Jewish English Lexicon

9 Days

the nine days leading up to Tisha B'av (the 15th of the month of Av), generally considered a time of mourning in which it is customary to abstain from eating meat, washing clothes, getting haircuts, or shaving

a long life

Used to greet a mourner after someone has died.

answer up

counter, retort

anticirc

Growing movement of Jews and non-Jews who are opposed to circumcision.

antisemitism

"Prejudice or discrimination against Jews and the Jewish people" (JPS).

Hatred against Jews.

Aramaic

Judeo-Aramaic, a northern Semitic language related to Hebrew.

ark

"the cabinet at the front of an Ashkenazic synagogue that houses the Torah scroll." (JPS)

Ashkenazic

Adjectival form for 'Ashkenazim', "The name given to the group of Jews who were originally from Germany and France, and their descendants" (JPS)

Ashkenormative

Assuming that all Jews are Ashkenazi, not considering Jews with other backgrounds.

Ashki

nickname for Ashkenazi Jews

b'shalom

"in peace" (used to sign off in written correspondence)

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.

barmy

bar mitzvah

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.]"

Be well

Closing to a letter or conversation: Take care, be healthy

beck

young, materialistic, shallow person

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.

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

bond of life

Common translation of the Hebrew "tzror ha-hayim," referring to a transcendent realm where the souls of righteous are kept in safekeeping. Part of a phrase often inscribed on headstones or said in reference to the dead, meaning "may their soul be bound in the bond of eternal life."

Borscht Belt

region in the Catskill Mountains with many summer resorts frequented by Jews, especially in the mid twentieth century

boychick

"A young boy...equivalent of the American expression 'buddy'" (JPS)

break fast

the meal that takes place after a fast

bring down

cite or reference

BT

ba'al teshuva, returnee to faith, Jew who chose to become Orthodox

Bujew

a Jew who practices Buddhism; a Jew interested in Eastern spirituality

by

at [a location], at the house of, with, among, according to the opinion of, at [an event, time of year] (in addition to Standard English near).

candle lighting

"the custom of lighting candles to welcome the Sabbath" (JPS); the exact time at which holiday and Shabbos candles are supposed to be lit by according to Jewish law.

cashew

a person of Catholic and Jewish heritage

CCAR

a union of Reform Rabbis that determines pay and benefits, as well as who can work at Reform movement-affiliated synagogues

cement mixer

non-Jewish woman

Chabad house

a synagogue/residence/outreach center operated by Chabad-Lubabvitch, usually run by a Rabbi and wife, and often their children.

chesedik

kind

chosenness

Notion that Jews are God's chosen people, based on biblical quotes.

Chrismukkah

"Chrismukkah is a pop-culture portmanteau neologism referring to the merging of the holidays of Christianity's Christmas and Judaism's Hanukkah." (Wikipedia)

CJLS

a committee of Conservative Rabbis that meets semi-yearly to review t'shuvot (halachic proposals)

collect

gather funds or fundraise for an institution.

conservadox

of a manner of Jewish religious practice that is considered to be intermediate between the Conservative and Orthodox movements in liturgy, observance, etc.

Conservative Judaism

originally known as "historical positive Judaism," a denomination that combines observance with an idea of "halachic process." See further comments below.

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.

convener

an organization that brings people or organizations together

counting the omer

counting of each of the forty-nine days between the Jewish holidays of Passover and Shavuos

daled amos of halacha

Idiomatically, "the four walls of the law" (Glinert)

the four (square) cubits of the law

day school

Jewish grade school, where students learn both Jewish and secular subjects. "The general name given to private Jewish schools" in the United States and Canada (JPS)

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).

eats out

Describes willingness of otherwise kosher-observant person to eat in non-supervised restaurant; connotation is that they will not eat non-kosher food (meat, shellfish etc), but are not concerned about the status of food prepared in otherwise non-kosher kitchen.

egal

adj. describing a non-Orthodox Jewish prayer group or service in which men and women can participate equally and a mechitzah (boundary separating women from men) is not used.

engagement

The degree to which an individual is active in or affiliated with a Jewish communal activity or organization, or to which a Jewish institution encourages such activity

ever-dying people

reference to Simon Rawidowicz quote that Jews have long seen themselves in danger of decline

federation

A local Jewish philanthropy which raises and distributes funds for social welfare, social services and educational needs in local communities and overseas, especially Israel.

FFB

Short for "frum from birth." Refers to someone who grew up in a religious home, the opposite of a BT (ba'al teshuvah) who became religious as an adult.

FFT

'Frum from Tuesday' - a satire on 'FFB'. Denotes a very recent BT, usually someone who has not mastered the rituals / social cues of Orthodox practice.

flexidox

Halachically observant but in a flexible way. Reflecting the original intent and spirit of Orthodoxy, rather than the superficial details. Flexidox (adj.): Orthodox in spirit, flexible in practice; culturally rather than halachically Orthodox

flip out

When a Modern Orthodox post-high-school student becomes more religiously observant during or after a gap year at a yeshiva/seminary.

from strength to strength

phrase of blessing used on momentous occasions

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.

