)

angry, annoyed (adj.)

chag

"Festival" (Glinert)

chai

"Literally, 'life'" (JPS); 18 (see note)

chalutzim

Pioneers in the building of the State of Israel.

chametz

Leavened food.

chanukiah

Nine-branched menorah / candelabrum used on Chanukah

charoses

Sweet, mushy mixture that represents mortar at the Passover seder.

chas v'sholom

"heaven forbid" (Glinert)

chatuna

wedding

chavruta

learning partnership; joint study session. "The person with whom one studies religious texts" (Weiser)

chazak u'baruch

"be strong and be blessed," usually said to someone who participated in a religious service in some way (for example, has an aliyah, makes a donation, opens the ark, etc.)

Chazal

a collective term that refers to all Jewish sages of the Mishna, Tosefta and Talmud eras

chazir

1. pork 2. a pig, greedy person (JPS)

chevra kedisha

burial society - volunteers who sit with the dead and prepare their bodies for burial

chidush

innovative idea; an insight; discovery; novelty

chillul Hashem

disgracing God's name; an action that might be looked down upon; an action that might make Jews look bad

chol hamoed

"the intermediate days of the weeklong holidays of Pesach and Sukkot" (JPS)

chumash

"A bound book containing the Five Books of Moses that is used in synagogue or for study." (JPS)

chumrah

a religious stringency

chuppah

"The Jewish wedding canopy; that is, the cloth under which the Jewish wedding ceremony is conducted." (JPS)

wedding ceremony (not including reception)

chutzpah

guts (positive)

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

daf yomi

Lit. "page of the day", refers to the program of study of a page of Talmud every day

davka

"definitely or exactly stated; specifically" (Weiser)

just to annoy, just to be contrary

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.)

derech

(lit. "path") usually refers to an ethical lifestyle or the traditional, halachic Jewish lifestyle

derech eretz

"Good conduct; normal, polite behavior in a social setting." (JPS). Manners, respect.

Participating in modern society.

Devarim

"the Book of Deuteronomy", [lit. "words"] (JPS)

drasha

"Sermon, learned address." (Glinert)

eema

mother

Eichah

"The Book of Lamentations" (JPS)

ein breira

"there is no alternative." (Glinert)

Elul

The twelfth month of the Jewish calendar, just before the High Holidays season (or sixth, if one starts counting at Nissan).

emunah

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

erev

"Eve of." (Glinert) Evening, or the day before a Jewish holiday

eruv

area in which a token enclosure enables one to carry on the Sabbath [without breaking the prohibition against carrying in a public space]." (Glinert)

eshet chayil

"woman of valor" (JPS); poem about such a woman in Proverbs 31.

etrog

Citron (lemon-like fruit) used ritually on Sukkot

falafel

the deep-fried chick pea ball itself

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

g'mar chatima tova

"A customary greeting among Jews on Yom Kippur [and the period between Yom Kippur and Rosh haShanah]" (JPS). lit. "a good end of [the process of] sealing [in the Book of Life]".

gabai

verb: to serve as gabai

noun: The officer of the synagogue who determines which congregants are to receive Torah honors at the service.

noun: The (lay) person who calls Jews to say blessings over the Torah reading and follows along with the Torah reading to correct any mistakes.

gashmiyus

materialism, in contrast with spiritual concerns; "indulgence in earthly pleasures" (Weiser)

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)

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)

gemilut chasadim

"Literally, "acts of loving kindness"", (JPS) often used in reference to charitable activities

get

a writ or deed of divorce

giyur

The act of converting to Judaism.

Conversion ceremony

golem

"A creature of Jewish medieval folklore, a golem is a figure made into the form of a human and given life." (JPS)

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)

gonif

thief

goy

a nation, but not the Jewish nation

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

hachnasas orchim

hospitality (lit. "bringing in guests")

hachnosas kallah

charitable support for poor young women to get married

haftorah

"A reading from the biblical book of Prophets that is recited in synagogue immediately following the reading of the Torah" (JPS)

haggadah

"The small book of liturgy, prayers, songs, and rituals used at a Pesach seder" (JPS)

HaKadosh Baruch Hu

God, lit. "The Holy One, Blessed Be He"

hakafah

a go-around (similar to sivuv)

parade, processional with the Torah on Simchas Torah

halacha

"Jewish law" (JPS)

halevai

I wish!

