chutzpah

guts (positive)

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

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

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

a nation, but not the Jewish nation

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