G-d

the way that some religious Jews write God, to avoid writing the full word

give/get

The amount of money that a board member of an organization is responsible to contribute, either by a personal donation ("give") or by the member's individual fundraising ("get").

glatt

Showing consistency of reason (Weiser).

Super-kosher (not only of food), or acceptable to the Haredi community.

good for the Jews

an expression, often used ironically, to ask what the effect of a given event will be on the Jewish community.

good yom-tov

standard holiday greeting

Hagiographa

The formal English name of the Ketuvim, usually translated as "the Writings."

halakhic-egalitarian

A type of prayer group, service, community, or personal practice where people of all genders participate fully and equally in prayer services or other ritual functions (particularly women also performing rituals traditionally ascribed to men), while maintaining an adherence to traditional halachic practice, and seeing the egalitarian aspects of practice as harmonious with halacha.

Half Shabbas

Describes Sabbath observance by someone (usually a teenager) who observes Shabbat in every respect - except one: they text/SMS/tweet on Shabbat (or use other digital communication). May extend to using other electronic/digital devices as well (e.g. tablets).

Harry

A single, yeshivish male (see bochur) who is less culturally yeshivish than his peers.

heeb

slang term used to describe a Jewish person

Hinjew

a Jewish person of Indian origin or a person with mixed Jewish and Indian ancestry

hold

to be on the verge of

to opine; to act in accordance with; to be of the opinion; to believe "maintain" (Weiser)

to maintain a degree of religious observance

agree with

hot dairy (out) / cold dairy (out)

a standard of kashrut held by some non-Orthodox Jews, which allows certain foods but not others to be eaten in non-kosher restaurants; "cold dairy" refers to unheated non-meat products such as a bagel with cream cheese, cold cereal, salads, or cottage cheese, while "hot dairy" refers to cooked dishes containing vegetables, fish or dairy.

I wish you well to wear it

A saying uttered on seeing a friend or relative wearing a new garment or accessory. It is value-neutral, not implying that the garment is nice, just that it is new.

inside/outside

Dealing with a text directly (inside) or discussion about a text (outside) during different segments of a study session

J.E.R.K

Jewish Educated Religious Kid

Jalapeño Bagel

A person of Hispanic (non-Jewish) and Jewish origins.

JAP

Jewish American Princess

JBA

Jew by Association

JDate

A popular dating site for Jewish singles.

JDub

An American Jew who is not Syrian (usually refers to Ashkenazim)

Jew Bub

"Jewish Bubble"; the network of Jewish organizations and social circles in which Jews interact mostly with other Jews

Jew by Choice

A convert to Judaism.

Jew crew

group of Jews who hang out together

Jewdar

ability to detect individuals' Jewishness (on analogy with "gaydar" and ultimately "radar")

Jewfro

a large, frizzy hairstyle, sported by Jewish men (on analogy with "afro")

Jewish geography

a "game" in which Jews attempt to identify common friends or acquaintances

Jewish professional

An employee, excluding support staff, of an institution, including a synagogue, non-profit organization, and school, specifically or largely devoted to a Jewish cause or agenda.

Jewishly

(Adverb) related to or in a manner that accords with religious or cultural values or knowledge common or important to the Jewish people

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.

Jewitch

A Jew who is a witch or pagan.

Jews of Color

A pan-ethnic term that used to identify Jews whose family origins are originally in African, Asian or Latin-American countries (rac.org)

Jewy

Highly identified Jewishly, either outwardly in terms of actions and affiliations, or inwardly based on self-definition.

Demonstating stereotypical or conspicuous appearance or behaviors that identify one as a Jew.

JFK

Acronym: "Just for Kiddush." A joking or dismissive designation for a person who skips Saturday morning services but arrives at synagogue for the kiddush luncheon

keppy

head, little head (informal, diminutive, often in child-directed speech)

KFP

An abbreviation "kosher for Passover," meaning that the food fulfills the religious requirements to be eaten during Passover.

kike

A derogatory slur for a Jewish person.

kiki riki

brand name of clothing shells (thin, simple shirts; worn by Orthodox women under more revealing ones to provide coverage)

kimmel

"kimmel bread" is rye bread with caraway seeds on top

kollel rabbi

A man who learns (studies traditional texts) - generally full-time - and offers classes and other services to the (non-Orthodox) Jewish community.

Kratsmach

Tongue-in-cheek way of referring to "Christmas," especially among Jews who want to avoid uttering the name of Christ.

Land of Israel

not just the state of Israel but the physical place

lay leader

a member of the board of directors for a Jewish non-profit organization

an adult who helps coordinate programs of a Jewish organization in a volunteer capacity

learn

"To be involved in the acquisition of Torah knowledge through reading and reflection, or to do so as an occupation: STUDY" (Weiser)

light

light Shabbat or holiday candles

LOR

Local Orthodox Rabbi

LWMO

'Left wing Modern Orthodox'. The liberal wing of Modern Orthodoxy, in both attitude and observance.

M.O.T.