If only

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

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")

Haredi

Adjective or noun referring to an individual, institution, or practice associated with strictly Orthodox (non-Modern) Jews.

Hashem

God, lit. "the name"

hashkafah

ideological outlook; point of view; "philosophy" (Weiser)

Hasid

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)

A follower in a non-religious sense (ironic).

Haskalah

19th century Jewish Enlightenment, in which modern philosophy and literature entered Jewish consciousness

hatikvah

literally "the hope." "The Israeli national anthem." (Glinert)

havdalah

"literally 'separation'. The ceremony that marks the end of [the Sabbath] on Saturday evening" (JPS)

hechsher

(Rabbinic) stamp or seal of approval-- typically designating a product as kosher

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

im yirtzeh hashem

if God wills it, God willing (used when making plans for or describing the future)

ipcha mistabra

"the opposite is more reasonable"; "you have it backwards"

isru chag

"The day after the end of Pesach, Sukkos, and Shavuos, regarded as a semi-holiday on which mourning is curbed and fasting prohibited" (Dictionary of Jewish Usage)

Kabbalah

a Jewish mystical work, sometimes used as a catch-all term for Jewish mysticism. "The Jewish mystical tradition" (JPS)

Kabbalat Shabbat

"Special prayers and songs included as part of Friday night services to welcome in Shabbat."

kaddish

Prayer of mourning; prayer separating parts of the service; lit. "sanctification"

kallah

Jewish communal gathering, conference

bride

kashrut

"The body of Jewish dietary laws and regulations that specify what and how a Jew who keeps kosher can eat." (JPS)

kavanah

"Attention to the meaning, spirit, and purpose of words" (Weiser)

intent

kedusha

holiness, sanctity

a responsive prayer sung/recited by the shaliach tzibbur (prayer leader) and congregation as part of the Amidah in a minyan

kehillah

"A Jewish community" (JPS)

ketubah

"The Jewish marriage contract, traditionally written in Aramaic." (JPS)

kibbutz

"[Israeli agricultural] collective" (Glinert) Most settlements in Israeli which originally began as kibbutzim now function as regular municipalities.

kiddush

"blessing recited over wine" (JPS) on Sabbath or holidays at the beginning of the meal or ceremony. Reception after services. "The refreshments, usually including wine, juice, and pastries, that are offered after [the Sabbath] and holiday services in the synagogue." (JPS)

kiddush Hashem

the sanctification of God's name; "bringing honor to God" (Glinert)

martyrdom

kippah

"small, round headcovering" (JPS)

klal yisroel

"synonym for the Jewish people" (JPS)

Knesset

Israel's parliament

kol hakavod

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

"well done" (Glinert)

Kol ishah

lit. 'The voice of a woman'. Refers to the prohibition of men hearing the voice of a woman singing.

kol tuv

"all the best" (JPS)

kosher

"acceptable according to Jewish [ritual] law" (JPS); "trustworthy, reliable" (Rosten); acceptable according to dietary laws

Kotel

"The Western Wall"/wailing wall (Glinert)

koved

"honor, dignity, respect" (JPS)

l'chaim

traditional toast. [lit. "to life" (Rosten)]

labriut

"bless you" (after someone sneezes) [lit., "to health"] (Glinert)

lehitraot

"Goodbye for now, see you again soon" (JPS) "see you later."

lulav

palm branch used ritually on Sukkot

ma pitom

expression of surprise: What the heck?

machloket

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

machmir

stringent, "taking the stricter position on an issue" (Weiser)

meticulous

machzor

High Holiday prayerbook, used for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

madrich

youth counselor or supervisor

magen david

"star of david", a symbol that has commonly been associated with Jews and Judaism; [lit. "shield of david"]

mamish

"1. As though true to fact...2. Surely or certainly...3. Actually, genuinely...4. To a high degree...5. Enthusiastic response: WOW." (Weiser)

mamzer

bastard [see note]; "A detestable [person] like the colloquial English "He's a bastard"" (Rosten)

