chutzpah

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

guts (positive)

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

goy

a nation, but not the Jewish nation

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

kibbutz

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

Knesset

Israel's parliament

l'chaim

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

mazel tov

congratulations [lit. "good fortune"]

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)

Shabbat

The Jewish Sabbath; Saturday

shalom

hello, goodbye, peace