"member of the tribe;" a Jew

Maimonidean

Having to do with Maimonides, the Jewish rabbi, physician and scholar who lived in the 12th century

make

To urinate or defecate

Matzah minyan

A morning service (shacharit) that lasts 18 minutes or shorter.

matzah pizza

A nickname for Massapequa, a Long Island, NY, suburb with sizable Jewish and Italian populations.

a dish eaten by American Jews during Passover, where a piece of matzah is covered with tomato sauce and cheese, and placed in the oven.

matzoh ball

dumpling made with matzah meal and eggs and generally served in chicken soup

mayim step

a dance move used in Israeli dance (also known as 'the grapevine')

meaty

Food in the meat category, according to the Jewish dietary laws

member of the tribe

non-derogitory slang term used to identify a Jewish person

meshichist

someone who believes that Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Rebbe of Chabad Hasidism, is the Messiah

milky

Dairy

mission

An organized trip meant to expose participants to the work of a nonprofit organization, raise awareness of a cause, and/or deliver supplies or services to a deserving population. Unlike the Christian use of the word "mission," Jewish missions do not signify a proselytizing motive.

Modern Orthodox

'Modern Orthodox'. Observant, but open to the outside world, general culture and education; not 'Yeshivish' or 'Haredi'.

name game

The attempt to identify whether someone is Jewish based upon whether their name 'sounds' Jewish.

nice Jewish boy

Jewish male, in pop culture it often indicates nebbishy traits and lack of traditional masculinity

no-goodnik

bad person, scoundrel (sometimes humorous or affectionate)

noodge

verb: bore, pester, nag

noun: pest, whiner

OB"M

"of blessed memory"

Off the derech

No longer religious/observant; now following a non-religious/non-observant lifestyle.

oilam

the world; the public

a group of people

oirik

Derogatory reference to a non-Jewish male, especially a common labourer

on one foot

translation of Hebrew "al regel achat" or Yiddish "af eyn fus": off-the-cuff; quick, quickly, quick answer (from a Talmudic story about Rabbi Hillel summarizing the Torah to a potential convert while standing on one foot)

OO

Abbreviation for Open Orthodoxy or Open Orthodox.

Open Orthodox

a breakaway movement to the left of Modern Orthodoxy, declared outside of acceptable Orthodox boundaries by most mainstream Orthodox rabbis

Ortho

shorthand, or slang term, for Orthodox

patrilineal

Being considered Jewish because one's father but not mother is Jewish.

peoplehood

sense of belonging to the world Jewish people

Pew

Shorthand reference to “A Portrait of Jewish Americans,” a comprehensive survey, released in October 2013 by the Pew Research Center’s Religion and Public Life Project. Upon its release, the survey's findings on population, Jewish identity, and interfaith marriage seemed likely to play a central role in determining priorities for myriad Jewish institutions.

pizza bagel

A person of (non-Jewish) Italian and Jewish descent.

Recon

Adj. Of or pertaining to Reconstructionist Judaism (a movement founded by Rabbi M. M. Kaplan, emphasizing Judaism as a civilization more than a religion).

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.

Reform Judaism

A liberal, progressive branch of Judaism that emphasizes choice through knowledge.

refusenik

Term for Soviet Jews who were not allowed to openly practice Judaism or emigrate from Soviet Union.

religious school

after-school jewish supplementary education, usually from elementary through high school. may occur during the week or on sundays.

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.

responsa

Written decisions and legal rulings by rabbis appointed to be legal deciders.

RWMO

'Right-wing Modern Orthodox' - often University-educated and open to (certain) professional training and education, but seriously committed to halakhic observance.

S/Y

Syrian Jew

schmo

a fool; a jerk

seminary

Post-high school learning program for women; usually located in Jerusalem and associated with an Orthodox religious outlook

Sephardic

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

Shabbos elevator

elevator used on the Sabbath that stops automatically on each floor to allow religious Jews to use it without operating electric equipment

shluffy

[to go] to sleep (child-directed speech)

Shtati

Cool, modern, cosmopolitan.

sketch

a trick

to trick, hoodwink, or bullsh*t someone

Tefillin date

A date on which the male brings along his tefillin, in the expectation that he may spend the night with his date (because he is conscientious about the mitzvah of tefillin and the need to put on his tefillin the following morning).

tell over

to repeat or teach a story heard elsewhere

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)

The Chosen People

refers to the jewish people as a whole having a unique relationship with god; (translation of hebrew phrase "am nivchar")

Three Weeks

a period of semi-mourning commemorating the destruction of the first and second temples in jerusalem. "The three weeks between shiva asar betamuz (17th of Tamuz), when the walls of Jerusalem were breached, and Tisha b'Av (9th of Av), when the Temple was destroyed." (Steinmetz)

Torah reading

a section of the torah read on certain days during the week. (translation of hebrew phrase "kriyas hatorah")

Tot Shabbat

A synagogue-based service or play group for young children on Shabbat.

traditional-egalitarian

A type of prayer group, service, community, or personal practice where people of all genders participate fully and equally in prayer services or other ritual functions (particularly women also performing rituals traditionally ascribed to men), while maintaining an adherence to traditional halachic practice.