maror

bitter herbs placed on the seder place on Passover

matzeivah

headstone

matzoh

unleavened bread eaten on Passover

mayim achronim

ritual hand-washing before saying the prayer after a meal

mazel

congratulations

luck (good)

mazel tov

congratulations [lit. "good fortune"]

mazik

a mischievous person, often a child

(with verb "to be") to ruin partially; damage (Yeshivish usage)

mechayil el chayil

"from strength to strength"

mechitza

the separation between men and women in Orthodox prayer spaces [lit. "separation"]

mechuten

the father of one's child's spouse

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

menorah

candelabrum, especially for Chanukah

meshuga

crazy

mesiras nefesh

self-sacrifice

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

Mi Shebeirach

the prayer for healing said during a Torah service; [lit. "He who blesses"]

middos

character traits (singular: "middah")

midrash

stories or explanations that interpret or ellaborate on the Torah's text.

mikvah

"Ritual bath" (JPS)

minhag

custom; "A tradition that is not mentioned in the Torah or mandated by law but nonetheless is followed." (JPS)

minyan

prayer quorum of 10 Jews age 13 or older (traditionally male; in some communities male or female)

religious community

small service

Mishnah

an authoritative collection of exegetical material embodying the oral tradition of Jewish law and forming the first part of the Talmud.

Mishnah Berurah

commentary on Shulchan Aruch Orech Chaim by Israel Meir of Radin, aka the Chofetz Chaim

mishpacha

"Literally, "family". ...The word conveys a warm feeling of friendship." (JPS)

mitzvah

good deed

Literally, "commandment"

mohel

A person trained to perform Jewish ritual circumcision

muktzah

An object that it is forbidden to handle on the Sabbath and on certain holidays (generally because the object's primary purpose involves actions considered work and forbidden on those days).

musaf

The additional service added to the morning services on the Sabbath and holidays.

naches

"Proud pleasure, special joy--particularly from the achievements of a child... 2. Psychological reward or gratification." (Rosten)

neshama

soul

nesiah tovah

"have a good trip"; bon voyage

nifter

deceased

nigun

"A wordless melody; a tune" (JPS)

nu

so what?; so?; hurry up already

oleh

Immigrant to Israel; a person who makes aliyah.

oy

exclamation of dismay, exasperation, or surprise

parasha

period of dating for marriage (Orthodox Jews)

conversation (Weiser)

general realm of feasibility, ballpark (Weiser)

Selection of the Pentateuch read publicly on the Sabbath.

a tedious, lengthy enumeration or account, litany (Weiser)

parnasa

livelihood, income

parve

1. neither milk nor meat; 2. uninteresting, plain, generic

pasuk

a verse, usually from the Torah

payos

Sidelocks, sidecurls, or earlocks, common among Haredi boys and men.

perush

A commentary on a text, something that makes the meaning clear.

Pesach

The Jewish Holiday of Passover

peshat

"The literal, obvious meaning scholars give to a Jewish text. It can also refer to the simple interpretation of any issue or question." (JPS)

"An explanation of the logic behind or the source of a passage, event, work, etc." (Weiser)

Justification

pidyon haben

ceremony of redemption of the first-born son; celebration surrounding this ceremony

Purim

A joyous holiday that takes place in February or March on the 14th of Adar, retelling the story of the Book of Esther.

rachmones

mercy

refua shlema

"Get well soon." Lit. "full recovery"

rega

wait, hold on; lit. "an instant"

rikud

dancing, especially Israeli dancing (at camp)

Rosh Chodesh

start of a new month in the Hebrew calendar

Rosh Hashanah

The Jewish new year

rov

A particularly notable rabbi; a halachic decisor

ruach

spirit, "spiritedness, morale" (JPS)

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)

savlanut

patience

sechel

"Common sense" (JPS), intelligence

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

order, orderliness, system, routine

sefer

"A literary composition written particularly of, on, or about the Torah" (Weiser)

Hebrew or Aramaic book

seforim

Religious books written in Hebrew or Aramaic.

segula

Folk remedy, safeguard, superstitious action, talisman

divinely bestowed reward as a result of an individual's participation in a minhag or mitzvah

"procedure that is not based on medical or scientific logic yet is efficacious in improving a situation or protecting a person from harm" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segula_(Kabbalah))

Sephardic

Jews whose ancestors came from the Iberian Peninsula before the Jewish expulsion

Shabbat

The Jewish Sabbath; Saturday

Shabbat Shalom

Used as a greeting or departing line (hello or goodbye) on or before Shabbat. Literally "peaceful Sabbath."

shadchen

matchmaker

shaila

a question, usually while looking for a halachic ruling

shalech manes

Gifts for friends, traditionally given on Purim. Typically, a basket with food requiring two separate brachas in it.

shalom

hello, goodbye, peace

shalom bayit

"Literally, 'peace in the home'. Contentment and harmony among family members." (JPS)

shalom zachar

welcoming party to celebrate the birth of a son, usually held at the house of the child's parents on the first Friday night after his birth

shamash

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

2. the caretaker of a synagogue.

shana tova

happy new year, lit. 'good year'

shatnez

mixture of wool and linen in a garment, which is prohibited by Jewish law

shechita

Kosher animal slaughter.

shehecheyanu

the blessing of thanksgiving that celebrates reaching a celebratory moment or marking a significant first

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

shemini atzeret

Holiday celebrated the day after the seven-day holiday of Sukkot.

Shemoneh Esrei

another name for the Amida, the central prayer during Jewish services. [lit. 'eighteen', the number of blessings it originally had]

Shemot

Printed items containing the name of God in Hebrew letters (generally pronounced SHAY-miss)

The Book of Exodus [lit. 'names']

sherut

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

sheva brachot

the seven blessings said after a jewish wedding and at a festive meal once a day for a week afterwards. the term can refer to the one week period after the wedding, the festive meal, or the blessings themselves.

sheymes

n., such content

adj., of or relating to printed material, such as a book or even an audio recording, that contains the name of God, and therefore must not be erased, put on the floor, etc., out of respect for the Divine Name

shidduch

a date or match, often leading to marriage. "The matching up of a man and a woman for purposes of marriage; a match. In popular usage, any match or alliance, as in The shidduch between the two organization was a success." (Steinberg)

shidduch

arranged spousal match

match

a date in the process of finding one's spouse

mate

shiur

"1. A lesson, lecture, or discourse on the Torah, Mishnah, or Gemara...(2. A measure, size, or rate)." (JPS)

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'.

shloshim

Thirty

The 30-day period after a deceased person's funeral, often marked with special remembrances such as family members studying religious texts in the person's honor.

shmura

a type of matzah adhering to more stringent interpretations of permissible matzah for Passover

Shoah

Eastern European Holocaust (of World War II)

shofar

ram's horn sounded during the month of elul, especially associated with rosh hashanah

shomer

literally, to guard. can be short for "shomer shabbat" (keeps the laws of sabbath); for "shomer negia" (keeps the laws prohibiting members of the opposite sex from touching before marriage)

shuk

Open air market in Israel

Shulchan Aruch

a code of Jewish Law (halachah) written by Rabbi Joseph Caro in four sections, based on the Arba Turim (Tur); with its various commentaries, it is considered the central redaction of Jewish Law.

siddur

Jewish prayer book

sidra

weekly Torah portion

simcha

"A joyous occasion; a celebration" (JPS); usually related to a lifecycle event

siyum

literally, "completion" 1) traditionally means a ceremony and celebration that takes place at the end of a study of a tractate of talmud, but can be used for the completion of another course of study.

sofer

A scribe trained in transcribing the Torah, mezuzah, tefillin scriptures and other religious texts on parchment.

stam

Just kidding!

only, simply, just for fun, not for a specific purpose

That's it!

sukkah

A temporary dwelling used during the holiday of Sukkot

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.

tachlis

practical details of a matter, "brass tacks" (as in, "Let's get down to brass tacks.")

purpose, aim

taharas hamishpachah

the body of law surrounding menstruation, lit. "family purity"

tallis

prayer shawl

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)

tam

taste

Tanach

the entire Jewish bible including the Torah, Prophets, Writings. ['tanakh' is an acronym of the names of the three sections of the bible: torah, nevi'im and kethuvim.]

tashlich

"The custom of going to a...body of running water on the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah...and reciting certain penitential verses [and throwing breadcrumbs, symbolizing sins, in to the water.]" (Steinmetz)